Thus far, in our survey of various border literature, I am most fascinated by the concept of community. Depending who you ask, community can mean different things, whether it is their local neighbourhood, the cultural identity to which one relates or on a larger scale it can represent a larger county, province or country. The Cambridge dictionary defines community as: “the people living in one particular area or people who are considered as a unit because of their common interests, social group, or nationality”. Community has been addressed in each of the selections we have discussed in SPAN 322; however, for the sake of time restrictions, I will keep my discussion to two of the three selections: María Amparo Ruiz de Burton’s The Squatter and The Don—A Novel Descriptive of Contemporary Occurences in California and Piri Thomas’ Down These Mean Streets.

Foremost, is the reference to places in each of these selections’ titles: the first references California in the subtitle, while the second refers more generally to ‘streets’. And while geographic places, such as California or more generally ‘streets’ denote a specific area, as mentioned in the Cambridge definition of community, the subject matter of both books focus more on the community to which the characters belong.

Ruiz de Burton (RdB) takes on the subject of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo which intended to define peace between the United States (US) and Mexico after the Mexican-American War. National borders were redefined by this legislation regardless of the traditional or familial ties to land ownership. Thus, in RdB’s novel, the reader encounters the Alamar family, who has for some time owned the vast expanse of land on which they live and farm. We then encounter the ‘squatters’, namely the Darrell family and others, who arrive on Alamar family land and assume portions of it for their own use. So within one geographic area, two communities are established: those with traditional ownership and affiliation with the land and those who are new arrivals. Of course, this causes conflict, especially when the division between the two communities is blended through marriage.

The notion of community in Thomas’ book, on the other hand, is on a much smaller scale. Piri, the main character, lives in Spanish Harlem, or what he calls El Barrio. This is where he feels he belongs. This is where he is among people with whom he shares a cultural identity, namely the Puerto Ricans. When Piri’s family is relocated to the Italian part of New York, Piri is considered an outsider; he is no longer in El Barrio. While this division of cultural identity occurs at the same time as a geographic change, Piri’s sense of community, that is, as a Puerto Rican, remains strong. Furthermore, Piri’s family moves again to a suburban New York neighbourhood which is predominently white. Piri’s identity as a Puerto Rican is further tested because of his darker complexion. The community does not see him as white, he is seen as black. Thus the sense of belonging within his community causes Piri to seek his own self-identity, driving the plot of the entire book.

The notion of community and what it means is not as simple as establishing clear-cut boundaries. Rather the sense of self identity provides one’s sense of belonging with in which ever community the feel affiliated. Whether based on traditional or legal boundaries, or cultural and racial affiliations, community is not a label that can be prescribed. The boundaries of communities, both visible and invisible provide each and everyone of us with a sense of belonging.

On a final note, and in the interest of continuity within my series of blogs, I’m including a link to one of my favourite pieces of music, “Rhapsody in Blue” by George Gershwin. This piece, not only takes me away to a place of sheer bliss when I need an escape, it also demonstrates the unity of two musical styles…or communities: classical and jazz. The conductor and pianist in this video is Leondard Bernstein, who composed West Side Story, the musical from which we jump started our journey through border literature. This piece is long (nearly 20 minutes), but trust me, it is worth it…treat yourself to the escape. And to that end, wouldn’t it be amazing if we lived in a community that fused together and celebrated all that is different in one harmonious rhapsody in blue?