Coloniality at Large

Postcolonial theory has developed mainly in the U.S. academy, and it has focused chiefly on nineteenth and twentieth-century colonization and decolonization processes in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. Colonialism in Latin America originated centuries earlier, in the transoceanic adventures from which European modernity itself was born. It differs from later manifestations of European expansionism in other ways as well. Coloniality at Large brings together classic and new reflections on the theoretical implications of colonialism in Latin America. By pointing out its particular characteristics, the contributors highlight some of the philosophical and ideological blind-spots of contemporary postcolonial theory as they offer a thorough analysis of that theory's applicability to Latin America's past and present. Written by internationally renowned scholars based in Latin America, the United States, and Europe, the essays reflect multiple disciplinary and ideological perspectives. Some are translated into English for the first time.The essays include theoretical reflections, literary criticism, and historical and ethnographic case studies focused on Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Brazil, the Andes, and the Caribbean.Contributors highlight the relation of Marxist thought, dependency theory, and liberation theology to Latin Americans' experience of and resistance to coloniality, and they emphasize the critique of Occidentalism and modernity as central to any understanding of the colonial project. Analyzing the many ways that Latin Americans have resisted imperialism and sought emancipation and sovereignty over several centuries, they delve into topics including violence, identity, otherness, memory, heterogeneity, and language. Contributors also explore Latin American intellectuals' ambivalence about, or objections to, the "post" in postcolonial; to many, globalization and neoliberalism are the contemporary guises of colonialism in Latin America.

“"With a complexity and depth rarely seen in collections of this type, Coloniality at Large will provide food for thought for generations to come."”

“In Coloniality at Large, leading postcolonial literary scholars provide thoughtful and incisive insights into the lasting effects of colonial domination in Latin America.”-Patricia Seed, editor of JosÉ LimÓn and La Malinche: The Dancer and the Dance “Mapping out the current state of a particularly important field of study from an interdisciplinary perspective, Coloniality at Large consists of twenty-three essays by a veritable ‘who’s who’ in Latin American cultural studies.”-Debra A. Castillo, author of Redreaming America: Toward a Bilingual American Culture “[T]he book is one of the first projects to bring together scholars from different regions and academic systems of the Atlantic. As a result, this compilation offers wide-ranging perspectives and critiques associated with the challenge of discussing Latin America with critical viewpoints in language that is not overly cryptic. This volume is bound to become a referential work for scholars in the field of Latin American Studies and a useful teaching tool for graduate-level courses." - Fabrício Prado (The Americas) “Ambitiously conceived and judiciously executed, this volume offers a timely as well as comprehensive study of modern Latin American culture and history from the perspective of postcolonial theories. . . . Highly recommended.” - Q. E. Wang (Choice) “The collection, which extends to over 600 pages, is both rich and substantial and is likely to provide a valuable, illuminating and corrective resource for scholars of both Latin American and postcolonial studies.” - James Proctor (Year's Work in Critical and Cultural Theory) “With a complexity and depth rarely seen in collections of this type, Coloniality at Large will provide food for thought for generations to come.” - Ricardo D. Salvatore (A Contracorriente)

Mabel MoraÑa is the William H. Gass Professor in Arts and Sciences and Director of the Latin American Studies Program at Washington University, St. Louis.

Enrique Dussel is Professor of Ethics at the Universidad AutÓnoma Metropolitana, Iztapalapa and a member of the Faculty of Philosophy at the Universidad Nacional AutÓnoma de MÉxico.

Carlos A. JÁuregui is Associate Professor of Spanish and Anthropology at Vanderbilt University.

"...this is a text that uses thematics thoughtfully and deeply rather than sparsely and sporadically. Literature for Life , as both its title and content suggests, attempts to forge a close relationship between students' reading and life experiences." --Erin Radcliffe, Central New Mexico College

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