: The poem reflects on how African family names were lost, replaced by Spanish colonial names during slavery.
When diving into the rich waters of Afro-Cuban poetry, one name stands as a titan: . A central figure of the Negrismo movement, Guillén used sonorous rhythms, onomatopoeia, and sharp social critique to give a voice to the African diaspora in the Caribbean. el apellido nicolas guillen english translation
—Son — he answered — I am sad because I have no name. The name they gave me is the name of the master who bought my great-grandfather. But my real name, the one from before, the one from Africa, was burned in the hold of a slave ship. And I am looking for it. : The poem reflects on how African family
Surname? What is my surname? Ask the black slave who lived on the large plantation. Ask the iron collar, the branding iron, the whip, the ship’s hold. Ask the dog that doesn’t speak, but bites. And my surname? My surname? —Son — he answered — I am sad because I have no name