Junot Diaz: Breaking The Model Of Identity In The Latino Language

Entering Latino Literature 339 I had no idea what would occur within the course. It was a course that you had to have previous knowledge of Latino history and writings. That was something that I did not have and constantly worried about what I did not know. However, that was not the case for this class and ended up learning an array of works and ideals. This course and its pieces of literature broaden my horizon with Latino literature. New York Latino literature shows the documented change in familial generations of identity. What does it mean to be Hispanic, Latino or even Spanish? Once that question is answered what does it mean when you add American to the end of that? As a person that identifies as Latina American other can assume that

Junot Diaz is a well-known author in the 2000s and begins to break the model of the Dominican stereotypes. He writes about a character of Yunior, who is seen as the black sheep of his family. He does not act as a traditional Dominican man like his father or brother. Two strong willed males who have a way with the women. Something that Yunior lacks and instead is interested in his grades and comic book. Junot Diaz also demonstrates these attributes in another character by the name of Oscar. Oscar is no longer seen as a traditional Dominican man and his identity becomes skewed “Because in those days he was (still) a "normal" Dominican boy raised in a "typical" Dominican family, his nascent pimp-liness was encouraged by blood and friends alike” (Diaz 2361). Being a normal and typical Dominican boy was encouraged however when he decided to adopted American mannerisms or liked American things. Junot Diaz liked to break these stereotypes and develop characters that are mixture of American and Dominican. Rather than having a papa suave man he creates dimensional characters who can be liked or not liked. Their identity lies within their actions and not just based on nationality. Oscar is also a second generation character who has had the chance to live in America at a young age and had the chance to be