Still, Western Union: Small Boats (Isaac Julien, 2006/7)Our readings for Week 9 take us to the Mediterranean border between Europe (the European Union) and north Africa, a border zone explored in Isaac Julien's Western Union: Small Boats (2006/7) that we will view in class next week. From your reading of F. La Cecla's "A border made of mirrors: Mazara del Vallo/Tunis: Osmosis," answer the following:
Discuss two ways in which the relation between the towns of Marzara del Vallo (Sicily) and La Goulette (Tunisia) undermines the traditional definition of the border as "a line that officially separates two countries or regions, or the land on either side of it." How does the experience of Mohammed Beshir (fisherman) illustrate the permeability of the border and the transformations in our understanding of fixed, national identities that are brought about by border crossings?
Discuss two ways in which the relation between the towns of Marzara del Vallo (Sicily) and La Goulette (Tunisia) undermines the traditional definition of the border as "a line that officially separates two countries or regions, or the land on either side of it." How does the experience of Mohammed Beshir (fisherman) illustrate the permeability of the border and the transformations in our understanding of fixed, national identities that are brought about by border crossings?
In F. La Cecla's article "a border made of mirrors: Mazara del Vallo/Tunis: Osmosis, we have a perfect example of braking down what has been referred to as 'The Border' in between countries. The border has been described as the actual physical boundaries of a country, but in many ways the border is also representative of the separation between cultures, peoples and ideas that are foreign. What we see between the people and culture in Sicily in Italy and Tunisia, which is just across the Mediterranean sea, is a fusion of cultures and an intense breaking down of what we call a border. First and for most, through the fishing industry that is forming there, we see workers banding together for a joined cause. Fishing in this part of the sea that separate the two regions is extremely bountiful and as Cecla states "the fishing boats themselves regulated the fishing areas according to their own convenience and need, frequently ignoring fishing regulations and boundaries of territorial waters."(271)And it also through this sort of fishing allegiance that we see another way these countries are breaking down culture borders, Cecla reference many fishermen simple loading the boat for the soul purpose of being 'ferried' to their families on the other side. This is absolutely not a problem at all either, this is an accepted act between the cultures and as a result, phrased perfect in the article, "The integration of the two cultures has happened without causing upheaval or sudden grafts on the respective urban landscapes, but rather through a gradual inclusion of new places, and new ways of living the indigenous urban tissue."(271) Cecla goes on to talk about the creation of internal spaces through this gradual integration that allows old ways to not be erased, but brought together and accentuated by the new, which is an incredibly interesting way of seeing cultures combined and quite frankly, something that really has never happened this way before. We begin to see people thinking about themselves in a cross cultural way, moving from one to another with extreme ease, specifically in the case of Mohammed Beshir. He is a fishermen who came To Sicily from Tunisia, and gradually brought his wife and children over with him. He still wants his children to go to school in Tunisia, but speaks how just how much he loves his life in Sicily. and this is really the only section of the world where this kind of talk and execution of a plan like that would work. A Mexican immigrant wouldn't be able to live in Arizona, speak of his love for it and then wish to send his children to school back in Mexico. That wouldn't fly here in America where we fear other cultures and what they represent. This is truly an example of how a border is something that can simply be a thing of the mind and not so much an obstacle to be overcome.
ReplyDeleteOne way that the situation between Mazara del Vallo and La Goulette undermines the typical notion of what a border is and does is seen with the intermingling of people from each region into the other. The Italian city is home to a Tunisian community and the Tunisian city is home to an Italian community. This is an interesting and somewhat rare occurence. "On one side, Mazara del Vallo has for a long time hosted a Tunisian community in the old Kasbah: a dynamic population integrated into professional fishing, the fields and the vineyards, and that has for some years also started to settle in the more modern districts of the city. On the other side of the sea there is La Goulette, an antique village in the vicinity of Tunis, inhabited by the second generation of a well-established Italian community who arrived there following a massive and opposing migratory wave from Sicily and southern Italy towards Tunisia." (270) As far as borders go, these opposing settles (one originating from the locale of the other) is hardly seen anywhere else in the world. With a relationship like this between two differing regions, one could be forced to rethink what a border means.
ReplyDeleteAnother way in which the concept of the classical border is undermined is in the important fishing industry thriving in this part of the Mediterranean. Fishing boats from both Mazara and Goulette work alongside one another in the stretch of sea between the two regions. According to Isaac Julien, this integration has not caused conflict for either side. Even more surprising is this: "the boat crews are often mixed Sicilian and Tunisian" (271). This gives an example of integration and border crossing that is mutually beneficial and without strife. You certainly don't see Americans and Mexicans working together along the border.
Mohammed Beshir came to Mazara and began work like everyone else, and now as a result of his commitment, he is very well-off. His case illustrates the permeability of the border in that his wife travels to and from Tunisia every year for a period and there is no issue with her coming and going. The way Beshir describes this, it almost seems as though Sicily and Tunisia are part of the same country. The border doesn't really seem to exist for him. He talks about how he would like his family to live in Tunisia even if he is in Sicily. He wants his kids to go to school in Tunisia. And I'm sure this would all be possible given the somewhat lax and open nature of this sea border between Sicily and Tunisia. It seems as though despite living in Italy for so many years, Beshir has not lost any of his cultural identity and hopes to keep that going in his family.
Sean Harrison
Film 314
In relation to our study of the border, F. La Cecla's article "A border made of mirrors: Mazara del Vallo/Tunis: Osmosis," border becomes the imaginary line as it is so often referenced. Cecla highlights the integration between Sicilian and Tunisian cultures throughout the last fifty years. Originally, as a result of the fishing market, the two vastly different cultures found themselves joining together not only for the interest of a mutual business, but also the sole purpose of existing as two different cultures under one roof. In her article Cecla states, "the two coasts have been a theatre of continuous movements, the exchanging of cultural and culinary traditions, and mixed marriages. It has been an exchange of individuals, traditions, experiences, and memories that has created a game of mirrors between the two coastal territories, moulding two landscapes that today have much in common, even if separated by one of the most rigid borders in the contemporary world" (Cecla 270). This statement confirms the these two very different societies of people have transcended borders, prejudice, and skepticism in order to become a true representation of cultural integration and understanding between regions. One particular way in which Cecla illustrates this cultural transcendence is through the words of Mohammed Beshir, who is a native to Tunisia, married to a Sicilian woman, and finds himself at the very center of these two nations being joined together. Beshir's story overcomes the idea of borders between nation, due to the fact that he and his wife constantly travel back and forth between Tunisia and Sicily to be with one another. He is faced with such decisions as teaching his children Italian or Arabic, which essentially personifies the idea of Tunisia and Sicily being culturally integrated. Finally, overall, it proves to be fishing that is wholly responsible for this integration. In regard to the fishing, Cecla writes, "the fishing boats have themselves regulated the fishing areas according to their own convenience and need, frequently ignoring fishing regulations and boundaries of territorial waters; the boat crews often mixed Sicilian and Tunisian, and not infrequently some fishermen embark with the sole intention of being ferried towards the opposite coast to reach their families" (Cecla 270-271). In conclusion, while business and trade were the original factors that brought on a cultural integration between Sicily and Tunisia, the subsequent behavior, attitude, and ideals by Sicilian and Tunisian citizens has taken that integration further by creating mixed families and values.
ReplyDeleteReid Goldberg/ Film 314
Jessica Knap Film 301
ReplyDeleteOne way F. La Cecla illustrates the undermining of the traditional definition of the border is through the personal relationships between the towns of Marzara del Vallo and La Goulette. The basic historical relations as “the two coasts have been a theatre of continuous movements, the exchanging of cultural and culinary traditions, and mixed marriages” (270). The living styles include details of both cultures; such as the halls of elementary schools, which contain both writings of Italian and Arabic; along portraits of Padre Pio and verses of the Koran in homes. The captions along side the pictures depict how life can exist in both areas and why one town is chosen over the other (273-276).
Another way the two satellite communities began through the hobby and the work of fishing in the Mediterranean waters, leading to the dubbed name a ‘solid sea’. This stretch of sea is described as “a kind of ‘black hole’, an inter-dimensional door that zeros the cultural and physical distance between the two extreme points of Europe and Africa” (271). Those who participate in fishing often ignore the fishing regulations and boundaries of the territorial waters, thus mixing the Sicilian and Tunisian.
Mohammed Beshir stared out in a similar manner as the rest who travel between the two towns, with a tourist permit and then started to work. He prefers to live in Mazara in comparison to his wife who travels to Mazara during the summer months. National identity is addressed through his wife’s and his personal preference of living locations, also his opinion on what language his children should adopt and where to be schooled. It appears to Mohammed and his wife treat the two places of origin as one single country, moving freely between the two without any conflicts.
F. La Cecla discusses in his article how the people from Sicily and Tunisia, although across the Mediterranean, are inter mixing with each other. They mix not only their cultures, but their people. The Tunisian town in home to many Italians and the Italian town is home to many Tunisians. This "phenomenon" undermines the traditional notion of a border because we have come to know a "border" as a physical boundary that separates countries, cultures and peoples. With the 'fusing' of cultures and people, the bond between Sicily and Tunisia breaks down all notions of what we consider a "border".
ReplyDeleteSecondly, the fishing industry in this particular region is very plentiful for the fisherman. Thus, one can notice the union/joining of fisherman in this particular part of the sea that separates them from each other. Often times, fishing boats from different regions will work along side each other, ignoring the fishing boundaries (this is where the two cultures will mix most often).
Beshir started working like every one else. He came from Tunisia over to Sicily. After working hard, he is now very well off. Since the two countries are close, Beshir still wants his kids to go to school in Tunisia. Beshir loves his life in Sicily, and this is a great example of how permeable the cultures are between Sicily and Tunisia. Because he has two lives in 2 countries, Beshir is an example of someone who knows cultural identity. It is also a good example of how a "border" is only as strong as we make it.
F. La Cecla’s article, “A border made of mirrors: Mazara del Vallo/Tunis: Osmosis, is centered around the idea of the border, a subject that we have discussed repeatedly in this class. There were a lot of interesting points made in this article, but one particularly stuck out for me: “The living styles include details of both cultures; such as the halls of elementary schools, which contain both writings of Italian and Arabic; along portraits of Padre Pio andverses of the Koran in homes. The captions along side the pictures depict how life can exist in both areas and why one town is chosen over the other (273-276). This quote represents an evolution of the border, where the border was once a meaningful idea that separated government, culture, and people, it now is more or less just a name for an almost common ground; the border is losing its power. These people have set aside their differences, and not only learned to accept what is different, but have chosen to learn from it. This is a very forward way of thinking and I think it is a rare occurrence to find such a peaceful union between two nations. What makes this article interesting is the unique multicultural dynamic between the Tunisian and Italian cultures. They have a peaceful, accessible border and live in very good standing with one another. There is even a neutral area that they each have a great stake in, the Mediterranean Sea, and it is pretty amazing that they have been able to maintain such a reticent standing with one another. Perhaps, the Israeli’s and Palestinians should consider an approach like this.. Also, the story of Mohammed Bashir and his family is a good individual example of this trend, he migrated to Sicily, Italy, where he worked to make something of himself. Yet, he still wants his children to get their education in his native Tunisia. This man is a perfect embodiment of a healthy cultural mixture. Though two places may be different, they can both be home for people, one way or another.
ReplyDelete301
ReplyDeleteIn the article by F. La Cecla's “A Border Made of Mirrors: Mazara del Vallo/Tunis: Osmosis” the traditional definition of a border as an imaginary boundary between two cultures or two ethnic groups as both the people on the sides of different cultures mixed together and hybridized creating a unique new culture. The border here doesn’t function accordingly as it is physically unable to stop the exchange of cultures because in this case this border really is imaginary, and not reinforced with a real physical border. Fishermen are able to cross the “border” and fish anywhere they wish even if it is technically another nation. This shows that the border unless reinforced is an imaginary line and is technically as obsolete in areas such as this crossing and the concept of the nation defined earlier in the course. Though globalization the concepts of the border and the nation are withering away due to interconnected economies inspired by neo-liberal policies of the dominant superpower. The cultures are not separated as people are able to easily get across and intermix undermining the border, and also a lack of a structured border that was created by members of one nation to keep out members of another effectively could do nothing to prevent the cultural exchange. Mohammed Beshir illustrates the effects of the exchange, as a he is a person that came from Tunishia looking for work, have made himself the money to live a good life and now returned back to Tunishia to be with his family. He did not give up on his Tunishian identity, wanting his children to go to school in his native country. He also pointed out that the cultural differences are religious only, since European investments turned life in Tunishia as it was in the EU, even though technically Tunishia is considered 3rd world. This proves that a peaceful exchange helps provide opportunity and economic prosperity for both “nations” due to exchange of capital, culture, and identity, and the concept of the border does nothing but isolate and undermine any potential benefits, and does not work due to being imaginary.
Marzara del Vallo (Sicily) and La Goulette (Tunisia) undermines the traditional definition of the border very much so. Most people consider a border as not only a physical line dividing civilizations but a barrier between two cultures. This may be true but the border between Sicily and Tunisia is something very different in multiple aspects. First and foremost it is a sea, the Mediterranean Sea to be exact. The physicality of having water as a border is not always seen as the traditional term of border. However the people on both sides of it are very different, it does separate two countries and two people which makes it uniquely a border. Though on both sides you can find parts of each others culture whether that’s in a school or a bar. (270) Its very interesting that the very thing that separates these two cultures also bring them together. The fishing communities which work on the Sea and live in coastal towns have combined and managed to coexist. The Mediterranean Sea acts as a place where both cultures can mix and a great example of this is Mohammed Beshir. A fisherman from Tunisia that lives in Sicily although he owns a house in Tunisia and his wife lives there a good chunk of the year. He also wants his kids to go to school in Tunisia. This is very unique because you would never have a border where someone could live in Canada or Mexico and live in America while having their family commute back and forth. It ultimately shows that a border is defined by the people living on either side of it.
ReplyDeleteEven though Sicily’s side of the Mediterranean is mostly Christian and Tunisia’s is mostly Islamic, there are a lot of shared spaces and affiliations between their respective towns of Mazara del Vallo and La Goulette. Cecla writes that the “two coasts have been a theatre of continuous movements, the exchanging of cultural and culinary traditions…individuals, traditions, experiences, and memories”. This picture of a border is very different from most borders separating most nation-states. For example, the border between the United States and Mexico is an extremely fixed one, that creates very disparate cultural and economic identities. There are still towns where cultures mix, but no border towns that represent an equal exchange like Mazara del Vallo and La Goulette.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the border is in water and not clearly demarcated by any landscapes assists in this melding. Cecla says that fishing crews are a mix of nationalities, and they do not have boundary disputes. So it is partly by economic necessity that the two sides of the Mediterranean work together. Cecla says that these two satellite communities help to “imagine the existence of not only forms of cohabitation, but also trans-national (and indeed transcontinental), socio-cultural and geographic identities.”
Mohammed Beshir, the fisherman, illustrates this “osmosis” fairly starkly. He emigrated from Tunisia and has lived in Mazara for fifteen years. He came to Mazara for work, and his wife comes and goes from Tunisia. That is a sweet setup. He talks about his old town in Tunisia, and says that “It was the Italians that took this form of fishing to Tunisia…they stole our fish.” He waits for the day when Tunisia will enter the European Union, which confused me while I was reading his quotes. He did not identify with Mazara nearly as much as his old town of Madia, but he does say that “life, it’s the same.” So he wants to teach his children the North African language in Tunisia, yet he works to make money in Mazara. I think the children may end up learning more than just the North African language.
This border between Sicily and Tunisia is certainly a different type of border than the other borders we've looked at this semester. Compared to the border between Mexico and the US, for example, the towns of La Goulette and Mazara del Vallo have forged a kind of partnership rather than a hostile kind of "us vs. them" mentality. They share many different traditions and have developed a kind of cultural hybridity within the two towns. In his essay, Cecia talks about the many mixed families that come from the two different towns. It is not uncommon, he says, for a family to be both Tunisian and Sicilian, and that "the interiors of the mixed family houses are often furnished with portraits of Padre Pio and verses of the Koran." This blending of cultures is also extremely public. Both Italian and Arabic languages are embraced by the school systems, and Italian and Tunisians gather together at restaurants and bars to watch Italian football games.
ReplyDeleteThis unconventional idea of the border (or perhaps lack of) is personified in the fisherman Mohmmed Bashir. From Tunisia but now living in Sicily with his wife who travels back and forth, he believes that the culture and traditions of the two countries on different continents blends so seamlessly that Tunisia could one day be a part of the European Union.
It's joyful in a way to see the blending of these two cultures, however it's also difficult not to see this relationship as a kind of isolated phenomenon that would be impossible to replicate in other parts of the world. In a place like the border between Mexico and America there are too many economic and cultural stigmas and differences for a relationship like this to be possible. It's sad, but true. This border is a kind of utopia that probably can never be replicated.
Kawika Kakugawa
ReplyDeleteFilm 301/314
Marzara del Vallo and La Goulette undermine the traditional definition of a border in the way explained in the article " Mazara del Vallo/ Tunis Osmosis." That is, that these two places have become hybridized so much between each other they have become mirror images of themselves. This is because they both have a fishing economy and have traded back and forth frequently and the crews, as explained in the article, often have a mix of Sicillian and Tansisian which almost makes physical the cultural hybridization these two places have undergone.
Just like a plasma membrane the sea between these two towns also puts the traditional definition of a border into question. This is because of the definition's idea of seperating land. land is solid you can plant a fence and other things that will stay in place to represent the border. If this were done in the sea the idea of dividing up the sea is rediculous it's harder to regulate those who would cross it. This is further supported by the fisherman Beshir because he says he moved because the Italian fisherman came and "they stole our fish." These Tansisians couldn't stop the Italians because there is no land barrier to stop or control the flow of Italian fisherman. So the idea that the water serves as a natural border isn't quite true, because while it seperates the land masses between these two towns the sea hardly serves the purpose of controlling the flow of movment.
Trent Huismann
ReplyDeleteFilm 301
Traditionally, when we think of a border, we think of a line (or in some cases a physycal barrier) that separates two distinct places. In the case of Marzara Del Vallo (Sicily) and La Goulette (Tunisia) our traditional view of a border has been replaced with a phenomenon that can be best described as “osmosis”, or the co-mingling of two distinct cultures. In the case of these two countries, they are separated by a rather large border (Mediterranean Sea) but they more or less have the policy of open borders, allowing people to freely move about from country to country.
The fisherman Mohammed Bashir ends up illustrating to us the permeability of the border between the two towns. His wife, lives with him in Marzara for most of the year, but then stays in Tunisia for 4 months during the summer. Bashir also returns with his wife to Tunisia for one month out of the year. Bashir also goes as far as saying that Tunisia will enter the European Union in 2005 or 2006. He explains that other than the language and the religion, Tunisia is the same as any other place in Europe and everything that Europeans enjoy can be found in Tunisia.
The thing that brings these two distinct places together and meshes them into one is the fishing industry. The fishing industry is what originally brought Sicilians to Tunisia. The fishing industry ended up taking over Tunisia and Tunisian fisherman ended up having to go to Sicily to catch fish. In both towns, fishing makes up 40% of the local economy. The fishing industry ended up seeping into both towns, and creates somewhat of an open border between the two towns after Sicilians ended up setting up homes in Tunisia, and Tunisians ended up setting up homes and families in Sicily. This is an example of how trade and open boarders can help both countries and create a peaceful coexistence between culturally distinct groups.
Adam Wynne
ReplyDeleteFilm 301
F. La Cecla depicts the relation between the two towns of Marzara del Vallo and La Goulette as undermining the traditional description of a border, in her text, A Border Made of Mirrors. When people think of a border, they think of a wall or a fence, maybe a bridge or a gate, all surrounded by guards making sure you cannot enter whatever it may be. They think of people sometimes even being shot down just for crossing this imaginary line, we as humans have unfortunately made into reality. However, the border in between Sicily doesn’t have any of these; these edges of anything (in this case, countries) being scapegoats for our hybridity. This border is a body of water, and an in fact relatively short distance of this body separates the two countries.
On page 270, Cecla gives us background information as to the history of the two countries together. (Sicily and Tunisia) She explains to us that cultural hybridity in both mixed marriages and actual culture trading and mixing. This is another example in that the well-known border is usually separating two different cultures, a lot of times two different races, different people; but in this situation, really what is it separating?
In the case of Mohammed Beshir, who brings his family over the border on his boat with decent ease, you can tell how these two “limits” are hardly shouted as a border. Mohammed would love for his children to go to school in Tunisia, but at the same time his love for Sicily is greater than that of Tunisia. Luckily, if he really wanted to do that, he’s in one of the most rare but feasible places on earth, where that could happen. Here, a border is more of something that’s planted in our minds; and people don’t realize this.
Adam Wynne
ReplyDeleteFilm 301
(my last one mixed up a few words..)
F. La Cecla depicts the relation between the two towns of Marzara del Vallo and La Goulette as undermining the traditional description of a border, in her text, A Border Made of Mirrors. When people think of a border, they think of a wall or a fence, maybe a bridge or a gate, all surrounded by guards making sure you cannot enter whatever it may be. They think of people sometimes even being shot down just for crossing this imaginary line, we as humans have unfortunately made into reality. However, the border in between Sicily and Tunisia doesn’t have any of these; these edges of anything (in this case, countries) being scapegoats for our stubbornness. This border is a body of water, and an in fact relatively short distance of this body separates the two countries.
On page 270, Cecla gives us background information as to the history of the two countries together. (Sicily and Tunisia) She explains to us that cultural hybridity, in both mixed marriages and [actual culture trading and mixing]. This is another example in that the well-known border is usually separating two different cultures, a lot of times two different races, different people; but in this situation, really what is it separating?
In the case of Mohammed Beshir, who brings his family over the border on his boat with decent ease, you can tell how these two “limits” are hardly shouted as a border. Mohammed would love for his children to go to school in Tunisia, but at the same time his love for Sicily is greater than that of Tunisia. Luckily, if he really wanted to do that, he’s in one of the most rare but feasible places on earth, where that could happen. Here, a border is more of something that’s planted in our minds; and people don’t realize this.