The Motifs of Latinidad

The “motifs” of Latinidad refer to the specific tensions, obstacles, and boundaries underlying Intralatino/a struggles in cementing a sense of belonging to multiple national communities. In this chapter I focus on five interviews and examine the diverse ways in which each Intralatino/a grapples with both dominant and diluted nationalities. Deploying Mérida Rúa’s concept of “Colao subjects”, and the terms “aguao and cargao” identities (diluted and strong), I analyze how these Intralatino/as refuse to choose one or the other, how they reclaim the diluted identity, and how they unsettle the dominance of the cargao (strong) identity. I conclude that these negotiations not only illustrate the processual and temporary texture of Intralatino/a subjectivities, but also highlight their agency in resisting the contradictions and complexities of these multiple identity boundaries.