Queer Ricans: Cultures and Sexualities in the Diaspora

By Lawrence La Fountain-Stokes and Dashka Slater

Exploring cultural expressions of Puerto Rican queer migration from the Caribbean to New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and San Francisco, Lawrence La Fountain-Stokes analyzes how artists have portrayed their lives and the discrimination they have faced in both Puerto Rico and the United States.

Highlighting cultural and political resistance within Puerto Rico's gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender subcultures, La Fountain-Stokes pays close attention to differences of gender, historical moment, and generation, arguing that Puerto Rican queer identity changes over time and is experienced in very different ways. He traces an arc from 1960s Puerto Rico and the writings of Luis Rafael S nchez to New York City in the 1970s and 1980s (Manuel Ramos Otero), Philadelphia and New Jersey in the 1980s and 1990s (Luz Mar a Umpierre and Frances Negr n-Muntaner), and Chicago (Rose Troche) and San Francisco (Erika L pez) in the 1990s, culminating with a discussion of Arthur Avil s and Elizabeth Marrero's recent dance-theater work in the Bronx.

Proposing a radical new conceptualization of Puerto Rican migration, this work reveals how sexuality has shaped and defined the Puerto Rican experience in the United States.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0816640920
• ISBN13: 9780816640928
• Release Date: July 2009
• Publisher: University of Minnesota Press
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.9" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Insightful reader

I am included in this book as one of the authors dealt with. Never in my years have I found a more insightful reader of my work than Larry La Fountain. He has uncovered ideas in my poems that I thought could only be perceived by me as an author. Chapeaux to Larry!

Ricans in America

La Fountain-Stokes, Lawrence. "Queer Ricans: Cultures and Sexualities in the Diaspora", University of Minnesota Press, 2009. Ricans in America Amos Lassen Many of us do not consider Puerto Ricans do be diverse but this book shows us differently. There are Rican communities in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and San Francisco and although they have al come here from the same place their lives are very different. They faced discrimination in Puerto Rico and they face it here so that is what the common thread is. La Fountain looks at the differences in gender, historical movement and generation and shows how Rican queer identity has changed over time and how it is experienced in different ways. He begins in the 1960's and with the writings of Luis Rafael Sanchez in New York City of the 1970's, moves onto the 80's in Philadelphia and New Jersey and to the 80's and 90's. He bases his work on the authors who wrote during the period. We see how sexuality has shaped and defined Puerto Rican American culture. This is a fascinating study and although it is about a specific group much can be applied to other ethnic groups.