-
Essay / Transnationalism and Double Consciousness in the 21st Century
It is imperative that all American citizens, and especially politicians, possess a thorough understanding of the concepts of fragmented identities and transnationalism. A broad understanding of these concepts is a prerequisite for the growth, progress and maturation of a society. In addition to the essential diversity of basic knowledge needed on these topics; Companies should also realize that definitions of these concepts differ significantly. For example, my own definition of transnationalism is: Transnationalism is generally the motivation to interact and network with other cultures across borders. Researchers see prominence as a paradox of our times "The paradox of our times, and one that must be at the heart of our understanding of the identities and dilemmas of immigrants today, is that the 'age of transnationalism' is a time of continuity and even increased processes of nation-state building.” It is therefore a question of going beyond the nation-state as the only primary point of reference for identities. Transnationalism is not a single-faceted designation, it can serve as a means of study for a number of issues related to immigration and constant social change in the status quo of society. From a purely economic perspective, transnationalism encompasses the restructuring of manufacturing development on a global scale. Transnationalism in this way is often called globalization. At the very end of the 1900s, cell phones and internet usage became so widespread throughout the world; As we have seen in almost all first world countries, transportation costs have decreased. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay When we look at immigration transnationalism, we can see that Latinxs are associated with multiple places at once. This can be a powerful catalyst in the formation of fragmented identities within oneself; because we are neither completely “there nor here”. In the text “Chicana Artists: Exploring Nepantla, el Lugar de la Frontera,” Gloria Anzaldúa writes: “The border between Mexico and the United States is a site where many different cultures “touch” and where changing terrains permeable, flexible and ambiguous lend themselves to this. to hybrid images. The border is the place of resistance, of rupture, of implosion and explosion, of the reconstitution of fragments and the creation of a new assemblage. When one disrupts established imaginary lines between cultures, it can also become a catalyst toward fragmented identities by generating a mixture of beliefs and values within a culture. The term Nepantla that Anzaldúa proposes in her writings I h is a breath of fresh air for Latinxs facing fragmented identities because it is written by a non-white author and describes this assertion of in-betweenness. identities are very rarely defined by a qualified person; which often results in a “one story,” a concept made famous in a Ted Talk by a writer, a speaker and, most pertinently, a Nigerian minority who expresses the prejudices they have adopted about themselves. At the start of the 20th century, only a small portion of the world's population lived in urban areas. The individuals died not far from their place of origin. However, if you lived in a small village; everyone would know you, this familiarity would last, and would often play out from corner to corner across a myriad of diverse perspectives. The conceptions of ethos that we constantly see unfolding around youwould often be identical, usually controlled everywhere by religion. However, now these would cease to exist: the inventive contemporaneity of the 21st century has mowed the earth as if it were cereals. Development, economic development and entrepreneurship destroyed the forests that were villages, and lives became progressively more diverse and fragmented. In light of these developments, I believe the traditional and community creations in which we had once rooted our individualities have fractured and moved away from each other. Our uniqueness moved with them. There would be a different currency for “not being fragmented” in this new society. I propose that in the 21st century, this currency will no longer consist of anything resembling a semblance of someone's reputation or character. Unfortunately, this “currency” system plays no role in forming deep relationships. The beginning of the fragmentation of personal identity can only be understood once we begin with the fragmentation of the individual in our society. Today, in the 21st century, one who is not intellectual, who has similar racial and religious backgrounds and who only has common experience and territory should stay away from the court of society. I would say that fragmented identities regarding an individual can be best defined by the author named WEB Du Bois. I believe he is an early authority on the concept. A simple overview of Du Bois's background lends credence to my aforementioned arguments about the 20th century. In 1895, just before the turn of the 20th century, Du Bois would become the first African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard University. Du Bois saw the future. He warned us with this theory of double consciousness that fragmented identities would become a problem before the 21st century, and before they were even defined. Du Bois describes his theory of double consciousness as follows: It is a particular sensation, this double consciousness, this feeling of always looking at oneself through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul by the yardstick of a world which looks with amusement. contempt and pity. We always feel his duality, an American, a Black; two souls, two thoughts, two irreconcilable efforts; two warring ideals in a single dark body, whose tenacious strength alone keeps it from being torn apart. The history of the American Negro is the history of this conflict, of this desire to achieve conscious manhood, to merge one's double self into a better and truer self. In this merger, he wants none of the older selves to be lost. He does not want to Africanize America, because America has too much to teach the world and Africa. He would not whitewash his black blood in a flood of white Americanism, because he knows that black blood has a message for the world. He simply wishes to allow a man to be both black and American without being cursed and spat upon by his fellow men, without the doors of opportunity being slammed shut in his face. Du Bois goes so far as to describe double consciousness as two warring ideas, which can be found as deep as an individual's soul. This theory of double consciousness is of particular importance to Latin Americans and their culture in the early 20th century. It could be argued that even the name Latin American supports the dichotomy of dual consciousness or fragmented identities among Latinx individuals. On the one hand, they are Latin and on the other, they are American. Therefore, the sense of identity that Latinxs possessed was linked to their conflicting societal roles as Americans and as Latinxs. Double consciousness, again, is more figuratively "the feeling of always looking at oneself through the eyesof others.” Du Bois' theory of double consciousness can be applied to Latinx individuals in that they must look at themselves through White eyes and sometimes give in to their perceptions. “The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are false, but that they are incomplete. Adichie, Ted Talk tells us how fragmented identities can be harmful in its own way; using its own terminology. And, perhaps more importantly, how they can be the result of telling a single story one's entire childhood. I think another important takeaway from his speech is that often these unique stories lend to fragmented identities. Often claimed not by avowed racists such as the KKK, but by famous and acclaimed writers from our history. Adichie's ideas are not formulated to condemn the novelist, but rather to enlighten us that we are all guilty of perpetuating and maintaining stereotypes that create a unique story. Nigerian author Adichie warns us that we create cultural misinterpretations when we forget that the story of everyone's lives and identities is made up of a myriad of stories that overlap repeatedly. She uses her knowledge of American literature and witty interaction with the reader of her novel to demonstrate this in her 2009 Ted Talk. She explains to her audience that she is conversing with an American student who has read her novel. The novel she wrote was about an abusive husband. The student suggested that her novel exaggerated the frequency of Nigerian men who were violent towards women. She responds: “All young American men are serial killers.” Which, of course, without context his statement wouldn't hold water. However, if, as the student claimed, Nigerian men were violent from her “unique story,” the same could be concluded from American Psycho’s “unique story.” Everyone laughs at the irrationality of this simplification; however, his point becomes extremely clear. The dangers of a single story are now evident. The main reason is that it prevents a population from drawing authentic conclusions about individuals and literature with that population. The point is that single stories create stereotypes that, when repeated, lead to fragmented identities. Specifically related to Latinx cultures and Adichie's example of male mistreatment of women; there is a male pride known as machismo. This machismo often comes from Spanish and Portuguese cultures; and can be defined simply and deliberately as a macho man. On the other hand, machismo is recognized as the need to be and appear virile. Or just depend on yourself. This notion is linked to male pride, but is often exaggerated. This has been exaggerated to the point where Latinx individuals are portrayed as a single story that they must do everything (often criminally) to provide for their families. Furthermore, as the head of the family, one knows what is best; and may abuse the women in their care without consequence. Even as a non-Latino man, I felt this responsibility to provide for, protect, and defend my family habitually. If society believes, and therefore tells us, that a Latinx must be macho in the sense of this latter definition, we may begin to think that we differ in some way from this stereotype. If one believes these stereotypes to be true from the single-stage model; This could obviously destroy self-confidence and create a doubleconsciousness as Du Bois describes it. The damage is twofold when it comes to machismo: often Latin men feel they have to live up to the norm; the result is catastrophic for their families. Furthermore, if it is believed that this standard must be respected in the event of failure; they feel that their personality is missing, that they are not a man, and may end up with an even more fragmented identity. Machismo also hurts men; Jimenez confirms this. With his own candid testimony, he sadly confirms my points mentioned above. Latinx cultures are torn apart by the unique history of machismo, but also by the destruction it brings when attempting to uphold the stereotype. Even if they belong to the culture the stereotype is constructed for, we can propagate our own fragmented identities. “…I was already an immigrant child who didn’t know enough English. I wanted to be accepted and loved. The boys’ behavior was rewarded and that’s what we are taught as boys to be aggressive in the face of adversity…” (Jimenez, 00:01:54 – 00:02:22). Fragmented identities can also be seen in the short story "We Did You Come From Cuba So You Could Dress Like That?" Obejas' narrator not only suffers from being a racist, she is also a lesbian and poor. The narrator therefore goes through a triple crisis: she has the feeling that being Cuban, she is treated differently. This short story tells the story of a young girl, the narrator of the story; with his anti-communist family from Cuba; at the time when Fidel Castro took power. The story focuses on her in a different time period or setting in which the narrator talks about her story after her father's death. It explores the journey of this once shy girl in the green sweater through the immigration office upon her arrival in America. This is an example of a fragmented sense of self, specifically drawing our attention to her Latin American roots being the possible reason why she is not accepted by a significant other the narrator meets in the short story. She wonders if she could love a woman in Cuba like she can in the United States. Another fragmented identity displayed by the narrator was not only her Latina identity, but the dichotomy of fragmentation that occurred as she grew up. “My green sweater will be somewhere in my bedroom closet in their house” (Obejas 228). This quote poetically shows that once the green sweater was taken off, she left her childhood and entered another adult identity. In addition, this now adult would also be faced with the triple crisis which offers her fewer opportunities. Obejas's narrative frequently oscillates between chronicle sequences that follow the narrator's experiences at the immigration office. For example, there is a scene in which a former Catholic prostitute can be seen in a literary way to foreshadow the narrator's sexuality. Additionally, it may foreshadow her life in America in the years following her family's visit to the immigration office. The narrator's father criticizes our narrator's clothing; some of whom would say his clothes are an “Americanized wardrobe”; I believe this aspect is what gives the title to the story, and more importantly the book in which these short stories are contained. Throughout the story, she is often seen struggling to discover her fragmented identities, and can have even more difficulty discovering herself. as people who display traits of double consciousness. The plan was to eventually return to Cuba after Castro's fall, but she grew up in the United States and grew up being considered a Cuban-American. It is thus quite..