Papá’s Lessons

Abstract

Integrating autoethnographic poetry with theoretical analysis, this article explores how the political distance between settler and immigrant generations within a family shape the extent to which that understanding is possible. The use of poetry is critical in this vein, given the manner in which discussions of cultural memory and historical exploration can be made accessible. Referencing the influence of Diasporic Caribbean in the U.S. writers such as Junot Diaz and Julia Alvarez, I cite what shaped the tensions born through reflecting on my grandfather’s legacy, as my family positioned themselves in an alternative relation to the Trujillo era. Said tensions necessitate artistic and literary representation because of how the politics of imperialism and racism censor otherwise unfiltered access. “Papá’s Lessons,” discusses how cultural memory and historical exploration open the door for radical reconciliation.