Marcela de Juan 黄玛赛: A Eurasian Woman’s Perspective on 20th Century China

Abstract

International audienceMarcela de Juan, whose Chinese name is Huang Masai 黄玛赛, was born in Havana in 1905 to a Chinese father and a Belgian mother. She first lived in Madrid until the age of eight, and then in Beijing until she was twenty-three. She eventually returned to Madrid, where she pursued a career as a translator and dedicated her life to bringing Chinese literature and culture to the Spanish public.In 1977, she published her memoirs, La China que ayer viví y la China que hoy entreví, which reflect on her dual experience of Beijing – first during her childhood and adolescence, and then, on her reunion with China forty-seven years later. This work is doubly comparative, as it contrasts not only two cultures, by bringing Spanish and Chinese customs into dialogue, but also two visions of China, each corresponding to pivotal moments, such as the birth of the Chinese republic or the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution. Although this autobiography was republished in 2021, it remains neglected in the field of research. The aim of this essay is to explore Marcela de Juan’s unique vision of a constantly evolving China, which she sought to bring to the attention of the Spanish public. Spanning the 20th century, Marcela de Juan offers a privileged perspective on China’s political history and daily life, shaped by her dual Spanish and Chinese identity. Furthermore, her autobiography gives a voice to Eurasian women, bearing witness for the first time to anti-Eurasian racism in Spain. To this end, she offers a translinguistic and transcultural style of writing, which transcends boundaries and interweaves Chinese into the Spanish language. This essay therefore analyzes the Sino-Hispanic synergies in Marcela de Juan’s autobiographical work, highlighting her role as a cultural go-between from East to West