Across Water, Land, and Difference. Language and Cultural Contact in Samaná
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53154/Oltreoceano68Keywords:
Haiti, samaná peninsula, language, African Americans, migrationAbstract
La lingua attraverso l’acqua: l’inglese afroamericano e il contatto in Samána
Nella prima metà del diciannovesimo secolo, prima dell’abolizione della schiavitù negli Stati Uniti, 6.000 afroamericani migrarono a Haiti. Haiti rappresentò una storia di successo e un faro di speranza per milioni di persone, in quanto prima repubblica nera del pianeta, prima nazione al mondo ad abolire la schiavitù e seconda colonia nelle Americhe a ottenere l’indipendenza. Motivati dalla prospettiva di un futuro migliore, gli afroamericani che migravano lì, fuggivano da espropriazioni, violenza razziale, e opportunità economiche limitate. L’articolo esplora aspetti della vita sociale nelle comunità create da migranti afroamericani e dai loro discendenti in uno dei luoghi dove si insediarono, la penisola Samaná (parte dell’odierna Repubblica Domenicana), dove mantennero la loro eredità culturale, inclusa la lingua inglese afroamericana, per più di 150 anni. Il saggio intende il concetto di istmo, o ponte, come una piattaforma concettuale per ri-mappare narrazioni erudite della lingua nel tessuto sociale nella penisola Samaná e nelle altre comunità migranti della regione. Un’attenzione particolare sarà rivolta alla documentazione e teorizzazione delle dinamiche di contatto che si svilupparono tra diversi gruppi etnici della penisola e le loro relazioni con i paradigmi di formazione della comunità e memoria sociale.
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