Artists, Performers, and Black Masculinity in the Haitian Diaspora

Jana Evans Braziel author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Indiana University Press

Published:27th Jun '08

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Artists, Performers, and Black Masculinity in the Haitian Diaspora cover

How Haitian diaspora artists resist and refigure race, gender, and ethnic identities in American culture

Examines how Haitian diaspora writers, artists, and musicians address black masculinity through the Haitian Creole concept of gwo negs, or "big men". This work confronts the gendered, sexualized, and racialized boundaries of America's diaspora communities and openly resist "domestic" imperialism that targets immigrants, minorities, and gays.

Jana Evans Braziel examines how Haitian diaspora writers, performance artists, and musicians address black masculinity through the Haitian Creole concept of gwo nègs, or "big men." She focuses on six artists and their work: writer Dany Laferrière, director Raoul Peck, rap artist Wyclef Jean, artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, drag queen performer and poet Assotto Saint, and queer drag king performer Dréd (a.k.a. Mildréd Gerestant). For Braziel, these individuals confront the gendered, sexualized, and racialized boundaries of America's diaspora communities and openly resist "domestic" imperialism that targets immigrants, minorities, women, gays, and queers. This is a groundbreaking study at the intersections of gender and sexuality with race, ethnicity, nationality, and diaspora.

"Energetic, well—argued, and persuasive." —Marjorie Salvodon, Suffolk University

ISBN: 9780253219787

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 490g

312 pages