Cartographies of Inclusion/Exclusion and Contested Belongings in Raquel Cepeda’s Bird of Paradise: How I Became a Latina

Abstract

The rise of bordering processes within urban spaces underscores the need to re-evaluate a politics of space that reveals ethical lapses in hospitality as ethnic-bordered migrant sites expose host-centric restrictions and trigger identity dilemmas among ethnoracialized populations. Focusing on the politics of space and its influence on urban segregation and hospitality ethics, this chapter sheds light on the emergence of migrant sites marked by ethnic borders as well as the intricate interplay of host-guest relationships in the public sphere. Central to this analysis is Raquel Cepeda’s Bird of Paradise (2013), which unravels the multifaceted mechanisms employed by the host country to categorize and classify individuals based on race and ethnicity. By investigating the interplay between citizenship, belonging, and the selective inclusion of marginalized communities, the study elucidates the differential inclusion frameworks that shape urban social spaces. The article also explores how Cepeda’s work challenges conventional notions of inclusion and exclusion by highlighting the nuanced gradations of citizenship and belonging that exist within these spaces. A key objective of this research is to examine the bordering processes that contribute the hierarchical structuring of social space in New York City, as portrayed in Cepeda’s memoir. Through a meticulous analysis of Dominicans and other Latinx communities’ struggles to negotiate and contest their (non)belonging in an often-inhospitable environment, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of the contemporary diasporic experience. Ultimately, this chapter offers insights into the ways identity, citizenship, belonging, and agency intersect within the complex urban landscapes, enriching the discourse on diaspora studies, social geography, and cultural identity.