"The Genetics of Leaving": Identidade e diáspora na poesia de Shauna Barbosa

Abstract

The present article consists of the analysis of the poem “The Genetics of Leaving”, by Shauna Barbosa (Barbosa 2018, 8-9), as well as the relationship between the concept of the diaspora and the Cape Verdean emigration to the United States of America (USA) as well as the consequent complexity of the identity of these emigrants. The Cape Verdean diaspora, which has a large presence in the USA, began in the 18th century. Language, music and traditions are some of the factors that influence the emigration journey, as they personify the identity of this diaspora. The notion of movement, in this case, implies moving from one continent to another, resulting in experiences that shape and alter individuals. Thus, based on the analysis of Shauna Barbosa’s autobiographical poem, which conveys the idea of the search for cultural and personal identity in what is a fragmented identity, the article theorizes the feeling of nostalgia and longing within a community rooted in collective memory. The sense of belonging in such a heterogeneous space results in an inner conflict between the past and present, which are expressed in the poem in a nostalgic way. The objective is, therefore, related to the broad understanding of this duality between the country of origin and the host country in the construction of the subjectivity of the poetic subject.