Summary Of Georges Woke Up Laughing: Long Distance Nationalism

“In my dream I was young and in Haiti with my friends, laughing, joking, and having a wonderful time. I was walking down the main street of my hometown of Aux Caves. The sun was shining, the streets were clean, and the port was bustling with ships. At first I was laughing because of the feeling of happiness that stayed with me, even after I woke up…Then I laughed again but this time not from joy. I had been dreaming of a Haiti that never was”(1). The book begins with segment of a dream offered by Fouron, providing the readers a better understanding of the underlying meaning of the title as well as the central theme for the book. Nina Glick Schiller and Georges Eugene Fouron’s book, Georges Woke Up Laughing: Long Distance Nationalism and
It is used as another method of connection between families/family members abroad to those who remain in Haiti. Particularly in the case of Haiti, this “long-distance nationalism” emerged from these transbordered forms of national identity in combination with increasing globalization and Haiti’s recognized political economy of dependency. Among Haitian immigrants, the long-distance nationalist transmigrant identity stems from an emotional attachment to Haiti while also being actively involved through the commitment of economic resources, such as sending remittances. The idea that is explored here is the link between sending these remittances, gifts, and other resources back home to Haiti and the sudden weight that is felt by the Haitian transmigrants abroad to these family members who remain home. As expressed in the book by interviewees on sending these remittances, they portray their feelings of obligation to help family and friends, kin and non-kin alike, and acknowledge the dependency these people have on them solely because they have the privilege of living abroad. There is an understanding and knowledge amongst those abroad that they are obligated to help because they know from personal experience how difficult life in Haiti is. Those who stay behind in Haiti and continuously receive these remittances often find
The reader will be able to gain a better understanding of the meaning of the concept of “long-distance nationalism” and perhaps even a new perspective on what it means to live transnationally as an immigrant. The read addresses many different topics and themes as a whole, but I feel that the main argument was for the idea that migration as a concept is changing, along with the definitions of citizenship, nation-states, and nationalism in our world of increasing globalization. From personal experience, I found that many of my relatives could relate to this confusing identity of being a transmigrant. Growing up with Chinese immigrant parents from Hong Kong, I was constantly reminded by my family how much of an outsider they felt like on both sides. After leaving Hong Kong, they felt they could no longer identify as well with family and friends living there still, but on the other hand, they felt a similar disconnection to the US, experiencing discrimination and racism which ultimately led to their impression that they are considered second-class citizens in their adopted country. This is similar to the experience that Georges portrayed in the book—he is not Haitian because he has moved to the US, but in the US he is not “American” enough. Georges Woke Up Laughing challenges the finality of the migration experience by highlighting the continued interest and participation of immigrants in the affairs of