Week 3 Journal Response- Claudia Yan
Chapters 1-3 provided a lot of background information regarding how people emigrated from the Caribbean to New York and specifically, Harlem. The information here was a little more extensive than what we read from other readings and from what was discussed in class. When reading I noticed a few trends in the migration of people that came to New York. One of the main reasons for immigration and is still a reason today, was because of the economy. People could not find jobs at home and the job opportunities outside were more promising. Panama became such an important location in providing people with a place to earn money and to save that money to go to another place where opportunity was even greater. Panama kind of became a stepping-stone for people, as it was “Panama money” that paid for some people’s passage to New York.
Another pattern that I noticed was actually mentioned in last week’s readings and that is the snowball effect. I think that this idea is really important for understanding Caribbean migration to New York and can be applied to all immigration to New York. The Caribbean presence in New York was able to become so large because people followed the paths of those who had gone before them, as it is easier to go to place where you have connections and have some support. People like Constance Payne created boarding houses and others simply took lodgers into their homes showing how strong the community was, people looked out for each other because most people did not have their families with them.
Following the idea of community and networking, two organizations, the White Rose Mission and the New York Colored Mission played a huge role in helping new immigrants get on their feet. For me the White Rose Mission stood out, as it was the first organization to help and prevent women from getting forced into prostitution. When I read about women getting lured into going to Panama, New York or wherever with the promise and jobs and instead having to become prostitutes, it made me really sad. This is why I was especially happy that the White Rose organization was able to help over 30,000 women by 1925 and did not discriminate, helping white women as well; I was glad that people were not just turning a blind eye.
Something that I noticed in these chapters was the inclusion of many people’s stories that came to New York. All of them were different, even though the migration methods were similar, what people did varied. Some went to America and stayed there while others returned home after a period of time. It is so difficult to make generalizations about what happened during that time period because the individual stories are all unique. There are small conclusions that can be derived such as linking the move of the black community up to Harlem to the improved transportation uptown; however, other things can be much more complicated.
