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
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Migration allows individuals to escape unresolved issues, creating a narrative that can overshadow their true story.
In this quote, Junot Diaz reflects on how migration can serve as a means for individuals to temporarily set aside their past troubles and experiences, creating a facade that can dominate their family narrative. The 'blank cheque' metaphor suggests that migrants can choose what aspects of their histories to preserve or discard, potentially leading to a distorted perception of themselves that neighbors and the community may accept without question.
Themes
MigrationIdentityNarrativeFamilyStories
In practice
Example use cases
During a community meeting on migration, to highlight the complexities of personal history.
More from Junot Diaz
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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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When I read Toni Morrison and Sandra Cisneros as a freshman at Rutgers, it all clicked - that writing was all I wanted to do. It became my calling.
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