Migrant Heterotopias: Counter-Sites of Central America and Mexico's Southern Border in Nadia Villafuerte's “Yonqui”

Abstract

The objective of the following essay is to analize and reflect on the existent migrant heterotopias
in the fictional story “Yonqui” by the Mexican writer Nadia Villafuerte, from her book Barcos en
Houston (2005). For this purpose, the concept of “heterotopia” coined by Michel Foucault is taken
into account. Likewise, the approach of the body is posed in two variants: as a drug user and as a
bearer of tattoos. This allow to conceive the body of the female migrant character, protagonist of
the aforementioned story as a heterotopic space which materializes in juxtaposition to the hostile
space of Central America and the southern border of Mexico. For this reason, a dialogue with
authors such as David Le Breton (body, tattoo), Giulia Sissa (substance abuse) and Peter Sloterdijk
(drugs) is established.