Spitta, Between Two Waters: Narratives of Transculturation in Latin America" (Book Note)

 

 

In "Between Two Waters," Silvia Spitta delves into the analysis of "narratives of transculturation" originating in the Americas, extending the theoretical implications beyond geographical and temporal confines. Regardless of one's alignment with her interpretations of a diverse selection of texts and visual materials, the book prompts contemplation on the interconnected issues of language, knowledge, and power. Notably, Spitta communicates her intricate and sophisticated argument in clear prose, avoiding the jargon that often burdens other literary critiques.

 

At the core of her argument lies the concept of "transculturation," coined by Cuban anthropologist Fernando Ortiz in the 1940s. In contrast to the one-way imposition implied by "acculturation," Spitta defines transculturation as the "complex processes of adjustment and re-creation—cultural, literary, linguistic, and personal—that allow for new, vital, and viable configurations to arise out of the clash of cultures and the violence of colonial and neo-colonial appropriations". Specifically, she identifies a "transculturated subject" as an individual who is "consciously or unconsciously situated between at least two worlds, two cultures, two languages, and two definitions of subjectivity, and who constantly mediates between them all".

 

Emphasizing that the transculturation process is reciprocal, impacting both the colonized and the colonizer, Spitta commences her analysis with Cabeza de Vaca's Naufragios, an account of his early-sixteenth-century travels in the U.S. Southwest. Spitta contends that Cabeza de Vaca's adoption of indigenous culture and medical practices demonstrates transculturation. For example, his use of "nosotros" (us) to include himself and the indigenous people he traveled with, as opposed to "los cristianos" for other Spaniards, signifies a perspective "speaking from the American world". However, the debate arises over whether Cabeza de Vaca's case, where transculturation occurs after his capture and adaptation to survive, is the ideal example to generalize that colonizers change through discovery. While Spitta's argument aligns with the notion that transculturation is a two-way street, the frequency of its traversal seems more pronounced among the subordinated than those wielding power

 

The chapter focusing on Spanish priests' efforts to eradicate Andean idolatry prompts a reflection on the extent of deviation from one's culture necessary for transculturation. Spitta argues that the priests, confronted with indigenous adherence to Catholicism layered with indigenous symbols and meanings, had to become ethnographers to make Catholicism accessible to a different culture. In this process of altering the Other, they inadvertently underwent change themselves. However, the difference between this approach and Cabeza de Vaca's adaptation as a Shaman for survival is stark. While priests like Arriaga, Avila, and Bocanegra learned local languages and embraced ethnography, they seem to have retained the imperial "I/eye." The extent and nature of their change raise questions about whether it qualifies as transculturation.

 

Shifting the focus to indigenous transculturators, Spitta examines the Cuzco school of painting in a separate chapter. This school developed its unique aesthetic in the eighteenth century when Andeans rejected Spanish guidance, persisting in painting Catholic religious icons without adhering to European artistic and religious standards. Spitta contends that Western critics unfairly dismissed this indigenous art as "provincial" and "imitative" while overlooking the inventive liberties of the artists. A later section features a "picture essay" with concise explanations of various paintings.

 

A compelling example of conscious transculturation in literature comes from Spitta's analysis of Peruvian writer Jose Maria Arguedas' works. Arguedas, who declared, "yo no soy aculturado" (I am not acculturated), strived to unite the Andean and coastal worlds in his literature by writing in Spanish from a Quechua Indian perspective. Arguedas succeeded in his literary endeavors but tragically struggled to reconcile these tensions in his personal life, ending in suicide.

 

The last two chapters introduce a critical feminist perspective through Elena Garro's analysis of the Malinche myth in Mexico and Gloria Anzaldua's writings on the U.S.-Mexican borderlands. While this perspective aligns well with the narratives in these chapters, the potential extension of this lens to previous chapters is suggested. Spitta argues that "women's discourse constitutes itself by subverting hegemonic and historiographical discourses," raising questions about how this subversion differs from that of Arguedas or Cabeza de Vaca. Is "women's discourse" particularly subversive, or is it another manifestation of transculturation?

 

The book adheres to its principles by providing both original and English translations for every quotation, despite potential cumbersome aspects, emphasizing the centrality of language to the argument. However, reliance on an English translation for Father Pablo Joseph de Arriaga's The Extirpation of Idolatry in Peru, a significant primary source, is noted.

 

Analogous to the challenges encountered in the social sciences with the notion of resistance, scholars striving to illustrate working-class or subaltern agency have unearthed an extensive arsenal of strategies employed by the oppressed in their resistance against domination. Termed the "weapons of the weak," these manifestations of foot-dragging, gossiping, and sabotage, even in the face of severe repression such as slavery in the United States, showcase the creativity and humanity of those conquered, colonized, and oppressed. Despite numerous micro-studies revealing similar acts of resistance, the crucial question arose: "so what"? The tentative response has been an endeavor to establish connections between this subtle resistance and more overt forms of social change.

 

"Between Two Waters" emerges as a thought-provoking and intelligent book. Yet, a lingering concern arises: instead of embracing Arguedas' "yo no soy un aculturado" (I am not acculturated), there is a potential shift towards the more frequent assertion of "todos somos transculturados" (we are all transculturated). Similar to the rallying cries of "todos somos indios" or "todos somos Marcos," resonating from countless voices in Mexico City in support of the Zapatista indigenous uprising in Chiapas, there exists a peril of obliterating differences in the fervor for solidarity. Spitta's book serves as a reminder that, within and beyond academia, there are individuals who have grappled with living between two waters and uniting two worlds without homogenizing them.