1)
Bibliographic data
Glick-Schiller, N.; Fouron, G. (1990), “Everywhere We Go, We Are in Danger:
Ti Manno and the Emergence of a Haitian Transnational Identity”, American
Ethnologist, V 17-2: 329-347.
2)
Question(s) addressed by the author and working arguments
We shall demonstrate that for a block immigrant population, a seemingly “ethnic” identity
such as “Haitian” is fluid and multifaceted and is shaped by conditions
that transcend national boundaries.
Ethnicity is used to indicate cultural differences of single population. But
whether ethnicity is define in terms of cultural distinctiveness, explained
as a reaction to structural constraints, or approached as ideology, the concept
of ethnicity seems inadequate to deal with race. While race as a social category
emerged with global capitalism, race per se also continues to actuate social
relations in local contexts. Ti Manno lived the black immigrant experience
firsthand in a career that included periods of residence in both the US and
Haiti. Ti Manno actually talked of uniting to rebuild Haiti, but this sector
of the Haitian immigrant leadership emphasized the need to unite to improve
the conditions of Haitians in the US. An examination of Ti Manno’s articulation
of the Haitian immigrant experience and the response of Haitian immigrants
to his “message” help us to develop and understanding of the identity
of today’s black immigrants.
3)
Conceptual references to transnational – transnationalism
The concept of transnationalism thus captures more effectively the manner in
which Haitians perceive their experience and identity than do descriptions
of Haitians as an “ethnic group,” as simply “blacks” in
the US, or as part of a particular class.
4)
Conclusions or Final Remarks
Haitian identity transcended the categories of race and ethnicity and transcended
national boundaries, yet it remained profoundly rooted in geography and history.
Ethnic Groups are forced to obtain resources from the society in which they
reside.
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