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The New African Americans: African and Caribbean Immigrants Are Changing Black Identity in the United States

The wave of Carribbean immigration early in the last century, established a set of tensions between West Indians and native born black that persist to this day. But whatever differences existed seemed relatively minor in the face of a common history of slavery, racial segregation, and economic struggle. Several Caribbean immigrants and Caribbean Americans -- Marcus Garvey, Claude McKay, Harry Belafonte, Sidney Portier, Paule Marshall, George Padmore, etc. -- rose to high profiles in black America and remain icons today. Being black was defined by not being white. But the question of what it meant to be black was always a complicated one, and the neither passage of time, the end of segregation, nor the emergence of a robust black American middle-class has done much to lessen the complexity.

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[QUOTE=kevlocks]The New African Americans: African and Caribbean Immigrants Are Changing Black Identity in the United States

...For many like Simmons, the bottom line is that no matter how we may view ourselves -- with all of our ethnic and cultural nuances -- it is the larger American society that will have a major role in determining our identity and ultimately our destiny.

"I feel that when you walk into an establishment not owned by a West Indian or African you are looked at as Black. The bank doesn't care that you are half-Indian and from Trinidad, you look black so you are black. Dark or light skin, full lips and hips and curly or wavy hair, you are looked at as black," says Simmons. "
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This is key. Funny I was just discussing this with a friend recently. The Amerikkkan institution of slavery has set standards that exist even today and was built on the premise of hue, hair texture etc and other attributes that defined what was “black”. From this came the “one drop theory” that established that any existing so-called “negroid” features automatically categorizes black. Therefore regardless of how you choose to identify yourself once you have slightest attribute that this society defines as black you will be identified as such. So this guy is right, you dark skin with curly long hair with high check bones, straight nose and you walk into a Amerikkkan institution guess what…they see a black person, regardless of what percentage of your blood is Indian, Irish etc, etc. Funny, I know a few people from the Caribbean that had to go through this culture shock once they arrived in the U.S. a far cry from the way they were viewed back home (I secretly laughed at them) Interesting article. Thanks

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*I have been Born Again*

[QUOTE=recess]The one drop rule was not instituted during slavery.
http://backintyme.com/Essay041015.htm

good article,
i can relate to "Kinship".
thank you for sharing. i hope to be able to do more reading in 2006.
-lcg

[QUOTE=Otorongo]I am not sure if I suggested that it did, if it was construed as such forgive me. I am implying though that one derived from the other. Thanks for the link, very informative. Reading the essays now. Greatly appreciated.

Excellent reading. Thanks Kev for the Friday intellect...and thank you Otorongo for the link to the essays....very good reading. Some of this has sparked some interesting discussions with my son.

you are welcome

Good to know you are having those kinds of talks with your child. I wish my parents woulda spoke with me about it!

me too