Against Multiculturalism? Ethnic Identity in Quinonez's Bodega Dreams

Ernesto Quinonez's 2000 Bodega Dreams is a narrative that asserts the primacy of identity politics in everyday lives. Based on Quinonez's experiences as a Latino-American within a predominantly white United States, Quinonez recounts the stratified nature of this society along such ethnic lines. Clearly, for a country such as the United States, where a "universalist" ideology is promoted most famously regarding "All Men are Created Equal," the reality of some ethnically stratified system demonstrates the disconnect between the ideal and the concrete. Quinonez's work, however, arguably does not only demonstrate this disconnect, which is by now an all too familiar theme within the American culture industry, even spawning the negative name of "social justice warriors." Rather, Quinonez work can be interpreted as suggesting that ethnic identities are so strong that multiculturalism is by definition a failed project and that there will always be such a stratification of identities along lines such as ethnicity. Based on this context, the core intent of this paper is to give a biographic analysis of Quinonez based on the prominent themes of race, language, the idea of personal progress and the American dream as presented in his narrative, Bodega Dreams.

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Quinonez, who was born in the year 1969, is renowned for his principal literary work which received credit, discovering great new water designation, as well as the borders, broke in New York. During this time, his book was noted as the notable book of the year by the New York Times. In particular, his first literary work was Bodega Dreams which was published back in the year 2000 a time, when his well-renowned book became recognized as a new immigrant classic owing to the fact that his narration of the story is full of energy and nerve. His second literature work was on changes fire which was published in 2004. The book has thus declared a success was owing to the fact that it readily characterizes the people of a barrio. He, in most cases, illuminates the dirty politics of renewal, as well as most of the community, is tipping out.

An explicit example of this controversial claim in Quinonez's work's Bodega Dreams is the anecdote he recounts about two of his high school teachers: Mr. Blessington, the English teacher, and Mr. Tapia, the science teacher. Blessington is described as "one of those upper-middle-class people who think highly of themselves because they could be making money or something, but no, they have taken the high road and have chosen to 'help' poor kids from the ghetto" (Quinonez, 121). More so, Blessington is further portrayed as a "rapist" (Quinonez, 121) and someone who told his largely Latino-American class that they would either end up in prison or become prostitutes. (Quinonez, 121) The first immediate discrepancy to note in Quinonezs description is that even though Blessington is portrayed as a character with some ethical prejudice, to the extent that he is recognized by the author as pursuing this particular job for some socially altruistic motive, he, at the same time, verbally disregards his students even to the point of rape speculations. This is a key juxtaposition that Quinonez makes: from his perspective, from that of the ethnically defined underclass, even the moral universalist who is supposedly motivated by something above these identities is ultimately a racist and a rapist (Smith). Quinonez here is essentially stating that ethnic identity creates an insurmountable conflict.

Quinonez grew up being racially profiled, stereotyped and even dealing with bigotry. These, among other things, were the social norms in the author's experience. He, therefore, used this narrative to show the prevalence of racial bias in the educational system and the relationships between the teachers and the students. More fundamentally, the racial profiling agent against multiculturalism as the teacher showed no respect for the Latin culture and its influence on American history (the school is named after a Hispanic). This, in essence, illustrates the extent of bigotry by the teacher. Besides, the teacher also made racially biased statements about those who would name the school after a Latin person and stereotype by saying what they would become because of their race.

On the other hand, personal progress as a core value is underscored by the account of Jose Tapia. Tapia, a science teacher, continually defends his students, encourages, and even protects them, despite their undisciplined and obnoxious behavior in class. For instance, the students make the absurd claim that "no Pope has ever been Spanish" (Quinonez, 121), a claim which although historically inaccurate Tapia does not refute, suggesting he is also following the interests of his own ethnic group. Besides, when one of Quinonez's acquaintances, Sapo, gets into a physical altercation with Blessington, it is Tapia who gives the young student advice on how to avoid being sent to juvenile detention. The motive, however, for Tapia's altruism before arrogant students are never given, other than Tapia's clear ethnic origins: he belongs to the same group identity as his students. For Quinonez, therefore, the behavior of Tapia as well as Blessington follows logically from their ethnic group identity: The contrary is seen in Blessington, who as a non-Latino, has only hate for his students, while Tapia, even though the students are portrayed as arrogant imbeciles, defends his students relentlessly. The only reason for this is their respective group identities. Accordingly, Quinonez is making the controversial claim that group identities along ethnic lines are the key markers of society, defining behaviors between in group and out-group members.

Evidently, such a thesis goes against any type of universalism. As Elias Dominguez Barajas notes, in the literature of Quinonez, "ethnicity is a prominent element in practically every aspect of their lives." (7) In Bodega Dreams, this is certainly the case. But this would be stopping too short: the prominence of this ethnic element in the lives of Quinonez's characters ultimately suggests that the ethnic is the irreducible kernel that defines all identity and that a multiplicity of ethnicities, as demonstrated in his accounts of Blessington and Tapia, only leads to conflict between group interests. Quinonez, therefore, is the most controversial type of author in light of multicultural universalism: the author who says, because of the inherent interests of ethnic groups, such a multicultural Universalist society is impossible.

Conclusion

In my opinion, Quinonez used this narrative, as a means of expressing his prevalent nature in the education system as well as the relationship he had with his students and teachers as an associate professor. However, the teacher fails to embrace his multi-culturist idea and shows no respect to the Latin culture. The aspect led to the naming of the college after a Hispanic owing to the stereotypic notion that they would become more of their race. The element made Quinonez use the narrative in expounding more about the stereotypic idea. His ethical understanding of ethical issues on different ethnicities made him embrace the multiculturism natures that saw him avoid the stereotypic notion that was affecting both his students and the teacher.

Works Cited

Barajas, Elias Dominguez. "The Postmodern Ethnic Condition in Ernesto Quinonez's Bodega Dreams." Latino Studies, Vol. 12, 1. pp. 7-26.

Quinonez, Ernesto. Bodega Dreams. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2015, pp. 120-126.

Smith, Nicole. "Summary and Analysis of Part II of Bodega Dreams by Ernesto Quinonez." Article Myriad, 2011, www.articlemyriad.com/summary-analysis-part-ii-bodega-dreams/.