The Cartography of Belonging: Sensory Memory and Migrant Identity in Daniela Hansson’s “Canela Skin”
This paper examines Daniela Hansson’s poem “Canela Skin” (from her collection Ajo ). It argues that Hansson uses the sensory motif of canela (cinnamon) not merely as a description of skin tone, but as a complex metaphor for the construction of migrant identity. By analyzing the poem’s imagery, code-switching, and tactile language, this paper demonstrates how Hansson bridges her Venezuelan-Swedish heritage, transforming cultural dislocation into a site of creative redefinition. canela skin daniela hansson
Hansson’s poetic technique relies on juxtaposing Swedish and Venezuelan sensory landscapes. The Cartography of Belonging: Sensory Memory and Migrant
| Venezuelan (Origin) | Swedish (Present) | |----------------------|-------------------| | Cinnamon, cocoa, mango | Snow, pine, licorice | | Warmth, open windows | Cold, double-glazed glass | | Spanish endearments | Swedish silence | mango | Snow