Research page and notes about (Did Jamaican immigrates experience the same struggles as African American)

Skyy Diop

October 30, 2018

DNY Research Assignment

Did Jamaican immigrates experience the same struggles as African Americans?

Notes

· The third largest West Indian immigrant group in the United States (Powell, 160)

· The majority of Jamaicans in the United States live in New York City and other urban communities of the Northeast (Powell 160)

· Prior to the 1960’s United States treated immigrants from the Caribbean in various combinations, as a single immigrant unit known as West Indians. (Powell 160)

· When Jamaican became independent, however the country qualified for increased immigrant quotas (Powell 161)

· Many Jamaicans in the United States were well educated and enjoyed greater economic success than other Americans of African descent (Powell 161)

· Their political influence in the United States was proportionally greater than their number suggest, leading in tension between the West Indians and African Americans (Powell 161)

· Jamaicans nevertheless maintained the largest source of the Caribbean immigrants. (Powell 161)

· It was common for Jamaican women to migrant to such large cities as New York first to be followed by their husbands after they had established themselves. (Ciment, 458)

· Most of the immigrant women who went to United States worked outside the home before leaving Jamaica. (Ciment 458)

· This gave the women more financial independence and made the transition of their men coming to American less stressful, due to their being less of a drastic change in terms of gender roles for both men and the women. (Ciment 458)

· Number of Jamaican immigrating into the United States (Ciment 196)

1951- 60	1961- 70	1971- 80	1981- 90
8,869	74,906	137,577	208,148

· By far the largest sending region to New York City since the post- war period has been immigrants from Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Haiti. (Ciment 951)

· Jamaicans are another prominent Caribbean group in New York area, especially in Brooklyn. (Ciment 952)

· Due to restrictive quotas few Jamaicans entered the United States between 1952- 1965. (Ciment 952)

· Employment opportunities and economic aspiration have brought many Jamaican to New York City. (Ciment 952)

· In 1980’s there were 98000 foreign- born Jamaicans living in New York, 85 percent of these arriving since 1965. (Ciment 952)

· Jamaicans had to adjust to the dichotomous black/ white racial system in the United States. (Ciment 952)

· Many believe that a high social class position in Jamaica effectively “erases” racial distinction. (Ciment 952)

· Most Jamaicans come to this country because of job opportunities they learned about through coethnic networks and they were often sponsored by him already in residence. (Ciment 952)

· Jamaican females have found an employment niche as domestic servants. (Ciment 952)

· Due to a high demand for domestic among the more affluent in New York City. (Ciment 952)

· Jamaican women outnumbered male immigrant by as much as three to one in the late 1960’s. (Ciment 952)

· Most men and women concentrate in the lower ranks of the service economy and manufacturing. (Ciment 952)

· Jamaicans tend to do better economically than native born blacks. (Ciment 952)

· Jamaicans tend to display group pride that sometimes borders on ethnic chauvinism. (Ciment 952)

Work Cited

Powell, John. Encyclopedia of North American Immigration. New York, Facts on File, Inc.

Ciment, James. Encyclopedia of American Immigration (volume 1). New York, Sharpe Reference.

Ciment, James. Encyclopedia of American Immigration (volume 2). New York, Sharpe Reference.

Ciment, James. Encyclopedia of American Immigration (volume 3). New York, Sharpe Reference.