The 'Latin' among Chileans

Naming and embodiments of culture among Chileans in Perth, Western Australia

Bibliographic Data

ID5897356
AuthorsSilvia Torezani (0000-0001-6184-6577, The University of Western Australia, corresponding author)
Year2005
Volume11
Issue1
Pages95-102
Publication date2005-07-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Iberian and Latin American Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1326-0219 • E-ISSN: 2151-9668
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13260219.2005.10426809
OpenAlexW2043920856
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited4

Scholarly research on Latin Americans in Australia reflects some of the difficulties in labelling collective identities.1 Such research seems to name the collective South and Central American and Spanish-speaking groups in two ways. First, some research refers to these groups as a plural subject; that is, the Latin American identity is described as a ‘community of communities’.2 Second, some of the recent social sciences studies, including the disciplines of anthropology and sociology, refer to South and Central American groups as a singular subject. For example, some researchers have used the term ‘Latino’, ‘Latin’ and ‘Latin American’ when discussing issues relating to a range of national identities under these broader labels of identification. Zevallos talks about a ‘pan-ethnic Latin American identity’ when discussing the uses of multiculturalism by young women in order to establish gender autonomy.3 The scholar specifically defines her use of the term ‘Latin’ ‘to refer to both the regional identities of being “South” and “Central American” as well as to the pan-ethnic identity of “Latin American”’. Her notion is based on the interviewees' definitions of their respective identities. Langer's work on El Salvadorans rejects such collective definitions of identity as misguiding ‘cultural myths’.4 In fact, these labels are skilfully used by the migrants themselves in their dealing with the associated identity tensions in a migrant context. Such tensions are finely shown by Cohen's analysis of the dilemmas of inclusiveness and exclusiveness in relation to Latin-Americanness, Australianness and indigeneity, both in the previous overseas and the current contexts of residence.5

Ethnology · Geography · Latin Americans · Political science · History · Multilingual Education and Policy

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