In this seminal poem, Guillén explores the forced erasure of African identity due to the transatlantic slave trade.
The poem shifts from a sense of loss to a declaration of a collective, "multi-racial" identity, asserting that his true name is found in the land and the people of the Caribbean. DiVA portal 3. Literary Significance Negrismo & Afro-Cubanism: Guillén was a leader of the el apellido nicolas guillen english translation