Colored Dispatches From The Uzbek Border: Langston Hughes' Relevance, 1933-2002

Abstract

Like most all the contributors to this special Callaloo section commemorating the centennial of Langston Hughes, I began composing these words some time ago. More specifically I began writing before September 11, 2001, a significant date for this essay, since prior to that date it concerned the almost wholly unknown world of Central Asia. Then, of course, in September all that changed, and what also changed was the obligation of American writers—even those, like me, who focus mainly on the Afro-diasporic world—to better understand the Central Asian sphere. Interestingly, on December 17, 2001, at the height of the U.S. campaign in Afghanistan, the New York Times attempted to connect Central Asia with the Afro-diasporic world. On page B-8 it printed an article by Amy Waldman about American soldiers from New York City stationed in Afghanistan's turmoil. The article featured a photograph of two infantrymen, one African-American and the other Bangladeshi-American, smiling but with weapons at the ready, patrolling a U.S. airbase just north of Kabul. The Times' main and, I might add, ideological point was to describe how the streetwise multi-ethnic New York soldiers were actually quite comfortable in their new location. Indeed one of them is quoted as saying, "who knew I'd be here drinking tea with them?"

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