Rethinking the Diaspora: African, Brazilian, and Cuban Communities in Africa and the Americas

Abstract

THIS PAPER RETHINKS the concept of diaspara by focusing on the theoretical and historical applications of the term. From early uses in jewish contexts to more recent reconceptualizations of African peoples in the Americas, the term diaspora refers to dispersal and recreation of cultures and identities (Cohen 1997). By paying close attention to the historical processes involved in re-establishing African identities in the Americas, this work challenges static notions of diaspora in terms of the flux of peoples, cultural production, and political movements between the African diaspora and “home” cultures.