Transculturation A Brief Overview Question to Consider How

Transculturation A Brief Overview

Question to Consider • How would you describe “Latin American Culture” to someone unfamiliar with it? What associations come to mind when you hear the term “Latin American Culture? ”

Transculturation • The term “transculturation” was coined by Cuban Anthropologist Fernando Ortiz in 1940, in his work Contrapunto cubano: tabaco y azúcar. • The text is an extensive heterogenous blend of genres, part anthropological study, part allegory, part musical counterpoint in which opposing cultural elements “debate” each other (Tobacco vs. Sugar, Don Carnal vs. Doña Cuaresma)

Arguments • The concept of “transculturation”, although only briefly covered in 6 -7 pages (out of 600), underlies the text and Ortiz views on Latin America. • Ortiz’s argument centers around creating a new term for the cultural process in Cuba and by extension Latin America. • Ortiz argues that the previous term used by Polish Anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski, fails to describe Cuban culture precisely

Acculturation Vs. Transculturation • Acculturation refers to the process by which a people acquire the culture of a dominant group (usually following deculturation by conquest) • This suggests that the previous culture held by indigenous group is wiped out and replaced by the more powerful group’s culture. • Ortiz, however, suggests transculturation as an alternative. The incoming and the indigenous cultures merge via a dialectical process.

• The synthesis created by this dialectical process of adopting and losing cultural influences becomes an entirely new culture on its own (“neoculturation”) • Ortiz’ reading goes through each of the different ethnic groups that compose Cuba’s culture, beginning with the Paleolithic Ciboneys, the Neolithic Tainos, The Spaniards, African Slaves, Jewish, French and Asian Immigrants. • Each of these cultures are also compositions of smaller cultures such as the African tribal cultures that the slaves were taken from, or the multiple cultures of Spain.

• Ortiz explains, each of these groups “do not merely mean the different elements that go into the make up of the Cuban nation, as expressed by their different indications of origin. Each of these has come to mean in addition the synthetic and historic apellation of one of the various economies and cultures that have existed in Cuba successively and even simultaneously. (99)

Transculturation and Mestizaje • In Latin American discourses, transculturation is often used in conjunction with the concept of mestizaje, though the former refers primarily to culture, the latter to race. (“cultural mestizaje”) • It is one of the dominant cultural theories in Latin America, seeking to intellectually frame the multiplicity of differences in the region that emerged as the result of conquest, colonialism and then later immigration.

• The racial equivalent to Ortiz' Transculturation is the idea of the “Raza Cósmica” propagated by Mexican intellectual José Vasconcelos in 1920 • Vasconcelos was the Minister of Public Education under the presidency of Álvaro Obregón (19201924) and was singularly responsible for the cultural flourishing that Mexico experienced during that period.

• In his essay “La raza cósmica” Vasconcelos idealizes Latin America as a place where racial differences are potentially synthesized into ultimate human perfection. • Unlike other prevalent racial theories, Vasconcelos sees this potential through the union of the superior elements of all races. (Whiteness is not superior in his view)

• • In Latin America, the repulsion of one blood that confronts another strange blood also exists, but infinitely more attenuated. There a thousand bridges are available for the sincere and cordial fusion of all races. The ethnic barricading of those to the north in contrast to the much more open sympathy of those to the south is the most important factor, and at the same time, the most favorable to us, if one reflects even superficially upon the future, because. it will be seen immediately that we belong to tomorrow, while the Anglo-Saxons are gradually becoming more apart of yesterday. The Yankees will end up building the last great empire of a single race, the final empire of White supremacy. Meanwhile, we will continue to suffer the vast chaos of an ethnic stock in formation, contaminated by the fermentation of all types, but secure of the avatar into a better race. In Spanish America; Nature will no longer repeat one of her partial attempts. This time, the race that will come out of the forgotten. Atlantis will no longer be a race of a single color or of particular features. The future race will not be a fifth, or a race, destined to prevail over its ancestors. What is going to emerge out there is the definitive race, . the synthetical race, the integral race, made up of the genius and the blood of all peoples and, for that reason, more capable' of true brotherhood and of a truly universal vision.

Antonio Cornejo Polar: Problems with the Synthetic View • Cornejo Polar, on the other hand, finds problems with the “synthesis” view of Ortiz (as well as the idealization of mestizaje) • Cornejo Polar argues that this “synthesis” is not only idealistic but if it were to occur would occur primarily for the hegemonic culture only. • Rather, one needs a concept which recognizes the tensions in these combined cultures, instances where they don’t “operate in a syncretic way” but rather “but instead emphasize conflicts and alterities” •

• Cornejo polar, rather, proposes the concept of “heterogeniety”. • This concept recognizes the constant differences and dissentions in Latin American culture, but even the difficulty in categorizing a national or regional culture as a whole. • He uses the example of Peruvian literature and oral culture which can be in Quechua, Spanish or Amazonian indigenous languages and yet somehow are categorized as “Peruvian culture”

Questions for discussion • What elements of the readings stood out for you? What did you learn or take away from them? • In what way does Cuba’s process of transculturation differ from that of other parts of the world such as Spain? Why the need for a term that applies to Latin America’s cultural evolution as distinct from that of other places? • How does Ortiz compare the Spanish in Cuba to the Africans? Do you think he makes this comparison fairly? • What are your thoughts/reactions to Vasconcelos’ views of race? • Do you agree more with Ortiz or with Cornejo Polar in this case? Do you think a “synthetic” view of Latin American culture is possible? Why? Or Why not?