Perez in his book “The Desi Chain” talks about the Cuban-American culture that he sees as an achievement by the 1.5 generation. He explains that the 1.5 generation is an individual who is neither in the old generation nor in the young generation. He or she belongs to the middle generation, and his or her culture is unique from those of the older or younger generation. He attributes this achievement to the intercultural placement that enables them to undertake the negotiations and reach agreements that result in ethnic culture (Perez 06). He, however, says that the 1.5 generations is marginal regarding the native culture and has adopted the cultural values from other generations. He argues that the 1.5 individual is unique in that unlike the older or younger generation he or she may find it easier to adopt the culture of the older or younger generation.
Through the novel, the author tries to find his Latin identity. He further argues that there are seen differences between the majority and the minority cultures in which the 1.5 generation belongs to, and this indicates the contemporary models of culture that tends to be oppositional. He, therefore, says that the differences between the majority and the minority culture represents the conflict is seen in those individuals who belongs to the 1.5 generation. Perez explains that the conflict exhibited by this generation is viewed in the political conflicts between the Cuban state and the United States of America (Perez 09). He further provides the history of the Latin Americans by expressing the culture of the exiled Cubans who lived in the United States of America.
On the other hand, Arenas talks about the Latin American Literature that touches on the culture of Latin Americans. Through the novel, the author expresses the relationship between the Cuban State and the United States of America. Arenas talks about the streets of Havana where voices of the Cuban people are found and their nightlives in the Havana Street. Thus, the Arena’s text aligns with what Perez is talking about since the two authors majorly dwell on the Latin American culture and how the Cubans came to America and gained the culture that neither belongs to the black Americans nor the whites. According to the two authors the this generation do not belong to any generation in the American society (Arenas 08). According to them, the individuals in this generation can take any culture from either the Cuban or American generations. Even though the two texts, offer the same theme concerning the Cuban history and Cuban-American culture, Arena's book approaches the issue in a different way. For instance, it does not describe it directly but uses forms such the description of the streets where the Cubans in America live. By describing the lives of Cubans in the Havana Street, he enables the readers to understand the lives and culture of the Cubans in the streets of U.S.
Even though the two authors differ in the way, they offer their messages to the audience, both of them address the same issue of the Cuban-American culture. The role of writing in grappling with the Cuban history is significant in understanding the historical development of the Cuban-American culture and how the Cubans came to settle in U.S and learn the cultural values of the American people (Perez 11). By explaining the lives of the Cuban people in the streets of America, both authors make the audience understand the experience of the Cubans in exile and how their lives have changed in the foreign country of America.
Work Cited
Arenas, Reinaldo. The Joyful Sixties in Latin American Literature and Mona. Oxford University Press, 2001.
Perez, Firmat. The Desi Chain. Washington DC, 2010.
