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A review by helenaibr
How to Wash a Heart by Bhanu Kapil
3.0
"This shit's not manageable
I wrote
On the fourth night,
Something you underlined
And questioned
When you found my Diary
And read from it
Aloud.
Was this the moment
I became
An alien form?"
What an amazing take on the exploration of immigrant-related hospitality. Kapil captures the nuances between the seemingly welcoming attitude of Western inhabitants, unmasking the essence of the migrant-host relationship: exotism and pride. There's no point in receiving someone in our homes, if we're about to strangle them in their own cultural heritage. Because feeling welcome is not just about having a roof above one's head, and since migration waves are far from coming to an end, this is an important read and, I believe, an even more important reread.
I wrote
On the fourth night,
Something you underlined
And questioned
When you found my Diary
And read from it
Aloud.
Was this the moment
I became
An alien form?"
What an amazing take on the exploration of immigrant-related hospitality. Kapil captures the nuances between the seemingly welcoming attitude of Western inhabitants, unmasking the essence of the migrant-host relationship: exotism and pride. There's no point in receiving someone in our homes, if we're about to strangle them in their own cultural heritage. Because feeling welcome is not just about having a roof above one's head, and since migration waves are far from coming to an end, this is an important read and, I believe, an even more important reread.