Brown girl, Brownstones reminds me of a Caribbean version of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, in a later time period that shows turning points in American society as well as in an girl’s life. It has a lot of similar themes, like being separated into books, hard working mother, care free father, book worm protagonist who loves her father and is sexually/ mentally maturing. If the setting of this book was not in the 1950’s, the outcome of Selina’s life would have changed drastically. After World War II, America was slowly reconfiguring blacks in society- where before there was a racial wall, slow bits of liberalism and progressivism allowed for more social climbing, although racism was still prevalent and still restricted equality. This type of situation occurs when Clive participates in the Bohemia movement and he discusses a white friend who questions him about what being black is white, which distances and separates them as people. Selina encounters this belittling when she visits her white friend’s house and her friend’s mother distinguishes her as  a good exception within the overall “poor and uneducated black” community. Through this encounter, Selina understands her mother’s “dog eat dog” attitude that she previously hated. Still, Silla had been reduced to an obsessive, power driven, crazed woman. I see how her husband’s lack of reasonability and her son’s death can change a person, but she seemed to refuse her family and, at some point, she does not act to the best interest of her family. She provided for her family, but they all seemed so separated, especially after Deighton’s death. Deighton, before his death, basically disowned his family because his wife and his community disowned him first. It is chilling to see a family disintegrate like that, especially when it leads to the father committing suicide. At least he spent the money on his family and not on other vices- he came back with gifts. The family could have possibly returned some of the items- Deighton’s deed was not entirely unforgivable, and he did find an actual job afterwards. I don’t know- I guess I am not sure how everything escalated so horribly. I get caught up in the characters that I forget to find overarching themes. I do appreciate some of the feminist aspects, like the dichotomy between domesticate life and the emerging career life. The power of women in the community through the breakfast scene  and the good/bad of the typical suburban wife lifestyle verses breaking new grounds as an individual. At the very end of the book, I thought it was interesting that the author shows the transition of the neighborhoods from brownstones to projects, which I believe is also a reflection of the time period when more public works projects were in place.

Transmigration refers to immigrants who bridge the boundaries between countries, mostly Caribbean populations and Filipinos. They bridge boundaries by living and financing their life in these global capitals, like the US, while buying land and participating in politics in their home countries. Some live split lives between continents, sending their children to school in their home country or just having divided family in general. I do not find this theory shocking, anyone living in NYC knows people who live like this or live like this themselves. I did not know that political ramifications of this. I did not know it was possible to have a deterritorialized nation state- to export people, build communities in other countries, and in stating to act as a foreign power in another land. I do not think popularizing this idea would help immigration policies like the article says, but rather increase xenophobia. The common forced integration theory seems like immigrates are more dedicated to adopted state, not working for a separate one. I like the tidbit about immigrant establishing immigrant business, or business that serve the needs of a specific ethnic populations because that is the traditional economic side of globalization and the one that brings the good food into city.

The Black Diaspora paper has very difficult to understand terminology, but basically it is about how identify and define the black diaspora. The general ‘Black’ diaspora like hip hop culture, the African diaspora, and separating them from traditional colonial means.