Frères migrants by Patrick Chamoiseau (review)

Chamoiseau's latest book focuses on the worldwide issue of immigration and fits into the non-fiction category of his more philosophical works, such as Écrire en pays dominé (1997) or his recent La matière de l'absence (2016). Even the title of the book indicates Chamoiseau's overarching position on the issue. His is a position of solidarity with and acceptance of migrants based on the value of fraternité. He cites la devise républicaine, in conjunction with related values, as essential for the progress of society: "La liberté, l'égalité, la fraternité, le partage, l'équité, la dignité humaine et le bonheur pour tous sont des forces qui se sont construites contre les barbaries" (35). He also shows how societies in general fail to realize the potential of these values through the "planétaire assombrissement" of neoliberal policy that results in "l'exclusion, le rejet, la violence, la bêtise, la haine et l'indécence qui fermentent de partout" (20). He attacks not only neoliberalism but also capitalism as part of the problem. Intellectuals tend to do so rather easily, sometimes without offering a positive solution. Although Chamoiseau does not offer a clear alternative to generic capitalism (this is not a work on political economy, after all), he does make clear what aspects of capitalism he is critiquing: the capitalist system in which reigns "le paradigme du profit maximal," which he also calls "le tout-profit devenu immanent" (33). The fundamental problem that he sees with this capitalistic approach and its market-driven restrictions on human migration is that in reality "la richesse, toute richesse quelle qu'elle soit, surgit toujours des industries de tous!" (33–34). In other words, societies should develop policies that value all human beings because of how all ultimately contribute to human society. This observation and his coinage of the term "tout-profit" reflect his tribute to and development of Édouard Glissant's theory of le Tout-Monde. Another Glissantian interaction is Chamoiseau's use of a theory of Relation. He declares, "nulle étrangeté, nul étranger, dans la Relation" (97) and applies the concept to his idea of "un écosystème relationnel" (103). He sees the need for an interconnected world. In fact, he sees the world as already interconnected, but needing individual nations to recognize that characteristic and base immigration policy on it. In his last chapter, Chamoiseau presents a classic example of a poète engagé, presenting 16 propositions, summarizing in number 15 his theory of immigration and Relation:"Les poètes déclarent que toute Nation est Nation-Relation, souveraine mais solidaire, offerte au soin de tous et responsable de tous sur le tapis de ses frontières" (136). Chamoiseau has written an important work on an urgent topic, and he thereby continues to show the impact and importance of the philosophy coming out of the Caribbean and, especially, Martinique.