“Blood Relations” by Irma Watkins-Owens followed a chronological order of the diaspora of the Caribbean islanders, especially their migration to Harlem, which gradually became one of the most culturally rich centers in the nation. Watkins through her writing, illustrates a timeline for the reader, which briefly enlightens the reader about the pivotal past events. Although there were numerous events leading up to the migration of Caribbean islanders to the U.S., there were even more issues when they finally arrived to the U.S. Unfortunately, the struggle didn’t end when they entered America, it actually just began. Although there were many motifs throughout the book, the most prevalent was the motif of social organization. Throughout the whole book, the black individuals suffer greatly, but they do so while being together. In chapter four, the importance of social networks wasn’t stated for the first time, it was actually emphasized again. Even before settling down, these individuals were constantly conglomerated into one unit, especially due to their nationality. This type of organization was not completely formed by some other higher power, but it was actually somewhat formed by the individuals themselves. And, the reason why they did this was simple, to survive. During these times, many hardships were present, especially economic hardships, thus the best solution was for the individuals to aid each other, because they were all in the same boat. Many instances were mentioned in the book, when the individuals aided each other due to their mutual suffering they faced. The very basic example was family support amongst their kin, which not only gave them hope and motivation, but helped them financially by working hard in horrible conditions such as the Panama Canal, just so that their family could go to the “land of opportunity.” Another example were the individuals that gave newly arrived immigrants a place to stay in Harlem, helping them in an extremely difficult time of their life. These actions of social conglomerations were extended, as mentioned in chapter four, into benevolent social organizations, fraternities, and most importantly churches.

These newly arrived Caribbean individuals faced hostility immediately when they arrived to America. The hostile forces included the black nativists along with the other population of individuals that emphasized racial segregation. These individuals were “cornered” by all the opposition, however, “cornered” with them were also the other Caribbean individuals, which allowed they to form bonds due to their mutual unfortunate predicaments along with the fact that they were the same kin/nationality. Due to the pre-existing ideas of segregation, and social connections, Marcus Garvey took an extraordinary approach albeit radical and extreme, but logical. Garvey’s approach acknowledged the importance of the social relationships that the black individuals have, which has allowed them to survive. Garvey publicly expressed his ideas, and let it be known to everyone explicitly that, they can form an utopia back in Africa, due to the current existing relationships the individuals have today. During these times of hardships and impassable obstacles, the suppressed individuals can only rely on its kin, because they were empathetic of their current situation, because they were “cornered” to the same “corner.” During these times, as mentioned in chapter five, the black individuals faced numerous political hardships. Comprising the majority of Harlem, these individuals still couldn’t bring about change due to the corruption that existed politically. Very few were capable of having their voice heard, but most of the times it was deemed irrelevant by the corrupt government. However, one of the strongest tools was the press, as mentioned in chapter ten. The press served as their most reliable medium to get their ideas across to the suppressed public living in Harlem. During these times, prominent writers such as Claude McKay, who publicized the true conditions of America, depicting it as a place that is both filled with opportunities and hardships. Example of these hardships included the corrupt government, which led to numerous other issues due to their inability to bring about reform. During these difficult times, the immigrant individuals were unable to secure adequate jobs, and were unable to voice their opinion, due to the fear of deportation because of their illegal actions getting into the country. These adversities were circumvented again, through the utilization of their social networks and support.

Reversing back all the way back to when the immigration between nearby islands began in the Caribbean, it was evident that the sole purpose was to improve their economical status. Following the dissolution of colonization, the Caribbean individuals sought to improve their financial standing the only way they knew how…by acquiring land. However, this was nearly impossible considering the supreme aristocrats had all the power, even though the colonization era was over. This brings us to the economical struggle in Harlem, which emphasizes the ongoing endeavors of these individuals. Most of the Caribbean islanders sharing this unfortunate predicament, brought about a strong social bond as mentioned many times previously in the book. Soon the “Numbers playing game,” came into effect, which was much like an illegal lottery. However, the importance was purely altruistic, unlike the definition of lottery we know today, which means if you win, you are then entitled to an extravagant life. This “lottery” was meant to help Harlem as a community, along with the individuals part of that community. Key examples of the leading altruistic figures that aided Harlem during this troublesome time were: Casper Holstein, Panama Francis, and Cuban Alexander Pompez. The individuals known as the bankers aided Harlem tremendously, and showed how social connections were so important for these individuals during this time.

The whole book comes down to the recurring motif of the development and utilization of these important social organizations amongst these alike national/kin individuals. The “numbers game” was deemed illegal, but this didn’t impede the black individuals, because they had no other better alternative. These individuals relied on each other to get through this troublesome time, and they connected so seamlessly because of their “Blood Relations.” These individuals with their similar situations and hardships, shared a bond because they were the same kin, nationality, and race. These defining characteristics form a relationship that was just as important as any other blood relation because these social conglomerations embodied the supportive families they needed. It all comes down to the numbers of individuals that played a vital part in this hectic game of life that each individual had to go through. It all depended on the alliances between the people, which was their only hope to get through this game of life. The whole social network was greater than the individuals that comprised it.