West Indian Immigrants

West Indian immigrants to the United States fare better than native-born African Americans on a wide array of economic measures, including labor force participation, earnings, and occupational prestige. Some researchers argue that the root of this difference lies in differing cultural attitudes toward work, while others maintain that white Americans favor West Indian blacks over African Americans, giving them an edge in the workforce. Still others hold that West Indians who emigrate to this country are more ambitious and talented than those they left behind. In West Indian Immigrants, sociologist Suzanne Model subjects these theories to close historical and empirical scrutiny to unravel the mystery of West Indian success. West Indian Immigrants draws on four decades of national census data, surveys of Caribbean emigrants around the world, and historical records dating back to the emergence of the slave trade. Model debunks the notion that growing up in an all-black society is an advantage by showing that immigrants from racially homogeneous and racially heterogeneous areas have identical economic outcomes. Weighing the evidence for white American favoritism, Model compares West Indian immigrants in New York, Toronto, London, and Amsterdam, and finds that, despite variation in the labor markets and ethnic composition of these cities, Caribbean immigrants in these four cities attain similar levels of economic success. Model also looks at "movers" and "stayers" from Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad, and Guyana, and finds that emigrants leaving all four countries have more education and hold higher status jobs than those who remain. In this sense, West Indians immigrants are not so different from successful native-born African Americans who have moved within the U.S. to further their careers. Both West Indian immigrants and native-born African-American movers are the "best and the brightest"—they are more literate and hold better jobs than those who stay put. While political debates about the nature of black disadvantage in America have long fixated on West Indians' relatively favorable economic position, this crucial finding reveals a fundamental flaw in the argument that West Indian success is proof of native-born blacks' behavioral shortcomings. Proponents of this viewpoint have overlooked the critical role of immigrant self-selection. West Indian Immigrants is a sweeping historical narrative and definitive empirical analysis that promises to change the way we think about what it means to be a black American. Ultimately, Model shows that West Indians aren't a black success story at all—rather, they are an immigrant success story.

In Pilgrims from the Sun, Ransford Palmer chronicles the migration of people from the English-speaking Caribbean to the United States, detailing the largely economic reasons for their departure and the cultural reasons for their successful settlement. Close to 700,000 West Indian immigrants and their children live in America today with the greatest concentrations in the New York City and Miami areas. The high value they place on hard work, education, home ownership, private savings, and family loyalty writes Palmer, has helped to rank West Indians among the most socioeconomically successful immigrant groups in the United States. Palmer looks not only at West Indians permanently residing in the United States - many of whom are employed in services, the fastest-growing sector of the economy - but also at temporary residents, in particular farm workers in Florida's sugar industry and students, and at the problem of illegal immigration. He assesses the interrelationship of migration, employment, and trade in the island and U.S. economies, and he argues that only accelerated economic growth in the islands will stem the tide of migration. Despite recent attempts by many Caribbean countries to free up their economies and to create development programs in cooperation with the European community as well as the United States, the promise of higher living standards in America remains too powerful for many West Indians to resist.

This collection of original essays draws on a variety of theoretical perspectives, methodologies, and empirical data to explore the effects of West Indian migration and to develop analytic frameworks to examine it.

Crosscurrents: West Indian Immigrants and Race offers an insightful examination of the complex relationship between race and ethnicity in contemporary American society. Based on interviews with over one hundred Jamaicans in New York, this book presents first-hand accounts of racial experiences among West Indian immigrants living in New York City. It provides an in-depth view of what it means to be West Indian in the United States. As more and more West Indians enter the United States, they raise a wide range of questions regarding race and ethnicity. West Indian immigrants come from societies where blacks represent the majority, where race is downplayed, and where a high degree of emphasis is placed on merit-based achievement. When these immigrants arrive in the United States, they quickly learn that racial identity is considered vitally important and that there is a stigma placed on darker skin. Vickerman offers a comprehensive analysis of West Indians efforts to cope with this new reality and to develop their own separate identity as West Indians. In particular, he examines how West Indians react to the American emphasis on race -- how they both distance themselves from and identify with African Americans. Vickerman provides a fascinating analysis of the cross-pressures that frame West Indians' perspectives on American society. He shows how they, along with other immigrants, will have an important impact on the American conception of race. Crosscurrents: West Indian Immigrants and Race is essential for a wide variety of courses including race and ethnicity, immigration, black studies, comparative studies, and sociology. By examining the experiences of West Indians, students will learn just how much race remains a crucially important and unforgiving factor in the lives of all blacks in the United States.

The story of West Indian immigrants to the United States is generally considered to be a great success. Mary Waters, however, tells a very different story. She finds that the values that gain first-generation immigrants initial success--a willingness to work hard, a lack of attention to racism, a desire for education, an incentive to save--are undermined by the realities of life and race relations in the United States. Contrary to long-held beliefs, Waters finds, those who resist Americanization are most likely to succeed economically, especially in the second generation.

Study of aspects of recent large-scale entry of West Indian immigrants into the UK - covers economic implications, sociological aspects, employment opportunities, resultant urban area population dynamics, etc., and comments on relevant legislation (the Commonwealth immigrants act). Maps showing distribution of such immigrants in the country, references, and statistical tables on coloured immigrants (incl. Of Pakistani and Indian immigrants).

The West Indian Americans introduces students and other interested readers to the diversity and cultural individuality of a growing segment of the American immigrant community. After an introductory chapter that describes the history and people of Jamaica and the other English-speaking Caribbean nations, their migration to the United States and patterns of adjustment and adaptation are discussed. Next, the West Indian cultural traditions, transferred to this country especially the churches, literature, music, and festivals, are evoked. Another chapter covers family networks, return migration, and remittances to those members left behind in the West Indies. Final chapters examine the new challenges for the West Indian Americans, such as identity issues, education and job prospects, and gang and drug problems, and the contributions of West Indian immigrants.

Study of aspects of recent large-scale entry of West Indian immigrants into the UK - covers economic implications, sociological aspects, employment opportunities, resultant urban area population dynamics, etc., and comments on relevant legislation (the Commonwealth immigrants act). Maps showing distribution of such immigrants in the country, references, and statistical tables on coloured immigrants (incl. Of Pakistani and Indian immigrants).