The things we do for love: Male Gypsification and heterosexual desire in Una cubana en España/A Cuban Woman in Spain (Bayón Herrera 1951)

Abstract

This article explores the intersection among masculinity, racialization and nationhood in Una cubana en España/A Cuban Woman in Spain (). I examine the figure of Miguel, a White Spaniard who disguises himself as an Andalusian Gypsy to win the love of the Cuban celebrity Blanquita. Miguel seeks to accentuate ‘Gypsy’ stereotypes to hypermasculinize himself, also contributing to dissolving the very rigid limits of White, western masculinity. Andalusian folkloric behaviour provides Miguel with a hint of Blackness, and his ability to pass as White and non-White functions as a legitimation of ‘the other Spain’. This portrays Spain as a culturally conflicted nation, suggesting an inclination to reconcile not only with the formerly colonized but also with ‘the other’ inside each Spaniard. ‘Gypsification’, in conjunction with the characters’ heterosexual union, prompts manners of cultural coexistence with Cuba, as it reconfigures Spanish national identity within a broader transatlantic context.