About the book
A critical vocabulary for representations of Latinidad.
Tropicalizations examines how colonial and cultural narratives have represented Latin American people, Latina/o communities, and the spaces associated with them. The collection considers how these narratives circulate through history, literature, media, and other official forms of knowledge.
The essays also explore the ways Latina/o writers and artists have adopted, challenged, and reshaped inherited definitions. Topics include unequal power in transcultural relationships, gendered myths, cultural contact zones, and representations of Cuba from within the United States.
Edited by Frances R. Aparicio and Susana Chávez-Silverman, the volume brings literary and aesthetic analysis into conversation with Latin American studies, Latina/o studies, American studies, and post-colonial theory.