Black IdentitiesThe story of West Indian immigrants to the United States is generally considered to be a great success. Mary Waters, however, tells a very different story. She finds that the values that gain first-generation immigrants initial success--a willingness to work hard, a lack of attention to racism, a desire for education, an incentive to save--are undermined by the realities of life and race relations in the United States. Contrary to long-held beliefs, Waters finds, those who resist Americanization are most likely to succeed economically, especially in the second generation. |
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Black identities: West Indian immigrant dreams and American realities
User Review - Not Available - Book VerdictIt would be fair to say that most Americans are not aware of the wide variety of ethnicities that exist among the black Caribbeans migrating to this country. Determined to render visible Caribbean ... Read full review
Contents
1 | |
2 Historical Legacies | 16 |
3 Racial and Ethnic Identity Choices | 44 |
4 West Indians at Work | 94 |
5 Encountering American Race Relations | 140 |
6 Intergenerational Dynamics | 192 |
7 Segregated Neighborhoods and Schools | 243 |
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African Americans Alejandro Portes Ameri American blacks American Food American society American-identi~ed argue asked assimilation back home Barbados becoming American behaviors better black Americans black immigrants born in United Brooklyn Caribbean child color con_ict corporal punishment culture de~ned de~nitely described dif~cult discrimination East Flatbush economic Eisenhower encounter ethnic identity experiences feel female worker girls gonna Grenadian Guyana Guyanese female Haitian high school hiring Hispanics identi~ed immi Indian Americans interpersonal racism interviews islands Jamaican American Jamaican female teacher Jamaican male kids live male teacher managers middle-class migration neighborhoods of~ce parents person problems race relations racial identity re_ect respondents sample second-generation speci~c stereotypes supervisor talk teenagers teens tell there’s things Thomas Sowell tion told Trinidad Trinidadian female University Press West Indian immigrants West Indies white Americans working-class York City