Abstract
This paper is a comparative study of two plays A Little Something to Ease the Pain by Rene R, Alomá and We were Always Afraid by Leopold Hernández, which deal with “return narratives” of exile and diasporic experiences of Cuban Americans. It explores the motivation of 1.5 generation Cuban immigrants, who are called Cubabia, to return to Cuba, aspects of their reunion with homeland and confliction, and reconciliation between memories and reality they are expected to face. Specifically whether the returning homeland which have been displayed in the imaginary representation by two protagonists can be a realization of utopian zeal or dystopian recognition can be an important agenda for discussion, This study also captures commonness of return narratives in A Little Something to Ease the Pain and We were Always Afraid which display existential crisis from the conflicts between utopian and dystopian experience with dynamic intertextuality of home, homeland, and return. Delicate concern to the journey of protagonists who have struggled to preserve Cuban identity in the mist of opposite perspectives, exile and unification provides perspectives of the future of Cubania. The experience of 1.5 generation Cuban Americans displayed in these two plays is not only an indicator of solidarity which strengthens ethnic identity and commonness with Latinos but revolts against marginalisation of immigrants or diaspora.
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