“Caribbean Transnationalism as a Gendered Process”
This work, by Christine G. T. Ho, talked mainly about global capitalism and its relationship with the role women had in supporting their families financially, as well as their role in actually migrating. Since many Caribbean families were quite poor, they had to move using what is known as circular migration, in contrast to elite families who were all able to move together. This system provided the means for subsequent families to move in to the areas as well. Unfortunately though, this system causes families to be split up as not all members are able to move at once.
One thing that the article stressed in great detail was the idea of a matrifocal, but not matriarchal, household. I found this really interesting to think about, because usually when you think of the person who is breadwinner, makes the most money, and is responsible for organizing family activities etc., you would also think that person would hold the most power. This is not the case, however, according to the article. The men of the family were still considered more powerful. I would be interested in finding out why this is. This fact also puts a heavy burden on females in the Caribbean, because this means they are responsible for both family activities and income. Compared with the gender roles in the United States, I am amazed how women are able to keep up with such a huge burden. Usually, if a woman in the United States works, she won’t necessarily have to have the entire financial burden placed on herself.
“‘Black Like Who?’ Afro-Caribbean Immigrants, African Americans, and the Politics of Group Identity”
This article discusses the differences between Afro-Caribbean blacks and African Americans, who are often confused and misrepresented by others, as they are collectively placed in the same group and labeled “black.” This is not accurate, as each group, Caribbeans and African Americans, have vast differences culturally. Caribbeans are generally considered to place more emphasis on education. Because of this, they considered themselves to be of a higher social status and therefore felt very strange being thrown into the same group as the native African Americans.
Politically, African Americans are unified by a strong sense of ethnic togetherness. African Americans tend to identify ethnically with a more generic African ethnicity. This is a result of their collective experience with discrimination, and their disadvantages in terms of how they are treated on a social and economic level. Caribbeans, on the other hand, identify more strongly with the specific country where they came from or where their family originated. They are less inclined to identify as black as a result of being so transnationally motivated.
“Growing Up West Indian and African American”
This work discusses the differences in the ways that West Indians and African Americans describe themselves ethnically, and also how this decision impacts their lives. It describes also how second generation Caribbeans view their situation, and how they navigate it. One significant portion of the research that was done had to do with the effect of gender on how second generation Caribbeans perceived being an American. It was interesting to see that both genders expressed concerns about being American because they faced discrimination as a result, but boys felt American because they were able to come together and resist “societal exclusion and disapproval.” This is not unusual to hear, as it often seems to be the case in the news, especially as of more recently, that black boys seem to be pursued by police etc. more than other ethnic groups. Black girls, notably, don’t feel this same level of persecution from either the police or whites.
