Nomads of the Body, Exiles of the Mind: Twentieth Century Transnational African American Mexican Art and Literature

Author

Anahi A. Douglas, The Graduate Center, City University of New YorkFollow

Date of Degree

5-2018

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Program

English

Advisor

Robert Reid-Pharr

Committee Members

Marc Dolan

Duncan Faherty

Subject Categories

African American Studies | American Literature | American Studies | Arts and Humanities

Keywords

African American Literature, Border Studies, Mexico, Migration Studies, Transnationalism, Expatriation and Exile Studies

Abstract

This dissertation examines the migration of African Americans from the U.S. to Mexico; however, these paths extend well beyond the North American continent and intersect with a much larger migration: the African Diaspora. The journeys of Langston Hughes, Audre Lorde, Willard Motley, and Elizabeth Catlett to Mexico illustrate an intricate web of rhizomatic connections spanning the Black Atlantic, the Caribbean Ocean, the Mississippi River and the Rio Grande. This dissertation examines the history of African American migration to Mexico during the twentieth century a well-documented, yet understudied area of research. These migrations offer an opportunity to reevaluate canon formation, Border studies discourse, and also serve as a platform to engage with twenty-first century conversations of globalism, border enforcement, and African American-Latinx solidarity.

Recommended Citation

Douglas, Anahi A., "Nomads of the Body, Exiles of the Mind: Twentieth Century Transnational African American Mexican Art and Literature" (2018). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2697