This dual-site
ethnography follows the celebration of Carnival from Trinidad to
North America, where immigrant Trinidadian-Americans loyally
perpetuate this annual cultural event. Philip Scher uses the lens of
transnationalism to explore the Carnival tradition transported from
Trinidad by the immigrant Trinis living in Brooklyn, New York. As
Scher moves back and forth between these two sites, he outlines
aspects of the history of Carnival in Trinidad, looking in
particular at the ways in which the middle class appropriated it and
incorporated it into their nationalist agenda. Then, outlining the
history of Carnival in Brooklyn, he explores in detail the place of
Carnival in the lives of Trinis in New York by focusing attention on
a "mas' camp" - the arena of creative activity, from making costumes
to general "liming." He demonstrates how Trinis, in their attempt to
import the folk traditions of their native island into their
American lifestyle, have infused Carnival with a new, distinctly
American meaning.Scher incorporates
case studies and interviews into ideas about how the preparation and
reception of cultural rituals serve as a bridge between the original
culture and its displaced people, and about how this helps the
immigrant population to forge its own identity in a new land. The
discussion alludes to ethnic and ethnographic theories while
remaining grounded and accessible, thus revealing the linkage
between Trinidadian Carnival as popular culture and the people who
celebrate it in Trinidad and beyond. In all of this description, a
judicious use of the voices of participants and a sensitive
positioning of the ethnographic presence make for an engaging and
subtle analysis.
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