Centro Journal ISSN: 1538-6279 [email protected] The City University of New York Estados Unidos López, Edrik Nuyorican spaces: mapping identity in a poetic geography Centro Journal, vol. XVII, núm. 1, spring, 2005, pp. 202-219 The City University of New York New York, Estados Unidos Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=37717110 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative [ 203 ] 7 spring 2005 ABSTRACT Volume xv1i Number 1 xv1i Number Volume CENTRO Journal CENTRO This paper examines the role spatial constructions in poetry have on a Nuyorican Nuyorican in the discourse Flores’ essay “‘Qué assimilated, revisits Juan It identity. yo soy asimilao’: the Structuring Rican of Puerto brother, Flores identified his essay, (1985). In in the U.S.” Identity he consciousness “four moments” of a Nuyorican paper attempts My poetry. in Nuyorican encountered to on Flores’ argument and argue that the elaborate relations with space. “four to moments” are linked a these spatial constructions constitute Moreover, The paper on national identity. layered conversation in important spaces examines major Nuyorican poets, Nuyorican poetry, words: poems. [Key Nuyorican identity] Nuyorican Rican, space, Puerto ÓPEZ L DRIK Nuyorican spaces: Nuyorican Mapping identity in a poetic geography E central space marginal space outside spacial mediations Lopez(v6).qxd 6/6/05 7:50 PM Page 202 poetry the pavement had mouths that ate mouths that the pavement had [ 205 ] Nuyorican are stages in a developing of a consciousness four moments have a deep source of cultural energy. It is this moment that recognizes the is this moment that recognizes It have of cultural energy. a deep source —refracts an identity clash occurring in the poems. Because of colonialism, does For Flores, the For The charged nature of spatial constructions— is obsessed with space. It meditates in the literary meditates by associating with a its space It is obsessed with space. of and the Ruins in “Home writes Esterrich Carmelo of national identity. valence writing has always been caught in the critical Language” (1998) that “Nuyorican and the US—between national places—Puerto Rico two crossfire between their claim, I posit that instead Esterrich’s literary and linguistic borders” (1). Redirecting everythingAbove poetry fires at national spaces. of being in that crossfire, Nuyorican writing has with—migration, language, been concerned urban else that Nuyorican in Nuyorican depravity—spatial of contention the critical sites constructions constitute constructs not as its surrounding space the setting of where events of It poetry. poetry to but as the reason happens. I bring attention Nuyorican their poetry occur, Therefore, this paper paints for their importance ascertain spaces identity markers. by Juan of this mapping project was initiated The sketches literary map. a Nuyorican yo soy asimilao’: the Structuring of Puerto brother, “‘Qué assimilated, Flores’ essay, There, Flores identifies “four moments” of Nuyorican (1985). in the U.S.” Rican Identity to These are interestingly linked of cultural awareness. various states to identity tethered that a discussion I willrelations with space. revisit that foundational essay and contend poetry on national identity. is undoubtedly a layered conversation in Nuyorican on space Nuyorican’s cultural awareness. The first moment is the “here and now,” the The first moment is the “here and now,” cultural awareness. Nuyorican’s Rican. “There are the migrant Puerto to York of New perception immediate lines, the run-downabandoned buildings, welfare streets . in short the condition moment The second York. This is the abandonment of New of hostility” (Flores 186). of This is the state romanticized, idealized image (Flores 187). Rico” of Puerto is “a African is also a recovery and indigenous foundation of Puerto of the enchantment. It “the York: New this, the third moment is a movement back to After Rican culture. Rican life in the Ricans” (Flores 189). Puerto now includes Puerto scene York New U.S. the fourth moment this is complete, Once consciousness. as a legitimated Nuyorican American society” with the surrounding North and interaction to is the “connection in his essay with a the opening conversation (Flores 189). Flores here alludes to Americans and African between Chicano friend, the close interaction who notices Tato a reading of final component, as the essay’s well as to York, Ricans in New Puerto of Flores’ conceptualization in relation to interest Carnal.” My poem “Vaya Laviera’s in exactly answer what to directly identity is not to critique it, but rather, Nuyorican poetry highlight the way and to in Nuyorican ways these moments are manifested questions of national identity. answering discursive tool is the central space them identity crisis is a question of national orientation. Flores mentions that the consciousness; “national” moment occurs in the third of Nuyorican in examining spatial constructions, apparent that all it becomes the however, she belongs, out in what space Figuring national identity. to moments relate in the name Nuyorican, is trying who she is. Even formulate to the Nuyorican . m e h t e t a t íctor Hernández Cruz a V h t s h t u o m d a h t [ 204 ] n e m e v a p e h The pavement had mouths that ate them... T Lopez(v6).qxd 6/6/05 7:50 PM Page 204 [ 207 ] (Piñero 7) (Piñero A Bimbo Rivas’ The first is that (like poem. of significant moves couple occur in Piñero’s [ . ] coining poem “Loisaida”) the work establishes a Nuyorican poetic center. The Lower EastThe Lower poetic center. establishes a Nuyorican poem “Loisaida”) the work coining The next Ricans. Puerto the life and death struggles the capital, home to becomes of U.S. margins, suggesting significant move of Nuyorican is that the author establishes a couple wanna rest in long island” and, ironically to asat least places such: the suburbs, “don’t two than Long Island More Rico.” wanna be buried in Puerto “don’t Rico, some, Puerto the rejection encompasses Here “other.” the Nuyorican’s becomes Rico suburbs, Puerto inspiring the poem may sound, However York. and the wild abandon of New Rico Puerto the abandon embraces for the way things are. Piñero there is a sense of resigned acceptance though his poem is Even of its horrible conditions. through the acceptance York of New its assertion also acknowledges the cry, life-affirming as a positive, Nuyorican, projected dies in Piñero is the place Home hopelessness of finding identity in that national space. that I can see.” he screams, “there is no other place While on a rooftop, but does not live in. Cruz presents Hernández Víctor it is a resignation. of that space; This is not acceptance York. another view of the first moment abandon New Miguel Piñeros’ East Side Poem” Lower “A I die Just once before I want to climb up on a sky Tenement my lungs out till dream To I cry Then scatter my ashes thru East Side. The Lower no other place for me to be There’s no other place that I can see There’s [ . ] wanna be buried in PuertoI don’t Rico in long island cemetery wanna rest I don’t I wanna be near the stabbing shooting dying gambling fighting & unnatural & new birth crying so please when I die… take me far away don’t keep me near by take my ashes and scatter them thru out East side… the Lower encourage? ,” from here or from over Puerto Rico ,” as Victor Hernández Cruz calls it Hernández Victor ,” as [ 206 ] los de aqu y all Puerto Rico ). The question then becomes, how do these spaces The question then becomes, ). Repeating itself all the way to that very itself all the way to place, central . Repeating the streets, cockroach apartments, Loisaida, el Barrio, the projects, el Barrio, Loisaida, cockroach apartments, the streets, Tropicalization The act of representing those spaces becomes a way to find out, to investigate, find out, to a way to becomes The act of representing those spaces I trace a discourse of Nuyorican space without claiming that such a discourse space of Nuyorican a discourse I trace (Hernández, (Hernández, What does a certain view of the Nuyorican? create The poems define those who are called “los de aquí,” by focusing on the aquí. get a generalized construction to This essay is a discourse-minded intended poetry. role in Nuyorican understanding of space’s the poets to I give attention reveals any “true” Rather, knowledge of that space. the onto and their mediation of “real” space Rican community Puerto of the U.S. representations the way corresponding in the troping of space, I am interested literary. from inform readers of the manifestation a discursive community. various texts Lefebvre, who informs many theories on Henri Yet This article focuses on poetry. warns in literaryspace, that “the problem is any search for space will find texts it everywhere and in every dreamt of, guise: enclosed, described, projected, provide the special enough to can be considered What texts about. speculated analysis?”basis for a ‘textual’ (15). I have let others decide that question for me in that have by various anthologies, problematize the texts been selected choosing not to poetry movement. by founding members of the Nuyorican including those compiled gestures. repetitions, metonymic patterns, This paper traces “national” space is the defining element. The major way of defining Puerto Ricans The major way of defining Puerto is the defining element. “national” space Ricans into Puerto “divide has been to oneself either from or outside of it in the United Rico there; one situates Puerto 984).