Date of Award
June 2015
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
African American Studies
Advisor(s)
Linda Carty
Keywords
Better, Brooklyn, Caribbean Women, labor force, Migration, New York
Subject Categories
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Abstract
Caribbean people have been migrating to New York City since the turn of the twentieth century in search of a “better” life. What has resulted due to large concentration of Caribbean immigrants is a hub of Caribbean culture that impacts everyday life and has helped to create a narrative that goes beyond previous understandings of what it means to be Caribbean in America. This project explores Caribbean immigrant experiences in the United States labor market with the immigrants’ voices and experiences as the driving force in presenting the information, with specific reference to Brooklyn, New York (NY).
This project utilizes a political economy framework of historical materialism and Black feminist theories to examine society through a gendered lens of intersectionality that sees gender, race and class as equally important in understanding Caribbean immigrant women’s experiences in New York City. In order to underscore the experiences of Caribbean immigrants, data from interviews with Caribbean immigrants living and working in New York City are used to present a cohesive narrative of what life is like post migration.
Access
Open Access
Recommended Citation
Diamond, Sharlene, "American Dreams and Immigrant Realities: Transnational Migration and Notions of 'Better' for Caribbean Immigrants in Brooklyn, NY" (2015). Dissertations - ALL. 293.
https://surface.syr.edu/etd/293
