The cosmopolitanism of Asian-Latin American literature as a transformative agent
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35588/3geytw31Keywords:
Asian-Latin American literature, transpacific studies, world literature, cosmopolitanismAbstract
In this article, I propose to formulate certain bases for theorizing Asian-Latin American literature beyond the national borders of each country and in the context of transpacific studies, world literature, and cosmopolitanism. From a comparative and transnational perspective, and through a methodological approach that combines thematic analysis, close reading, and tools of critical cosmopolitanism, I examine the ways in which this literary production reconfigures the cultural circuits of the Pacific. First, I establish what is meant by Asian-Latin American literature—differentiating it from Latin American literature that simply thematizes Asia—through a conceptual clarification supported by diaspora studies and migration theories. Then, I identify and analyze the main thematic axes of this literature, specifying the distinction between writing from exile, migration, and diaspora, and pointing out its divergences from the broader Latin American canon. Finally, using an analytical framework inspired by Jameson’s “political unconscious,” I explore the ideological and affective dimensions of this cultural production, offering readings of specific works that shed light on its transformative potential within the field of transpacific studies.
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