Book

Haitian immigrants in Black America: a sociological and sociolinguistic portrait

Bergin & GarveyWestport, Conn. • Published In 1996 • Pages:

By: Zéphir, Flore.

Abstract
This book, which focuses on the Haitian American population of New York City, provides a sociological and sociolinguistic analysis of Haitians in America, written from the perspective of the group itself. In this work the mechanisms that shape Haitian immigrant identity are explored as well as the Haitian definition of themselves as a distinct ethnic group, revealing in the process the strength and extent of this ethnic identification. Throughout this study the author reports the voices of Haitians as they speak, as they feel, and most important, how they experience their new life in the United States (p. 15). The book is divided into two parts. Part 1 presents a sociological portrait of the Haitian immigrants and looks at the process of the formation of their identity as a distinct Black ethnic group. Part 2 sketches out a sociolinguistic portrait. It describes the language selection of the immigrants as a non-English-speaking group by looking at issues of language maintenance, use, choice, and attitudes. In addition it underscores the importance of the native language in the construction of Haitian ethnicity in the United States (p. 4).
Subjects
External migration
Cultural identity and pride
Speech
Linguistic identification
Ethnic stratification
Inter-ethnic relations
Ethnosociology
culture
Haitian Americans
HRAF PubDate
1998
Region
North America
Sub Region
Regional, Ethnic and Diaspora Cultures
Document Type
Book
Evaluation
Creator Types
Educator
Linguist
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
John Beierle ; 1997
Field Date
ca. 1994
Coverage Date
1920s-1990s
Coverage Place
New York, N.Y., United States
Notes
Flore Zéphir
Includes bibliographical references (p. 167-176) and index
LCCN
95036906
LCSH
Haitian Americans