This weeks reading on “Transnationalism Personified” gave us some insight on the views of Trinidadian about their opportunities of being able to go back home. This study is very insightful because it considers the people from the first generation, one-and-a-half generation, and the second generation. These groups each have their own level of exposure to their heritage that was taken into consideration when analyzing the results of this research. This paper connects all together the different aspects of the theory of transnationalism and displays its effects on the recent generations.

Going back to Trinidad was an option that these people had in the case that their current situation was not satisfying their needs. This option stayed open to them because they worked on keeping this transnational network of family and friends afloat. There is no point in going back to Trinidad for them if they show up as strangers. It also helps in the fact that they will always know “the good, the bad, and the ugly” and not find themselves surprised that the Trinidad in front of them isn’t the same Trinidad in their dreams. For the second-generation informants, they needed to make these trips to make a connection to their Trinidadian culture, and in this culture, it seems like family is willing to receive them with open arms. The newer technology has made these trips easier and cheaper. It has also made keeping these ties easier with instant messaging programs. Most importantly, the younger generation has expressed the flexibility to their identity; they identify themselves as both from their host nation and their home nation of Trinidad.

We also spoke in class about what we think about the current status of migration. The United States and most other imperialist nations do owe the decolonized nations support. History shows that this nation is to blame for the lack of stability in the rest of the Americans, Africa and the Middle East. Unfortunately, I believe that our own internal problems are just as important as solving the problems of the world. There are too many people in power in the United States that seek only personal profit. This is a very short-sighted way of living that has led to our current situation. Our government is too broken to get anything done. Yellow journalism is the only type of journalism that gets to the public. The older people of congress only care about doing things for the better of their party, not America. Our jails are just another form of business for companies. Our courts only try to prove that they are right rather than trying to find the truth. The worst part of all of this is that they probably won’t live tosee the consequences of keeping this system, and that’s why they keep doing it; they have a mindset of “let the next group of people handle it”.

I’m arguing that our problems should be solved first, and I’m saying that because our problems affect the whole world. Just two days ago, JP Morgan, amongst other banks, plead guilty over manipulating foreign exchange rates. Companies don’t just plead guilty to something that serious, and these companies did because they know they won’t get punished. Well, they will get punished, probably a pretty big fine. But, I am willing to bet that fine is nowhere near as much as the amount of money they profited from the manipulations. The major players behind this should be sent to jail for life. This government is practically saying, “Fine you can steal from the world, just give us a cut”. These people are just going to go ahead and do it again, because they weighed out their options and saw that “getting caught” still netted them a profit. If we stop our people from doing things like this, we will not only be helping ourselves, we will also be helping many other countries around the world.

In her The Sacred Music and Dance of Haitian Vodou from Temple to Stage and the Ethics of Representation, Lois Wilcken discusses the evolution and misconceptions of the art of voodoo. It interestingly disproves many of the negative stereotypes that are often connected with the spiritual belief: black magic, wicker dolls, historic and mystical dancing and chants. Voodoo is something that is celebrated by the Haitian community and is enjoyed by many of the Haitian culture. The scared dances and music are pieces of this culture. Wilcken focuses on how Voodoo began to be portrayed to American audiences, from the negative portrayal of early explorers and early movies (both subject to the influence of the rampant Social Darwinism), to its more modern portray on stage by dance groups and companies.

There were many connections that could be drawn between the film we saw in class in Wilcken’s article. One thing that I found interesting were the differing views of Voodoo and Rara from the elderly and young Haitians. The elders believed in holding onto strong traditions and roots. They believed in spontaneity, that Voodoo and Rara are things that are not planned, but occur when the time is right. The younger participants, however, understand that Voodoo and Rara need to evolve if they want to appeal to wider audience. Thus, dance troupes began organizing dances, choosing which spiritual dances to portray, and which songs to dance to. The Rara group began meeting regularly. They chose a set band, instead of inviting anyone with an instrument to play. The younger people do understand the importance of tradition and culture, and try to maintain their roots as much as possible.

Theorizing Transnational Migration argues that previously held notions of what it meant for immigrants to move from their country of origin to places like the United States or Europe are not necessarily true. Previously, it was thought that when people chose to move from one country to the next, it was an indication that their lifestyles were being significantly modified and they were somehow leaving behind all that they knew. Instead, it seems that immigrants’ ties to their home countries were being significantly misrepresented and misunderstood. While it is true that Immigrants tend to incorporate themselves into their new society to an extent, this certainly does not keep them from maintaining immensely strong emotional, physical, and even economic ties with their home countries.

Immigrants’ reasons for migrating typically stem from a desire for economic improvement that their home country cannot offer. While the economic improvement that immigrants sought was, in many cases, realized, these newcomers were faced with a host of other issues that they had to overcome which included discrimination and a pressure to assimilate. Now, however, with an increased permeability between nations as a result of increased inter-connectedness in the global economy, economic and social exchange between immigrants and their home countries is at a never before seen high. This exchange is mostly seen in the context of families, who support each other financially despite international separation. An important concept that pertains to this interconnectedness is the idea of a “nation-state,” which is used to describe the people of a certain country living abroad and still being considered part of that country. This is important because it allows these countries and their people, who are maybe less significant on an international scale, to maintain their identities in this globalized society.

One thing that caught my eye about this paper is towards the end when the “Community Service Society” was quoted as saying “I have problems with dual citizenship; I believe in allegiance to one country.” Generally, I have a serious problem with pledging “allegiance” to any form of dogmatic institution such as governments, religious bodies, corporations and the like. These sorts of institutions promote conformity and exaggerate what makes their members different from members of opposing or different organizations. Instead, it seems that to avoid conflicts between groups of people, we should strive towards becoming citizens of the world. Of course every area will have its own unique characteristics, but in order for people to really begin to accept these differences, it will take this sort of mindset.

After reading “Callaloo,” I feel that I don’t really understand the point of what the authors are trying to make. If they are trying to say that a black diaspora is non-existent, I have a hard time even figuring out what that means. It seems to me that if you are any immigrant of any color, you are part of a diaspora, so the entire point of the article seems a bit useless. They then try to distinguish between the black diaspora and the African diaspora, to which I would say that of course there is a difference––blacks who migrated from the Caribbean, for example, may very well feel a stronger connection to their home than to Africa––but that does not necessarily stop someone from deciding for themselves which aspect of their heritage they connect with more strongly. I have a feeling that I did not fully understand what this article was trying to say––it was rather complex to read––but nothing especially groundbreaking seems to have amounted from the work that the authors have done. Less verbiage and more useful dialogue seems like a good idea…

Chapter 3 of “Blood Relations” leaves us as readers ruminating on the plight of Caribbean immigrants trying to forge their own path in a strange new land beset by the established anglo-saxon dominated political hierarchy on one side and the exclusionary environment that black Americans fostered on the other. Only in chapter 4 does this book start to explain in more detail how Caribbean ex-pats gradually became more integrated members of the community. The early days of Caribbean migration were marked by exclusion on the part of African Americans. It was only when a commonality was discovered that things slowly started to change. This commonality was religion. Caribbeans and American Blacks started going to the same churches and out of this a sense of brotherhood developed. Priests welcomed the new Caribbean members of their congregation with open arms.

Moving right along, chapter 7 deals with the life and goals of Marcus Garvey. Radical does little justice to the ideals that Garvey held for his people. The idea that people who have been here for generations would willingly uproot themselves and relocate to an area that is less developed by an astronomical margin is ridiculous. What’s less ridiculous, however, is the way he went about unifying all those with African blood. His message was one that resonated strongly with Blacks in America, as his message was one that extolled the virtue of the power-in-numbers mentality. He wanted an African state with the capability to be self-sufficient. This, of course, didn’t work out so well but his impact on Harlem is enough to cement Marcus Garvey in my mind as one of the great black leaders.

There’s not much else in these chapters that I feel I could talk about constructively. Chapter 9 is an exception. I’m not exactly sure why the author included an entire chapter about this number running scheme but I suppose it serves to demonstrate the seedy nature of Harlem’s illegal money making operations. A few select people make fistfuls of money but I’m sure that the runners themselves didn’t. My grandfather used to run numbers for the mafia, I’m pretty sure he didn’t get rich but people would win fairly often. I’m assuming this is what incentiveized people to play so often.

Overall this book does a good job of explaining the history of Caribbean immigration from the origins to integration. New groups have historically had a whole lot of trouble carving out a niche in American society. It is only with a strong sense of solidarity and ample support coming from benefactors and churches did the Caribbean people fully integrate themselves into our society. It’s safe to say that America has benefited greatly from their arrival, especially when factoring in how delicious jerk chicken is.

The first three chapters of Blood Relations: Caribbean Immigrants and the Harlem Community cover the early days of the Caribbean migration to New York City. It discusses the previous events that occurred leading up to the eventual mass movement. To my surprise, after emancipation took place in the West Indies, there was a primary wave of intermigration as previously enslaved persons moved away from plantations. This wave of migration, which was characterized by immigrants’ search for labor, was under the clear influence of social structures and class separations. The next main wave of immigration was to Panama. Many Caribbean immigrants flocked there, from 1904 – 1914, when construction of the Panama Canal was handed over to America. Although the Caribbean people worked under Jim Crow conditions, many utilized their smartly saved “Panama Money” to take their family straight to New York. In Panama, economic mobility, though rare, did exist and allowed for some to pay for their own passage to the US.

It was only until World War I, when job availability was weak, that America finally became a main destination for Caribbean immigrants. Many made it to America via the United Fruit Company, which brought Caribbean immigrants to US coastal cities. Traveling and living in New York City required a strong family network. The theme of kinship and community networks, which is present in the other articles we read, continues here. Having family connections already established in the city was not only economically beneficial, but emotionally helpful as well. As I view it, emotions play a huge role in whether or not an immigrant chooses to return to his or her homeland. Being separated from loved ones and being unable to maintain a steady job can cause some emotional strife. Nonetheless, people were finding their way into America, be it as a stowaway on a steam ship or enduring the arduous battle for an American visa.

Harlem was not always a hub for immigrants. In the early 1900s it was a predominately Irish and German community. Yet with purchase of real estate by the Payton’s in 1903, the transformation towards a mixed community had begun. Although early blacks met white resistance, by 1920 it had died out with the massive arrival of immigrants. Real estate and property management are also mentioned to be integral in the development of the Harlem community. Both native and immigrant blacks invested in buying and renting out property within Harlem.

The article finally focuses on social institutions that helped new immigrants in the city. Various organizations, such as the New York Colored Mission, would provide aid to different groups within the immigrant community. Help for finding jobs or obtaining food and shelter would be provided. Continuing the promotion of social welfare, some families would even take in “lodgers.” Lodgers would live with a family, and in exchange help pay for rent and other expenses.

While reading these chapters a few things stood out to me. First off was the separation that existed within the black community in New York. Caribbean and other immigrants had achieved the “model immigrant” status. Thus, at times, they were treated better than native blacks. While they may have initially been discriminated because of skin color, once they showed signs of being of a different culture, speaking a different language, or even having a hint of an accent, they were generally accepted.

The introductory chapter also establishes a strong point. It answers the question, “Why is it important that we focus on the communal development and Caribbean immigrant influence in Harlem?” It notes that it will “help us to understand more about the nature of American community life itself” (10). The unique development of Harlem would not be the same if it were not for the “[interacial] ethnic dimension” (10).

The book Blood Relations by Irma Watkins-Owens, told the history of the Harlem community created in the early 1900s. It was a community raised by the native black Americans and the immigrating Caribbean people. It was an area that had an influx of foreigners from around the world. The ethnic relations amongst these people were integral to the formation of Harlem. It was interesting to see that it was not only a uniting factor, but in certain aspects of their lives, it was a dividing factor.

The creation of the Panama Canal was a significant source of Caribbean immigrants to the United States. I learned that during their time working in Panama, there was segregation. Similar to the “white only” and “black only” concepts, they had “gold” and “silver” areas. Gold was also the form of payment to Americans while blacks got paid in silver, and only some were paid in large amounts of silver. The low pay was made worse with the fact that they had to pay for housing, leaving them with very little money to spend and to send back to their families. After the end of the project some moved to other Latin American countries, while others went to America. This all depended on how much “Panama money” they had to finance the trip.

The 131^st street block was a diverse beginning to the Harlem community. It had people of many different backgrounds: intellectuals, musicians, craftsman, skilled laborers, and agricultural workers. What surprised me was that only 14% of the Caribbean’s were agricultural workers, most of the one’s who were able to emigrate were skilled laborers or educated. The educated and the one’s who were able to work in their skilled area were able to gain some social mobility, if not for them, for their children.

The wave of Caribbean immigrants had a majority that spoke English, which was contrary to what I originally thought. Native black leaders saw these men as having the qualities of a “representative Negro” that all should follow. Despite having these good qualities, they were still discriminated against by the native white community. That initial treatment changed when the Caribbean immigrants revealed that they spoke either English, Spanish, or French. Being of the Caribbean background resulted them in receiving better treatment. Being treated better by the native white community resulted in resentment and hostility from the native blacks. However others decided to use this as a means to be treated better themselves, so they learned a foreign language, mostly Spanish. In a way, it seems as a way to improve their lives, but it also means letting go of your culture, something that I believe shouldn’t be done just to fit in.

What amazed me the most from these initial chapters were the accounts of people like Tyrell Wilson, who, despise being an immigrant without a stable job, was able to go through law school and become an activist and a founder of a community. People that were capable of doing so much should not be put down just because they are black. Skin color should not stop them from doing the job that they spent their teenage years training to do. The struggle that the Harlem community faced for civil rights is the same struggle that the colonists faced for independence. There should be an understanding of what they go through, but being on the other side of the situation has changed their beliefs.

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