Fernando Ortiz Fernández (16 July 1881 – 10 April 1969) was a Cuban

essayist An essay ( ) is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a Letter (message), letter, a term paper, paper, an article (publishing), article, a pamphlet, and a s ...

anthropologist An anthropologist is a scientist engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropologists study aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms, values ...

ethnomusicologist Ethnomusicology is the multidisciplinary study of music in its cultural context. The discipline investigates social, cognitive, biological, comparative, and other dimensions. Ethnomusicologists study music as a reflection of culture and investiga ...

and scholar of

Afro-Cuban Afro-Cubans () or Black Cubans are Cubans of full or partial sub-Saharan African ancestry. The term ''Afro-Cuban'' can also refer to historical or cultural elements in Cuba associated with this community, and the combining of native African a ...

culture. Ortiz was a prolific

polymath A polymath or polyhistor is an individual whose knowledge spans many different subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific problems. Polymaths often prefer a specific context in which to explain their knowledge, ...

dedicated to exploring, recording, and understanding all aspects of indigenous Cuban culture. Ortiz has been called the "third discoverer of Cuba", after

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...

and

Alexander von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (14 September 1769 – 6 May 1859) was a German polymath, geographer, natural history, naturalist, List of explorers, explorer, and proponent of Romanticism, Romantic philosophy and Romanticism ...

. A title first given to him by his secretary Rubén Martínez Villena and later echoed and published by

Juan Marinello Juan Marinello Vidaurreta (2 November 1898 – 27 March 1977) was a Cuban Communist intellectual, writer, poet essayist, lawyer and politician. He was one of the most prominent Cuban intellectual figures of the interwar period and post revolutiona ...

. Ortiz is widely recognized as a pioneering figure in postcolonial Latin American thought, as well as a foundational voice in African American anthropology. One of Ortiz's most influential contributions is his coining of the term "

transculturation Transculturation is a term coined by Cuban anthropologist Fernando Ortiz in 1940 to describe the phenomenon of merging and converging cultures. Transculturation encompasses more than transition from one culture to another; it does not consist me ...

," which describes the complex process of cultural convergence and exchange.

Early life and education

Ortiz was born in

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. When he was two years old he moved with her mother to

Menorca Menorca or Minorca (from , later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Mallorca. Its capital is Maó, situated on the isl ...

where he spent most of his youth. He also completed his primary and secondary studies and obtained his high school diploma in 1895. That year, he relocated to Havana where he began studying law. Four years later, in 1899, he returned to

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, this time to

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

, where he completed his studies and earned a law degree at the

University of Barcelona The University of Barcelona (official name in ; UB), formerly also known as Central University of Barcelona (), is a public research university located in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was established in 1450. With 76,000 students, ...

in 1900. In 1901 he received his title of Doctor of Law at the Central University of Madrid with a thesis on penal law that was later published in the journal ''Derecho y Sociología.'' In 1902 he returned to Habana and received the title of Doctor of Civil Law and Doctor of Public Law.

Career

Disillusioned with

politics Politics () is the set of activities that are associated with decision-making, making decisions in social group, groups, or other forms of power (social and political), power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of Social sta ...

in the early period of Cuban history and having been a member of President

Gerardo Machado Gerardo Machado y Morales (28 September 1869 – 29 March 1939) was a general of the Cuban War of Independence and President of Cuba from 1925 to 1933. Machado was elected president in 1924 as the leader of the Liberal Party, a moderate reform ...

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

, and a Liberal member of its

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

from 1917 to 1922, he became active in the early

nationalist Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...

civic revival movement. Throughout his life Ortiz was involved in the foundation of institutions dedicated to the study of Cuban culture. In 1907 he became member of Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País de Cuba (Economic Societies of Friends of the Country), the he eventually led in 1923. He was the cofounder of the Cuban Academy of the Language in 1926 and the cofounder of the Sociedad de Folklore Cubano (1928). In 1937 he founded the Sociedad de Estudios Afrocubanos (Society of Afro-Cuban Studies) and the journal ''Estudios Afrocubanos'' (''Afro-Cuban Studies''). He was president of the History Academia of Cuba and the Cuban-Soviet Institute (1945). He was also the founder and director of the ''Instituto Internacional de Estudios Afroamericanos'' (International Institute for the Study of Afroamericans),''Instituto Internacional de Estudios Afroamericanos. Instituto Internacional de Estudios Afroamericanos: Comité ejecutivo, ca. February 15, 1944. W. E. B. Du Bois Papers (MS 312). Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries'' an institute dedicated to promoting scientific research on Afro-descended populations in the Americas, focusing on their biological and cultural aspects.''Instituto Internacional de Estudios Afroamericanos. Se estableció en México el Instituto Internacional de Estudios Afroamericanos, ca. February 15, 1944. W. E. B. Du Bois Papers (MS 312). Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries'' The institute organized conferences, conducted studies, and served as a hub for the dissemination of research and collaboration among scholars and institutions. He later invited American anthropologist and sociologist W.E.B. Du Bois to join the institute, along with other renowned anthropologists like Melville Herskovits. Ortiz also dedicated a significant part of his life to founding, editing, and contributing to academic journals. He resumed the publication of ''Revista Bimestre Cubana'' in 1910, serving as its director until 1959, the year the Cuban Revolution began. He also edited ''Revista de administración teórica y práctica del Estado, la provincia y el municipio'' (1912) and ''Boletín de Legislación'' (1929). In 1924, he founded ''Revista Archivos del Folklore Cubano''. Additionally, he was the founder and editor of ''Surco'' (1930–1931) and ''Ultra'' (1936–1947), both journals that provided commentary on international publications. Ortiz was professor of African American anthropologist Irene Diggs when she was doing her PhD in anthropology at

University of Havana The University of Havana (UH; ) is a public university located in the Vedado district of Havana, the capital of Cuba. Founded on 5 January 1728, the university is the oldest in Cuba, and one of the first to be founded in the Americas. Originall ...

. Ortiz published articles in several prominent journals, including ''The Hispanic American Historical Review'', ''Revista Científica Internacional'', ''Revista de Administración'', ''Revista de Arqueología y Etnología'', and ''Revista de La Habana''. He also helped establish important journals such as ''Revista Bimestre Cubana'', ''Archivos del Folklore Cubano'', and ''Estudios Afrocubanos''. Ortiz also developed a theory of activism within Cuba's political system. He said that Afro-Cubans had been characterized negatively based on their African descent, and traits said to be "primitive." He wanted to show the true nature of their culture: its language, music and other arts. His books, ''La Africania de la Musica Folklorica de Cuba'' (1950), and ''Los Instrumentos de la Musica Afrocubana'' (1952 - 1955) are still regarded as key references in the study of Afro-Cuban music. In his second marriage, Fernando Ortiz married María Herrera (1942), who remained by his side for the rest of his life. María was a close collaborator in Ortiz's work. Fernando Ortiz died in

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Colon Cemetery.

Cuban Counterpoints and the concept of Transculturation

Fernando Ortiz most known and read book was ''Cuban Counterpoint: Tobacco and Sugar'' originally published in 1940 in Spanish and translated to English in 1995. In his book he draws comparisons between sugar and tabaco the most relevant products form Cuba that have entered the daily life of cubans. In this work, he proposes the concept of

as a phenomenon that is more appropriate than

acculturation Acculturation refers to the psychological, social, and cultural transformation that takes place through direct contact between two cultures, wherein one or both engage in adapting to dominant cultural influences without compromising their essent ...

to describe how cultures converge and merge, without removing some of the original aspects of the original cultures. The concept provided a more appropriate way to explain the merging of cultures in Cuba, from Spanish colonialism to Indigenous communities and Afro-Cubans, resulting in a new culture that incorporates elements from each. In the introduction of the book the renowned Polish anthropologist

Bronisław Malinowski Bronisław Kasper Malinowski (; 7 April 1884 – 16 May 1942) was a Polish anthropologist and ethnologist whose writings on ethnography, social theory, and field research have exerted a lasting influence on the discipline of anthropology. ...

(1884-1942) wrote the introduction supporting Ortiz's concept His correspondence with

shows they had numerous debates around the concept of transculturation and how it was being received within American anthropology. This led to disputes between Oritz and Melville Herskovits the American anthropologist that coined the term acculturation. The concept of ''transculturation'' that Ortiz developed resonates with the principles of British functionalism, which Malinowski himself helped pioneer. Malinowski was not only a personal friend but also an admirer of Ortiz's work. The letters published between Malinowski and Ortiz as part of a 2002 edition of Cuban Counterpoints, by Enrico Mario Santí, show that Malinowski commented the structure of the book, proposed ideas and concepts that influenced the book.

Legacy and honors

After Ortiz's death the government established th
Fernando Ortiz Foundation
on September 1995. Its main objectives are the study and dissemination of the life and work of Fernando Ortiz, as well as the development of academic research on Cuban cultural identity. It has also published images, documents and reprints of Ortiz's work and devoted itself to studies of ethnology, sociology and Cuba's popular traditions. Since 1995 it has been led by one of his prominent students, Miguel Barnet, known for his development of the testimonial style in ethnographic studies. The Foundation has fostered scholarly discussions around many cultural issues, including the survival of elements of racism and racial prejudice, and development of measures to deal with such problems.

Bibliography

* ''Los negros brujos'' (1906) * ''La inmigración desde el punto de vista criminológico (1906)'' * ''Los mambises italianos'' (1909) * ''Las rebeliones de los afrocubanos'' (1910) * ''Seamos hoy como fueron ayer'' (1914) * ''Los negros esclavos'' (1916) * ''Los cabildos afrocubanos'' (1921) * ''Un catauro de cubanismos: Apuntes lexicográficos'' (1923) * ''Glosario de afronegrismos'' (1924) * ''El cocorícamo y otros conceptos teoplásmicos del folklore afrocubano'' (1930) * ''De la música afrocubana; un estímulo para su estudio'' (1934) * ''Contrapunteo cubano del tabaco y el azúcar'' (1940; trans. ''Cuban Counterpoint: Tobacco and Sugar'', 1995) * ''Las cuatro culturas indias de Cuba'' (1943) * ''El engaño de la razas (The deceit of races),'' (1946) * ''La Africania de la musica folklorica de Cuba'' (1950); “The Africanness of Folkloric Cuban Music”) * ''Los bailes y el teatro de los negros en el folklore de Cuba (1951; “The Dances and Theatre of Blacks in Cuban Folklore”). * ''Los instrumentos de la musica afrocubana'' (1952-1955) * ''Ni racismo ni xenofobia'' (1955) * ''Historia de una pelea cubana contra los demonios'' (1959); “ History of A Cuban Struggle Against the Demons” (1959) * ''Nuevo catauro de cubanismos'' (1985) (posthumous) * ''Los negros curros'' (1986) (posthumous)

References

External links

Fernando Ortiz. Polymath Virtual Library, Fundación Ignacio Larramendi
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ortiz, Fernando 1881 births 1969 deaths Writers from Havana Cuban ethnomusicologists Cuban anthropologists Cuban male essayists 20th-century musicologists 20th-century Cuban essayists 20th-century anthropologists