The Imagined Island

History, Identity, and Utopia in Hispaniola

Nonfiction, History, Americas, Caribbean & West Indies, Reference, Historiography, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Anthropology
Cover of the book The Imagined Island by Pedro L. San Miguel, The University of North Carolina Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Pedro L. San Miguel ISBN: 9780807876992
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press Publication: May 18, 2006
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press Language: English
Author: Pedro L. San Miguel
ISBN: 9780807876992
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
Publication: May 18, 2006
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Language: English

In a landmark study of history, power, and identity in the Caribbean, Pedro L. San Miguel examines the historiography of Hispaniola, the West Indian island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic. He argues that the national identities of (and often the tense relations between) citizens of these two nations are the result of imaginary contrasts between the two nations drawn by historians, intellectuals, and writers.

Covering five centuries and key intellectual figures from each country, San Miguel bridges literature, history, and ethnography to locate the origins of racial, ethnic, and national identity on the island. He finds that Haiti was often portrayed by Dominicans as "the other--first as a utopian slave society, then as a barbaric state and enemy to the Dominican Republic. Although most of the Dominican population is mulatto and black, Dominican citizens tended to emphasize their Spanish (white) roots, essentially silencing the political voice of the Dominican majority, San Miguel argues. This pioneering work in Caribbean and Latin American historiography, originally published in Puerto Rico in 1997, is now available in English for the first time.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In a landmark study of history, power, and identity in the Caribbean, Pedro L. San Miguel examines the historiography of Hispaniola, the West Indian island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic. He argues that the national identities of (and often the tense relations between) citizens of these two nations are the result of imaginary contrasts between the two nations drawn by historians, intellectuals, and writers.

Covering five centuries and key intellectual figures from each country, San Miguel bridges literature, history, and ethnography to locate the origins of racial, ethnic, and national identity on the island. He finds that Haiti was often portrayed by Dominicans as "the other--first as a utopian slave society, then as a barbaric state and enemy to the Dominican Republic. Although most of the Dominican population is mulatto and black, Dominican citizens tended to emphasize their Spanish (white) roots, essentially silencing the political voice of the Dominican majority, San Miguel argues. This pioneering work in Caribbean and Latin American historiography, originally published in Puerto Rico in 1997, is now available in English for the first time.

More books from The University of North Carolina Press

Cover of the book Gothic Arches, Latin Crosses by Pedro L. San Miguel
Cover of the book The Fatal Knot by Pedro L. San Miguel
Cover of the book Constructing the Dynamo of Dixie by Pedro L. San Miguel
Cover of the book Jah Kingdom by Pedro L. San Miguel
Cover of the book Written/Unwritten by Pedro L. San Miguel
Cover of the book A Thousand Thirsty Beaches by Pedro L. San Miguel
Cover of the book Jean Anderson's Preserving Guide by Pedro L. San Miguel
Cover of the book Say We Are Nations by Pedro L. San Miguel
Cover of the book And Muhammad Is His Messenger by Pedro L. San Miguel
Cover of the book Passage of Darkness by Pedro L. San Miguel
Cover of the book Heroes of Hell Hole Swamp: Photographs of South Carolina Midwives by Hansel Mieth and W. Eugene Smith by Pedro L. San Miguel
Cover of the book Bring Your "A" Game by Pedro L. San Miguel
Cover of the book The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture by Pedro L. San Miguel
Cover of the book Henry James and Pragmatistic Thought by Pedro L. San Miguel
Cover of the book Iron Confederacies by Pedro L. San Miguel
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy