The Dynamics of Movement - Toward a Definition of a Latin American Identity in Contemporary Fiction

A consensus as to who is a Latin American is a long debated topic in Latin American literature. Nineteenth century intellectuals viewed the cities and their inhabitants of European extraction, as the ideal spaces and people on which an identity could be defined. However the dynamics of movement, from rural to urban areas, of people of diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, make it difficult to uphold descriptors of space, race, or culture, as sole markers. Twentieth century writers of fiction, by addressing pressing issues such as the dynamism of movement between the countryside and the cities demonstrate that it is difficult to ascribe permanent identity descriptors as characters, who like the inhabitants of the region, constantly reconfigure their identity as they move from one space to another. Teachers and students of literature or any reader concerned with the identity debate with global migration at its peak can gain a new insight into this dilemma.