Artists are not cheerleaders, and we're not the heads of tourism boards. We expose and discuss what is problematic, what is contradictory, what is hurtful and what is silenced in the culture we're in.
Junot DiazRead
The Caribbean is such an apocalyptic place, whether it's the decimation of the indigenous populations by the Europeans, whether it's the importation of slaves and their subsequent being worked to death by the millions in many ways, whether it's the immigrant processes which began for many people, new worlds ending their old ones.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The Caribbean's history is marked by significant tragedies, including colonial violence and the trauma of slavery.
Junot Diaz reflects on the Caribbean as a land filled with historical apocalypse, characterized by the destruction of indigenous populations, the brutal enslavement of Africans, and the experiences of immigrants who were forcibly uprooted from their homelands. These events contribute to a narrative of loss and transformation, signifying how new beginnings often emerge from the ashes of old worlds that have been irrevocably altered or destroyed.
Themes
CaribbeanHistoryColonialismSlaveryImmigrationTrauma
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on the impact of history, one might use this quote to highlight the enduring effects of colonialism.
More from Junot Diaz
All quotes →Run a hand through your hair, like the white boys do, even though the only thing that runs easily through your hair is Africa.
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I can see myself watching him shave every morning. And at other time I see us in that house and see how one bright day (or a day like this, so cold your mind shifts every time the wind does) he will wake up and decide it's all wrong. I'm sorry, he'll say. I have to leave now.
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Migration gives a blank cheque to put anything you don't feel like addressing in the memory hold. No neighbours can go against the monster narrative of your family.
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We all dream dreams of unity, of purity; we all dream that there's an authoritative voice out there that will explain things, including ourselves.
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I think 90% of my ideas evaporate because I have a terrible memory and because I seem to be committed to not scribble anything down. As soon as I write it down, my mind rejects it.
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