Forgotten histories and (mis)remembered cultures: The Comback party of Curaçao

Through a collective process of forgetting and (mis)remembering, a community's past assumes mythological status, manipulated through a perceived remembrance that addresses present and future needs. This paper explores how systems of forgetting and (mis)remembering exert profound influence upon the collective memory and identity of the individuals in a society, with an examination of the Afro-Curaçaoan community offered as a compelling example. I seek to demonstrate the processes whereby Afro-Curaçaoans raise the island of Cuba to mythological vision and continue to celebrate the assumed Cuban fountainhead of their cultural belonging through the Comback party.