How else would he have won a Pulitzer?

Too bad I couldn't make it on Monday to hear Junot and Lin-Manuel. I'm not sure how much of what occurred in the Wao novel happened in Junot's own family. If his family's tale is even half as tragic no wonder they would encourage him to take up the identity of his new home. Thankfully Junot did as most of us in the diaspora do and carved out an identity that could include both worlds. If he hadn't we would have missed out on a great book that can be appreciated by people from any background who share the immigrant or "hyphenated-American" experience.

Look Rubi, why are you upset-Junot only did what he had or though he had to do to reach a goal and he did it, he got a well deserved honor, the first Hispanic to achieve a pulitzer. No one is perfect, just overlook your perception of what may be a character flaw, take it rather as a minor human frailty. Besides, "The ends justify the means." We live in America, a melting pot or rather the salad bowl. And even if you you did not want to, subconsiously most of us modify our behavior according to the place of residence. Suppressing your identity is nothing new. Have you not heard a saying in social history, "when in Rome do as the Romans do" or how about trying to fit in with the crowd. It is "survival of the fittest" a basic concepts in evolutionary theory. You either change and adapt or die. How about in pyschology, cognitive dissonance a very powerful motivator which will often lead us to change. It is only human, we all want to be liked and accepted and you Rubi should accept that

Well said guillermo. In any case anyone who read the book knows Junot did not abandon his heritage at all, and has now created a great spotlight on it for others right down to our unique Spanish. One point though I don't think Junot was the first Latino to win the prize.

so true Manny what you say about hyphenated Americans I also on reflection realize when I moved to America at the age of 18 I made compromises about my original identity I however had a much easier time I am sure than someone who did not speak the language as in the typical Dominican situation.....I just had to learn to bury my accent

I think that the thing about Junot that irks Rubi (and a lot of people like him) is that Junot is living in a contradiction, that is, while embracing some parts of his dominican identity, he can't seem to avoid attacking the dominican state on every chance he gets (specially concerning the dominican-haitian issue), and that's the crux of the matter. Seeing as how the dominican state plays a paternalistic role on the lives of a good chunk of the population, be it by living from it by having a post on a public bureau (a "carguito" or "botella") or getting lucrative contracts, it's not a wonder that he will always be regarded as a traitor and sellout by this segment of the population. For them, the dominican state and nation is one and the same, or as the saying goes "donde está el pan, está la patria", if you attempt to destroy or do any damage whatsoever my source of living (or the privileges with which I live) then you're my enemy.

Junot is a traitor.......................................................

Junot is just lacking social skills from having his nose buried in books all his life. He doesn't get it.
(LIKE JOSEAN, THE BIRD MAN OF ALCATRAZ) And BTW I bought his books and they are boooooorrrrriiiinnnnnggggg! and hard to read. And by his own admission they were not a commercial success.
Junot at the spanish book version intro at the Melia chose just a few questions all from fair looking girls in the audience. That shows that he is really just a sexually repressed young man just like the sexual repressed religious fundamentalists that attack us from all sides.
Junot take a chance and write something worth while instead of a Pulitzer professoral master tesis that is bbbbbbooooooooorrrrrriiinnnnggggg!

Generoso:

Great comments...............................................................

Me too try to read his book in a bookstore in NY and find it very booooooriiiiiingggggggggg too.

Junot lacks personality and guts.

Finished reading the book on my third trip to the DR this year.
the book is ok.. but he is the first Dominican to get pulitzer and a professor at
such prestigious school..

Since when are books judged by commercial success? If so maybe Zane should get a Pulitzer :P

If you don't like Junot's tales that's fine, but they certainly aren't anything like a thesis. generoso you may well be right that he is a socially awkward, nerdy horndog, after all look at the character he wrote. To me that makes his story that much more genuine. I think Lautaro hit the nail on the head about why a certain segment don't like him. Junot's irreverence for DR governance is one of the consummately American aspects of his personality, so while it may cost him readers on the island it makes him that much more ours to the 'hyphen' crowd.

interesting Manny...I was drawn to this book for this reason...It speaks to all immigrants anywhere

Yup, Junot no perfet but junot be genueen ese...

ways to make Ivy league elites love you.......make left-turns all day?

Does the Ivy League turn you into a pompass A$$?

I only met him once and this does not surprise me. Junot is friends with another writer friend of mine, and met up with us at a bar in California after a reading a few weeks ago. Some of his friends were there with him and two of them were women. One: gorgeous, statuesque Latina, lawyer, intelligent. The other: unimpressive, small, blond with funny teeth. Guess who he spent the most time chatting up?

Am I to understand the men on this bulletin board would be any different than Junot in this regard? Don't blame him for behaving as most Dominican men infamously do when it comes to the ladies..

Please. I'm just saying that his taste in women matches his self-proclaimed sense of Dominican-ness.

Sorry e, you lost me there....it sounds like his taste in women is pretty good, so are you complimenting his sense of Dominican-ness?

I don't know how you are confused. As a Latin man, small, unimpressive blonds with funny teeth never does it for me. I realize you and Junot view this differently.

Eh...if we are going by anecdotes I know a none-too-pretty but very cerebral Latina who he was involved with. She was short as well, maybe that is what does it for him?? I wouldn't know, so I'll stick to judging this author by his texts.

And by the way e while I myself am most certainly not in the chase-ugly-white-girls brigade as you incorrectly guessed, we've all seen enough that again I'd say it puts Junot in the bucket of the infamously Dominican.

Sorry, Manhanttanite, I refuse to believe that shunning any part of your culture or pandering to white america in any way constitutes being "infamously Dominican."

Well e you saw the other article about dt.com's headline spinning comments here out of context. The text above is more fair, since it points out his parent's made the statement, and the context was that of humor. We've switched roles in confusion now because what I'm calling infamously Dominican is chasing white skirts. If you think the guy is an ass or don't like his work that's your call to make though no need to keep barking up this tree.

A flip flop is a flip flop. Regardless who said it, it was used to illustrate a greater point. Period.