On Immigrant Literature
January 28th, 2007
“You hand over your passport at the check-in, you get stamped, you want to make a little money, get yourself started.. but you mean to go back!… But you have made a devil’s pact… it drags you in and suddenly you are unsuitable to return… you belong nowhere…“And then you give up the very idea of belonging. Suddenly, this thing, belonging, it seems like some long dirty lie… and I begin to believe that birthplaces are accidents, that everything is an accident. But if you believe that, where do you go? What do you do?…”
~ Samad Iqbal (“White Teeth” by Zadie Smith)
I will never be an American in America.
I recently read two novels that fall into the Immigrant Literature category: “White Teeth,” as quoted above and “The Russian Debutante’s Handbook,” by Gary Shteyngart. I highly recommend both.
What an eye-opener to see in print what I’d always thought but never verbalized. As a Chinese-Trinidadian who recently moved to LA after spending the last 8 years in Miami, there is no where I can honestly call home anymore, least of all the U.S.
But that’s ok — It gives me the luxury of being an outsider looking in.
I’m a writer, you know — aren’t we all outsiders, anyway?
Technorati Tags: immigrant, Trinidad, Los Angeles, California, Miami, Florida
January 30th, 2007 at 11:12 am
I hope not to disappoint by being a poster you know. But, yesterday at work I ventured on to the new website that popped up by your name and I was delighted by what I found. It is invigorating to see such a wonderful and complex person truly express her self. I am particularly partial to this posting, your first. I guess even for those who know you it is nice to get to know you even better by reading your thoughts. Not that I am lazy, but I find myself afflicted by the same problem you have, to take the time to communicate is so difficult for me. I know I should, and I want to, but I can not make myself. At any rate keep up the great work, I am enjoying it immensely.
February 2nd, 2007 at 7:46 pm
[…] But das all I sayin. Full-stop. I’m so out of it, I barely feel qualified to have a conversation about it. (Go to my first post for a better understanding of current ambivalence). And don’t go to wikipedia because their Trinidad Carnival post is sadly lacking. […]
August 4th, 2007 at 9:53 am
[…] If you know anything about me you know that this kind of book was made for me. If you like Zadie Smith you’ll probably like Carter’s work, although there are marked differences in style. […]