Oiganme, muchachos; que me roben el apellido; que me lo quiten, carajo, como una prenda, como un pañuelo, como un anillo. Ay, mis abuelos se quedaron mudos, se les pudrió la lengua en la boca y no dijeron nada.
As a leader of the Afro-Cuban movement, Guillén celebrates the "mulatto" reality of Cuba while demanding recognition for the African element that is often silenced. Genealogical Silence: el apellido nicolas guillen english translation
By searching for his own name, Guillén speaks for millions of descendants of the transatlantic slave trade. The "family elegy" expands from a personal lament into a collective mourning for an entire uprooted diaspora. Famous Excerpts: Spanish vs. English Oiganme, muchachos; que me roben el apellido; que
The voice quickly turns to a series of forceful, almost accusatory questions. Is this European lineage everything? Do others know his "navigable blood" and "geography full of dark mountains"? The speaker challenges those who might try to define him by his Spanish surname only, asking if they see the "drums in my eyes". Genealogical Silence: By searching for his own name,