Milcha Sanchez-Scott’s "The Cuban Swimmer". A Journey of Self-assertion

Book excerpt: Seminar paper from the year 2017 in the subject American Studies - Comparative Literature, grade: excellent, Mansoura University, course: drama, language: English, abstract: "The Cuban-swimmer" is a seven-scene play in which Milcha Sanchez-Scott depicts the individual’s need of self assertion as a major theme. Self assertion, according to her, is a metaphor standing for one’s true identity, a symphony combining one’s individuality as well as one’s cultural legacy. The play follows the life of the Suarezs, a displaced Cuban family who rode the ocean to take refuge in the United States. They have migrated from Cuba in search of a secure sense of self-worth. The central character among these people is Margarita Suarez, a nineteen-year-old Cuban girl, who tries to win a swimming race in the ocean as a Cuban not as an American. Margarita takes part in this race in search not only of the “Cuban pride” but also of her own self-assertion. In her play, Sanchez-Scott uses Margarita’s story as an allegory for the whole immigration experience which Latin Americans had to go through. Milcha Sanchez-Scott was born in a multicultural family. Her father was a Colombian man who lived in Mexico; her mother is Indonesian with Chinese-Dutch roots. Jane T. Peterson holds that “her [Milcha’s] heritage reflects a diversity of ethnic and cultural influences”. She is regarded as a playwright of powerfully expressive plays. Her works consistently reflect her concern with racial and political issues, particularly with the Latin woman’s struggle for spiritual survival. Latin American heritage and the sense of this culture form the ultimate base of Sanchez-Scott’s material. Much of her writing reveals her concern for Latin women and their families. Peterson is clear about the idea that “Milcha Sanchez-Scott’s work frequently explores woman’s experiences in Hispanic-American bicultural context”.