Cultural Representations in Irish Immigrants and Their Descendants in "Tréboles del Sur" by Juan José Delaney

Abstract

Prospects of better living conditions attracted thousands of Irish emigrants to Argentina between 1830 and 1930. In a hopeful attempt to redefine their lives, the newcomers contributed to the formation of the identity and the progress of our country. Although they were far away from their homeland, most Irish-born people kept strong ties with their land and relatives back in Ireland. Tréboles del Sur (2014 [1994]) by contemporary Irish-Argentine writer Juan José Delaney, is a collection of short stories which recount the life of Irish immigrants in Argentina and their descendants, ranging from the 1870s until 1983. This article aims at analyzing the representation of cultural aspects in those Irish immigrants. Stuart Hall’s concepts of representation, cultural identity and diasporic subjects, Raymond Williams’ concept of culture and the notion of cultural hybridity introduced by García Canclini are taken into account for the study. Our analysis is restricted to some of the fictional characters in Delaney’s work. The immigrants’ preservation of the links with their country of origin proves to be highly significant while forging bonds in a new environment