Race and Gender in The Adventures of Kalimán, El Homère Increíble

Abstract

In recent years, in a manner akin to Edward Said’s Orientalism, not a few authors in the field of Latin American cultural studies have explored the concept of Latin Americanism, albeit from different perspectives. Yet, in light of the events of September 11, 2001, Said’s work has gained new stature, for the Orient has become crucially important to the redefinition of world struggles embodied by contemporary globalization. To the United States, in particular, today’s Orient represents a defining space and critical moment, as the stalemates in Palestine, Iraq, and Afghanistan will determine, to a great extent, how it is viewed as world power and builder of consensus among the international community of the twenty-first century. Thus far, the balance seems ominous.