Objects that speak creole: juxtapositions of shrine devotions at botánicas in washington,dc

ABSTRACT

Devotional objects from diverse sources are arranged in beautiful and efficacious ways at local botánicas, retail stores that sell spiritual goods to a Latino-based, but increasingly diverse clientele. A two-year study of eighteen botánicas in Washington, DC, reveals a complex layering of spiritual traditions from Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. While the foundational hybrids of the botánica are of Caribbean origin, new immigrants to Washington from Central America, Africa and Asia are creating stunning juxtapositions of religious meaning and practice. This paper looks at the notion of creolization as a way to understand the power of the spiritual array spatialized in the botánica.