English-Speaking Caribbean Immigrants: Transnational Identities

This book highlights important but insufficiently documented dimensions of the experience of English-speaking Caribbean immigrants in the United States. It focuses on successes and challenges of what might be perceived as “living in two worlds.” The central theme, post-migration transnational connections, is informed by new research on the topic. The thrust of the book is on trends, practices, and policies pertaining to transnational issues, and it uses both academic and applied approaches in its research. Having examined contemporary adjustment concerns of Caribbean immigrants, the authors present research findings, critical analyses, and suggest possible solutions to social and psychological problems immigrants confront as their life space is influenced by both places of origin and destination. This book fills a void in the literature pertaining to the emerging transnational experiences of Anglophone Caribbean immigrants that has not been fully explored.

Table of Contents:
Foreword Acknowledgments Introduction 1.Transnationalism: Trends and Practices among English Caribbean Immigrants Lear Matthews 2. Migratory Patterns and Experiences of Anglophone Caribbean Women Mary Spooner 3. Migration and Occupational Change Lear Matthews 4. Transnational Parenting in the African Caribbean Community Christiana Best-Cummings 5. Transnational Migration: The Elderly and Healthcare Joyce Hamilton-Henry and Beverley Russell 6. Caribbean Immigrant Families: Transnational Identity Annette Mahoney and Lear Matthews 7. Hometown Associations: Needs and Challenges Lear Matthews 8. English-Speaking Caribbean Immigrant Students: Providing Culturally Competent Educational Services Lear Matthews and Rosalind October-Edun 9. Indo and Afro-Caribbean Immigrants: An Analysis ofSelected Experiences Desmond Roberts Notes on Contributors Index

About the Author :
Lear Matthews is professor of community and human services at SUNY Empire State College. He is a member of the editorial board of the Caribbean Journal of Social Work, and a former lecturer at the University of Guyana. He has received numerous awards for his ability to link scholarship and community service.

Review :
Lear Matthews’ book is a welcome addition to the literature on transnationalism and the immigrant experience. The central themes of transnational connections and identity unite explorations of change, adaptation and continuity in the experience of immigrants from the English-speaking Caribbean. A must read for scholars and practitioners with an interest in the Caribbean, the volume offers new insights to all in the field of migration studies. —Lynne M. Healy,PhD, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor, University of Connecticut School of Social Work Dr. Matthews and his contributors must be complimented for a book that speaks authoritatively to the numerous issues arising from the transnational nature of the current migratory trajectory. I would contend, is that it draws heavily, not only on scholars as theoreticians, but also on practitioners who must often deal with the proposed solutions. The book is a tightly focused collection of articles - insightful, readable and very coherent. I recommend it strongly as another strong addition to this growing emergent field of migration studies. —Aubrey W. Bonnett, coeditor of Emerging Perspectives on the Black Diaspora, and Continuing Perspectives on the Black Diaspora