Canada, Chili, Haïti, Québec: The Disordered Univers of Côte-des-Nègres

Abstract

Mauricio Segura’s first novel is set in Côte-des-Neiges section of Montreal and paints a complex picture of race relations in Montreal through the violent rivalry of high school ethnic gangs. This essay points out that the novel focuses on the features of each group, Latinos and Haitians. Language, cultural heritage, identity characteristics and ways of life are all used as tight barriers, iron curtains that prevent every possibility of communication or exchange. This creates ghettos. Côte-des-Nègres underlines the failure of a transcultural process in Montreal everyday life, which is one of the main causes of deep lack of integration in a human society, which has necessarily to be a multicultural reality.