Overview

Caribbean Americans have been immigrating to the United States as freed persons since the end of the Civil War. However, it was not until the beginning of the twentieth century that they began to arrive en masse, settling mostly in the large cities along the Atlantic seaboard. With its reputation for racial tolerance and its reservoir of employment opportunities, New York City became a principal beneficiary of this immigrant influx. Caribbean Americans in New York City: 1895-1975 begins with the immigrants' arrival in the Big Apple and continues to record the story of how they designed their new lives. As is usually the case with any large-scale immigrant settlement, there inevitably developed prejudices and discriminatory practices against Caribbean Americans. This brought to the forefront some of the most gifted and articulate orators, such as Richard B. Moore and Hubert Harrison, and journalists, such as W.A. Domingo and J.A. Rogers. In general, however, the city provided prosperity, a sense of community, and a better way of life, and the stunning images contained in this book also include those of success stories Bob Marley, Colin Powell, Hugh Mulzac-the first black captain of an American ship-and Geoffrey Holder, who appeared on television for years in popular 7-Up commercials.