El Albur: Gestuality and Mexican Identity

ABSTRACTAlbur: Gestuality and Mexican Identity Albur is a sociolinguistic game consisting of a double entendre during a conversation between two men (usually friends), although nowadays, women's participation is more active and socially acceptable. The albur works as a game with a “secret” code, aimed at defeating the other through the sexual overtones of their expressions. According to Sandra L. Oropeza the popularization of albur in academia started with the publication of The Labyrinth Solitude (1950) by Octavio Paz. Paz definedalbur as a sexual simulation that implies a symbolic penetration by the winner, who has proved to be the most macho (the most masculine). Therefore, the scant research is focused on this phenomenon from this patriarchal perspective: only on men’s production, and as an act of toxic masculinity. Albur is not just a mockery expression of homosexuality as had been defined, but a way to declare sexual desire and an identity mark. The corpus of this research focuses on the community of Tepito (a popular barrio in downtown Mexico City), and the cultural adaptations of albur into other media such as film, literature, and the digital space with a sentiment analysis detection focusing on Facebook use during the pandemic. Overall, the findings of this dissertation provide valuable insights into albur historiography, from the influence of Indigenous performance and African music during the Colony to the postcolonial perspective due to behaviors of discrimination and prejudice in contemporary Mexico.