Decolonization in Latino culture refers to contemporary treatment of and work with past colonialist and imperialist influences on Latin American society in the US.
Decolonization is a term that refers to a period in history, but it has evolved to become a theme in many studies revolving around Latino literature, studies and arts. It arose as a response to the rule of many states by a bigger, usually more powerful, nation. It âÂÂwas interpreted to be both a calculated process of military engagement and diplomatic negotiation between the two contending parties: colonial and anti-colonialâÂÂ. It first became prominent after World War I, being that Europe lost manpower, finances, and confidence and, at the same time, anti-colonial resentment grew through European colonies especially in literature and in an increase of strikes. àDecolonization usually involved the removal of European influence which led to greater implications for the newly freed states. àThese implications involved gaining independent economic control, amongst other things.àThe aftermath of decolonization left these states to rebuild themselves and, in many cases, end up mimicking the Western world which they rid themselves of in the first place.
Decolonization is now seen as more than ridding European influences. The modern definition involves âÂÂobtaining constitutional independenceâÂÂ. This definition, however, has been critiqued to disregard the âÂÂeconomic, social and cultural implicationsâ of the process. In an attempt to incorporate this aspect, the definition has been repurposed to be the âÂÂreversal of the process of European imperial expansion with all it political, economic, social, cultural and linguistic consequencesâÂÂ. This, however, is also critiqued because it is difficult to reverse history and the âÂÂremnant of its colonial pastâÂÂ. So, decolonization as a theory arose. àDecolonization, as a theory, involves assessing history in order to benefit the advancement of society on an international level, during the process of world-making. It involves better assessing the failures and limitations of decolonization in history and anti-imperial efforts to benefit remaking the international order. It also involves detaching from âÂÂthe overall structure of knowledges in order to engage in epistemic reconstructionâÂÂ.
The increased popularity and usage of decolonization has also caused critiques. These critiques, mainly emphasizing that âÂÂdecolonization is not a metaphorâ argue that decolonization has been more popularly used to characterize things that must be fixed or improved in society which gives the term a metaphorical implication. This is said to be dangerous because some of the objectives it is being applied to may not always be in alignment with decolonizationâÂÂs true definition. Metaphorizing decolonization is critiqued to be a result of âÂÂattempt[ing] to reconcile settler guilt and complicity, and rescue settler futurityâÂÂ.
Decolonizing Latino archives involves undertaking a âÂÂdecolonial reading of colonial test with Latino literary historyâÂÂ. àScholars, such as Yolanda Martinez San Miguel, theorize that in order to decolonialize the colonial dimensions that appear in United States Latino archives, colonial tests must be read with a decolonial perspective. àThis would consequently open up Latino studies to its blind spots that are embedded in its teachings. These blind spots, which results from colonization, include lack of collaboration, erasure of some countries and the invisibility of some cultures, such as, indigenous or Asian peoples. àDecolonizing how Latino archives are read, also brings in the different engagement with Americanness and the incorporation of experiences of displacement. Decolonization as a theme is thought to have the power to diversify the Latino archives that play a role in Latino studies and diversify the definition of latinidad by dismantling blind spots.
Decolonization has been incorporated into films, books, music and many other forms of art by Latino artists in order to dismantle the influence that historical colonial efforts has on said art-types. This is popularly seen in the characters and plots that work to critique or comment on society or simply offer stories that break out of the colonial norm known in the field.
These books are written by Latino writers that challenge the norms of society and therefore give a decolonized perspective in their stories.
Many films have offered a decolonial perspective on Latin American science fiction media. àThese films usually involve showcasing utopian and dystopian tales and incorporate Latin American identities and ideas. Cinema Tropical and the Museum of the Moving Image offered some examples of these films in their film program for âÂÂUchronias and Dystopian Futures: Latin American Science Fiction Cinema of the 21st Century.âÂÂ
The films included were: