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The (Cuban) Voice of the (Curaçaoan) People: The Making (And Taking) of a Collective Memory
Author(s) -
DE JONG NANETTE
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of historical sociology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.186
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 1467-6443
pISSN - 0952-1909
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-6443.2009.01353.x
Subject(s) - collective memory , mythology , memory formation , social memory , sociology , history , aesthetics , psychology , art , cognitive science , literature , political science , law , neuroscience , hippocampus
At the turn of the 20 th century, Afro‐Curaçaoans developed an affinity for Cuban culture that influenced the manner to which they came to define their own collective memory. Cuba was raised to mythological status, appropriated and adapted to fit Curaçaoan daily life, enabling a new and inventive sense of belonging. This essay speaks to the intricacies involved in memory‐making , with the Cuban‐inspired memory of memories on Curaçao introduced as a relative category. It points to the variegated and tenuous nature of memory, showing how the past, when negotiated with the present, can shape group goals and demarcate membership.