Resisting Paradise: Tourism, Diaspora, and Sexuality in Caribbean Culture
Angelique V. Nixon
For many, the word "Caribbean" invokes images of "paradise," sandy beaches, blue skies, cocktails under swaying palm trees ... a place removed from one's everyday, humdrum life. But what may seem like an innocent caricature actually reproduces a colonial discourse that removes agency, identity, and ownership of the region from the people who live there. "Resisting Paradise" by Angelique V. Nixon sets out to highlight the various ways in which the hospitality industry creates neo-colonial forms of violence, such as erasing colonial histories of violence and genocide and commodifying native women's bodies. In her book, Nixon brings together contributions from writers outside and inside the region in order to offer insights on how to engage with local communities in a respectful and dignified way that enables sustainable tourism development and authentic cultural representation rather than one that titillates the tourists. Addressing a no less important but often ignored issue, Nixon also explores the ways in which the hospitality industry impacts--and interacts with--diaspora communities around the world. She shows how the industry often makes it even more difficult for these communities to find their way back home, and, even if they do, find it hard to recognize the place they once knew. Access the collection here.