Junot Diaz Had To Put Aside His Dominicanosity For A Hot Minute To Collect His Pullitzer
6 October 2008, 3:00 PM. By Daniel Mauser
Finest writer in all the land, Junot Diaz, won a Pullitzer. Perhaps you’ve heard? Perhaps you’ve been repeating this every night as you rock yourself to sleep? He won it, in part, for writing a book — The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao — but mostly for being a swaggering Dominicans who says things like “bro” and “motherfucker” and “arroz” - the sort of things that makes America scared, and maybe a little excited. Well, reader erivera brought Diaz’s flip-flopping to our attention. During “A Conversation With Junot Diaz and Lin-Manuel Miranda,” an event organized by the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) and held at the Malcolm X Betty Shabazz Memorial, Educational and Cultural Center, Diaz said he had to suppress that every essence of Dominicanosity:
“When you’re a young person aware early of these things [racial tensions and family issues], it’s going to inevitably be a part of your life,” Diaz said on a serious note. “I was told by my parents that I had to suppress my Dominicanness [...] Being a child of a survivor of the Trujillato is like A-Rod, you need three therapists” he candidly added to roaring laughs from the crowd.
Diaz and playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda each answered questions posed by the audience, with Miranda shrugging demurely and Diaz upsetting a caja china in his attempt to maintain his perch on a soapbox:
Many audience members proclaimed their admiration for the author and for the playwright, and repeatedly asked how to reach youth not interested in reading or musicals. Miranda conceded he didn’t know what the answer was to that challenge, while Diaz said “Art is not a messiah. Artwork can move certain individuals but [...] Society fails our young people and it is up to us to collectively deal with these failures.”
Diaz continued, “Art is not a Messiah. I AM. MOTHERFUCKERS.” And then he shanked a bewildered Latino Studies major in the front row.
What do you think of Diaz’s comments about suppressing his “Dominicanness?” Is he simplifying Latino identity for the sake of a laugh? Or is he onto something bigger - Do you have to suppress “Latinoness” — whatever that word means to you — in order to get by or be taken seriously in the U.S? Because it seems to us that Diaz’s Dominanness is exactly what’s gotten us to know who he is in the first place.
Pulitzer Junot Diaz had to shun ‘Dominicanness’, ny.remezcla.com says [Dominican Today]
Remezcla Recap: Junot and Lin-Manuel Back In The Heights [NY Remezcla]
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No doubt he could not have achieved half of his success without his Dominicanness. But it’s become commercial. I think that is everyone’s biggest gripe with this dude.
What do you think of Diaz’s comments about suppressing his “Dominicanness?”
The idea that “Dominicanness” or “Latinoness” is something that must be suppressed (to succeed) is an American invention. I respect what Diaz has accomplished, but his comments are just so misguided; it’s not even funny. It’s sad.
It’s a poverty issue. It’s lack of resources. It’s being disadvantaged. Etc. These problems are not unique to Hispanics. Most people around the world are disadvantaged in one way or another.
YOU PEOPLE ARE BEING JERKS!
JUNOT DIAZ DID NOT SAY HE REPRESSED HIS DOMINICAN-NESS FOR A PULITZER OR FOR ANY REASON.
I AM ONE OF THE COORDINATORS OF THE NORTHERN MANHATTAN ARTS ALLIANCE EVENT AND I WAS PRESENT AT THE CHARLA.
WHAT DIAZ SAID WAS THAT HE WAS TOLD BY HIS PARENTS AND BY OTHERS TO SUPPRESS HIS DOMINICANNESS IN ORDCER TO SUCCEED BUT THAT HE REFUSED TO DO SO.
YOU MENTION THE FIRST PART OF HIS STATEMENT BUT LEFT OUT THE IMPORTANT PART. WHY?
THIS KIND OF MEANSPIRITED BOCHINCHE IS A DISRESPECT TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WERE AT THE EVENT AND TO THE DOMINICAN COMMUNITY WHO CAME TOGETHER TO HEAR ONE OF OUR OWN WHO HAS ALWAYS DEFENDED DOMINICANS. FACED WITH THE TRUTH EVEN THE NEWSPAPER THAT MISQUOTED DIAZ HAS RETRACTED THEIR STATEMENTS BUT YOU CHOOSE TO PASS ON A DISTORTION.
IF ANY OF YOU WANT TO LISTEN TO THE TAPE OF THE CHARLA PLEASE COME TO THE ALLIANCE. WHAT YOU WILL LISTEN TO IS NOT A DOMINICAN ARTIST SELLING OUT TO THE GRINGOS BUT A DOMINICAN ARTIST DOING HIS BEST TO PROMOTE POSITIVITY AS A DOMINICAN, AS AN IMMIGRANT, AS A NEW WORLD AFRICAN.
PLEASE STOP HATING ON DOMINICANS. IS THERE ANYBODY ON THIS WEBSITE WHO HAS EVEN MET THIS ARTISTI AND TALKED TO HIM AT ANY LENGTH OR IS IT JUST MORE CONVENIENT TO GO AFTER HIM THAN TO CHECK WHAT HE’S ACTUALLY ABOUT? HE’S PUBLISHED OR HELPED PUBLISH MORE YOUNG LATINO WRITERS THAN ANYBODY I KNOW AND HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN DOMINICAN COMMUNITY SINCE BEFORE YOUR WEBSITE WAS AROUND.
Boo to the hoo, We Miranda. Maybe if you had bolded your capital letters as well, people would take you seriously.
Don’t conflate making fun of Junot for being a pompous ass with hatred of Dominicans. Your own ignorance is showing.
Don’t CONFLATE? CONFLATE? Who is pompous here La Whiteness. What really is your point except you are a Diaz hater? (Let me guess you are a frustrated novelist / short story writer who is confused with White all the time?) Do you HAVE a point? Because all you do is distort what the guy says. Your fact are not fact. You distort. Anybody could do that. But La Palinda if you’re so sure of your problems with Diaz why don’t you go and debate him? WHy throw stones? If you believe what you are writing go debate it out. Our community could use intellectual discussion but not more bonchinche and bitchiness. If you need to distort clearly you don’t have anything on the guy. But hey, go to one of his events. Spout your ignorance. And I agree with Miranda. GIve me a list of positive things you’ve said about Dominican writers. I think your hate is showing, Sarah Palinda.
Junot Diaz is a pathetic ASS!!!! Ask the many women he tries to sleep with on tour. He uses readings as foreplay.
I just puked in my mouth a little. But alas and most regretfully, I know firsthand that what you say is true, Cara. Go watch him work on tour! It’s quite the spectacle.
I experienced this, too. It’s disappointing.
Leave Junie alone!
I gew up with him and he is as Dominican as Apple Pie!
He also has the street cred of Angela Landsbury.