Legacies of Asian Indenture, Expressions of Caribbean Nationalism
Abstract
Abstract: This essay examines the literary representation of Chinese indenture in Cuba. By highlighting an indenture poetics in Cuban fiction, I argue that the legacies of Chinese indenture have traversed Cuban history and become a literary expression of Cuban nationalism. While exploring how this poetics enables Cuban writers to revalorize the role of indentured Chinese in Cuba’s nation-building and to rearticulate Cuba’s national narrative, I also caution against the possible fictional romanticization of the indenture experience. I conclude by suggesting that reclaiming Asian legacies in the Caribbean helps rethink the region’s history and envision its future.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Afro-Latin American Studies
Cuban History and Society
Latin American Literature Analysis
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Verge Studies in Global Asias
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 102–124
- Publication date
- 1 March 2026
- Language
- EN