jdel51's review
5.0
This heart-wrenching collection of poems gives a name and a sense of mourning to those unnamed and unknown immigrants who have braved the Caribbean seas seeing refuge from hunger and political violence/ instability with the goal in mind of a better life. Santos Febres deliveries a masterpiece in her writing and imagery. The poems give a name and a story to those who had theirs taken away. Santos Febres with this collection invites us all to consider the systems in place in the world today. Why is it possible that still in modern day, that people would rather take on the sea with the danger of a lonely haunting death at the bottom of the ocean because the are not able to survive in their homeland. Santos Febres again shows how she is one of the centers of Caribbean literature and should be recognized as a key figure in modern day literature and poetry.
bookdragon217's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
3.75
"a place to turn the radio up loud
to wipe your feet
a life where your skin changes its name
to look like the guy playing the role"
Boat People written by Mayra Santos-Febres and translated by Vanessa Pérez-Rosario is a collection of poems that draws attention to "other border" that doesn't get attention, the ocean of the Caribbean. This borderless border also gives hope to so many that it will be an entry and opportunity for the "American Dream". However, this dream is also more often than not denied to those who dare cross the waters because they are Black and Brown people whose languages are not welcome unless uttered by white tongues.
Santos-Febres spotlights the water's history and the birth of the diaspora. She reminds us of the pain of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and how these waters were also a place of refuge for free Black Peoples to make a home. She highlights the interconnectedness of Haitians, Dominicans, enslaved Africans and Puerto Ricans in the ways she honors their dialects and keeps the parts of their language that would lose context and affection if translated. She delves into the imaginary and honors those who have met their death in these waters, either by choice or circumstance and creates a world where they will meet their needs and find peace underneath the shores.
The overarching message that resonates in these poems is that immigration is a condition involving people and when we think about immigration our focus should be on the people and showing compassion. Honor their history. Honor their journey. More importantly, honor their right to dream as big as you and I because the choices for immigration are many and complex. Most of the time immigration is a product of colonialism, collapsed economies, climate disasters, displacement due to tourism, gentrification and funded coups by outside forces, mainly the U.S. These aren't just extra bodies. These are actual people that have been harmed in the worst ways and relegated to the margins of society and told that they don't belong. Overall, this collection was an ode to the Boat People and giving them their rightful place in history.
Vanessa Pérez-Rosario did a fantastic job on translation. I loved the format of having the Spanish version side by side with the Englis version. I was able to go back and forth and sift through some of the language. Vanessa's translation kept its original beauty and added clarification in places where I was a little confused. I loved that the translation was intentional and kept the original versions of certain words that have no English translations. The translation really honored the work and kept its integrity.
to wipe your feet
a life where your skin changes its name
to look like the guy playing the role"
Boat People written by Mayra Santos-Febres and translated by Vanessa Pérez-Rosario is a collection of poems that draws attention to "other border" that doesn't get attention, the ocean of the Caribbean. This borderless border also gives hope to so many that it will be an entry and opportunity for the "American Dream". However, this dream is also more often than not denied to those who dare cross the waters because they are Black and Brown people whose languages are not welcome unless uttered by white tongues.
Santos-Febres spotlights the water's history and the birth of the diaspora. She reminds us of the pain of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and how these waters were also a place of refuge for free Black Peoples to make a home. She highlights the interconnectedness of Haitians, Dominicans, enslaved Africans and Puerto Ricans in the ways she honors their dialects and keeps the parts of their language that would lose context and affection if translated. She delves into the imaginary and honors those who have met their death in these waters, either by choice or circumstance and creates a world where they will meet their needs and find peace underneath the shores.
The overarching message that resonates in these poems is that immigration is a condition involving people and when we think about immigration our focus should be on the people and showing compassion. Honor their history. Honor their journey. More importantly, honor their right to dream as big as you and I because the choices for immigration are many and complex. Most of the time immigration is a product of colonialism, collapsed economies, climate disasters, displacement due to tourism, gentrification and funded coups by outside forces, mainly the U.S. These aren't just extra bodies. These are actual people that have been harmed in the worst ways and relegated to the margins of society and told that they don't belong. Overall, this collection was an ode to the Boat People and giving them their rightful place in history.
Vanessa Pérez-Rosario did a fantastic job on translation. I loved the format of having the Spanish version side by side with the Englis version. I was able to go back and forth and sift through some of the language. Vanessa's translation kept its original beauty and added clarification in places where I was a little confused. I loved that the translation was intentional and kept the original versions of certain words that have no English translations. The translation really honored the work and kept its integrity.
More...