Professor Cecilia Mafla-Bustamante publishes a new article
Cecilia Mafla-Bustamante, Professor of Spanish in the Department of Languages and Cultures, has published the article:
“El ritmo de los sueños rotos: Un análisis de la experiencia migratoria en ‘¿Te acuerdas, Ñata?’ de Raúl Pérez Torres.” América: Revista del Grupo América 124 (2013): 135-144.
The translation of the first part of the title of this article is “The rhythm of broken dreams.” The short story “¿Te acuerdas, Ñata?” deals with the disappointment of two Ecuadorian immigrants in Chicago who come to the U.S. in search of the American dream, but instead find hunger and misery. They try to survive by participating in a dance marathon, where they are exploited, humiliated, and discriminated against. Dance marathons originated in the US in the 1920’s. Pérez Torres uses metaphors and religious symbols to illustrate the protagonists’ pain and exhaustion. Professor Mafla-Bustamante argues that the characters try to preserve their integrity, dignity, and cultural identity by turning to their love and memories of place and traditions of their native land.