Milli mála - 01.06.2016, Blaðsíða 134

CENTRAL AMERICAN COASTAL IDENTITY
134 Milli mála 8/2016
to a certain collective group.50 Crystal Bedley has continued along
these lines to identify, through several theoretical approaches, the
factors that most heavily influence people of multiracial background
in their choice or formation of racial identity. Her theorizing focus-
es on three factors that are particularly influential: 1) family back-
ground; 2) the individual’s physical appearance; and 3) the social
experiences shared by people belonging to a particular racial
group.51
These three factors are central in Rossi’s portrayal of Laura’s
identity formation in Limón Reggae. Her ‘coming of age’ and social
experiences confirm Bedley’s observations as well as those made by
Philip M. Brown. He emphasizes that people of biracial background
prefer to interact with members of multiracial minorities rather
than with majority groups, because they share similar experiences
of ethnic marginality. However, Brown points out that the threat
of social rejection is always present, and that multiple racial affilia-
tions may hinder the acceptance of an individual as a stable member
of any one group.52
Applying this debate to Limón Reggae, it appears that Laura’s
experiences during childhood in Limón were both happy and reas-
suring. However, as she grows older her childhood friends become
increasingly hostile to and distant from her. Referring to the hostil-
ity she meets from the Afro-Caribbean community, Laura reflects:
“The Afro world is a secret, think about it, we do not know its
truth. They locked it up and will not share the key”.53
However, her aunt Maroz explains to her that this unfriendly
attitude is an understandable consequence of the injustices and the
marginalization that the Afro-Caribbean community has had to put
up with from the Costa Rican authorities. Maroz observes:
50 Phinney, Jean S. “Ethnic Identity in Adolescents and Adults. Review of Research”, Readings in
Ethnic Psychology, Routledge, New York: Routledge University, 1998, pp. 73-99. Here p. 81.
51 Bedley, Crystal, “The formation of Multiracial Identities”, Sociological Association, Annual Meeting,
Boston, MA, July 31, 2008, http://www.mixedracestudies.org/?p=1275[Accessed August 2016].
Here p. 11.
52 Brown, Philip M., “Biracial Identity and Social Marginality”. Child and Adolescent Social Work
Journal. 2008. pp. 319-337. Here p. 333.
53 Rossi, Limón Reggae: “El mundo Afro es un secreto, piensa, no conocemos su verdad. Lo cerraron
con llave y no le darán llave”, p. 104.