Sylvia Wynter's Dream

Within the change that accompanies migration, conventional wisdom lauds the act of remembering as  a virtue, and an act of patriotism. Yet, within the nuanced narrative of linguistic and cultural amnesia experienced by my niece, there lies a paradoxical beauty in forgetting. The conventional narrative would cast her linguistic and cultural amnesia as a loss, or a change of heritage. However, a closer examination reveals that forgetting, in this context, can be a source of liberation, integration and renewal.

To begin, linguistic amnesia has freed my niece from the constraints and distinctiveness of her former accent. In the tapestry of her evolving self, she made a decision in favour of integration, and community. And, there is nothing wrong with that! Her unconscious choice to integrate, often seen as a detriment, has bestowed upon her the freedom to redefine herself in an American context. The absence of linguistic ties allows her to traverse cultural boundaries with fluidity, unburdened by the singularity and phonological difference associated with her former accent. In this forgetting, she finds the space to craft a new identity, unencumbered by the echoes of her past.

Moreover, forgetting ushered in a cultural change. From such a perspective one can see that the  fading of Caribbean memories is not a betrayal but a conscious choice to embrace a new narrative. It allows her to immerse herself fully in the richness of American culture, unimpeded by the shadows of what once was. This renewal is not an erasure of heritage but a dynamic evolution, where cultural exchange becomes a two-way street. The fading away of Barbadian songs and folklore is a necessary outcome when one moves at so young an age. As an act of survival, this six year old has navigated the change that once made her sad, and transformed it into  something akin to a new way of life.

In the amnesia of language and culture, my niece has discovered the canvas upon which she can paint a narrative that is uniquely hers. The forgetting is not a void but a fertile ground for the seeds of self-discovery and reinvention. In this act of liberation from the past, she finds the freedom to inscribe her story anew, a narrative unbounded by the limitations of what once was. Thus, within the folds of forgetting, she is experiencing the transformative power of liberation and renewal.