The Real Problem with 'American Dirt'
This week, I read the article about the controversy surrounding Jeanine Cummins's American Dirt.
Honestly, I knew very little about the origins of the controversy; I remember hearing about it not too long ago, though I think my sense of time for basically all of 2020 is a bit muddled. I did not realize the extent of the notoriety Cummins's novel received prior to even being published and I am surprised that she received as much acclaim as she did. Obviously, the subject of her book seemed important and relevant, but what role did she play in the Mexican immigration system? Other than a distant connection via a Puerto Rican grandmother, what authority does she have the subject? I would never presume that any research I did on a current topic like this would equate to an actual presence or connection.
Criticisms that I read all seemed to agree that it's not so much that an Irish author deigned to write about the situation; it's that her writing is stunted, inauthentic, and written to appease an audience, instead of inform. It reminds me of the criticism around Kathryn Stockett's novel The Help. She meant well and genuinely wanted to share the plight of black women in the south, but the novel came across with a very "white savior" feel and tells the story she thinks she knew, from her own, outside, perspective. Cummins seems to do the same thing; there is a genuinely good intention, to open people's eyes to the harsh reality of Mexican immigrants. But with so many incredible Latinx authors, why did no one want to pay attention until this book?
I applaud her for telling the story, but I agree that someone immersed in the culture, someone with a better grasp of the Mexican Spanish language, and someone with a more personal connection should have been the one to tell this story.
That's my opinion, of course! I actually really like the movie based on The Help, but I read some interviews that were done with the woman Aibileen's character is based on and it's hard to see it in the same light. I still love the scene with Minnie and her pie (you know the one I mean).
I agree with you that some well-intentioned books can be harmful especially to minority communities who have a hard time getting their voices to be heard. When talking about immigration, every migrant group has a story to tell and that story needs representation - even if it's a fictional work. I also feel ambivalent sometimes when the art work is really well done (The Help, Gone with the Wind...), but the "reality" they try to depict causes you to be so horrified that the beauty looses its grasp and everything turns into a shallow attempt to whitewash the past.
ReplyDeleteYou make such a good point with your comparison to The Help. I also enjoyed the movie the first time I saw it, but after reading and learning more, it does change how you see stories like that. It reminds me a bit of the controversy surrounding Robin DiAngelo and her book White Fragility. While it's certainly well-meaning and has had a positive impact, it draws away from the lived experiences and knowledge of Black people. There's just something that doesn't sit right when all the attention and profits go to members of a majority (in this case, white authors) over the marginalized groups and voices they propose to uplift.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this, you say it perfectly here:
ReplyDelete"But with so many incredible Latinx authors, why did no one want to pay attention until this book?"
The truth is that there are Mexican authors who's stories aren't getting told. Maybe Jeanine Cummings version of things is more palatable, maybe it's (erroneously) assumed that because she has a Puerto Rican lineage, that somehow gives her allowances to write a Mexican story, as if all Latinx people are the same. Whatever the case, I'm glad that the controversy has brought further attention to the need for authenticity in literature.
I love your post and I love that you tied The Help in - they are really both so similar. Well intentioned isn't good enough. Full points!
ReplyDelete