article

Haitian family patterns of migration to south Florida

Human organization • 44 (4) • Published In 1985 • Pages: 301-312

By: Fjellman, Stephen M., Gladwin, Hugh.

Abstract

In this paper the authors '…place Haitian families migrating to South Florida in a perspective ranging from the macrosystem affecting all Caribbean migrants to the microsystems comprising family strategies and resource/assistance networks provided by family members living in the same community as well as those family members living in other locations' (p. 301). The manner in which Haitian families are organized has made it possible for them to survive and in some cases prosper under diverse circumstances. To Haitians the term 'family' includes a range of kinship and fictive kinship relations which can be called on for support, even though the family members may live in different communities and distant cities. Thus, the Haitian family functions not as a bounded household, but as an extended network system. Seven family histories are presented in the text to show how these network systems work.

HRAF PubDate

1998

Region

North America

Sub Region

Regional, Ethnic and Diaspora Cultures

Document Type

article

Evaluation

Creator Type

Ethnologist

Document Rating

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

John Beierle ; 1997

Field Date

no date

Coverage Date

ca.1958-1980s

Coverage Place

south Florida, United States

Notes

Stephen M. Fjellman and Hugh Gladwin

Includes bibliographical references (p. 311-312)

LCCN

47033317

LCSH

Haitian Americans