Life Pathways of Haitian-American Young Adults in South Florida Patricia N
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Florida International University FIU Digital Commons FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations University Graduate School 4-11-2011 Life Pathways of Haitian-American Young Adults in South Florida Patricia N. Vanderkooy Florida International University, [email protected] DOI: 10.25148/etd.FI11042709 Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd Recommended Citation Vanderkooy, Patricia N., "Life Pathways of Haitian-American Young Adults in South Florida" (2011). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 411. https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/411 This work is brought to you for free and open access by the University Graduate School at FIU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of FIU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY Miami, Florida LIFE PATHWAYS OF HAITIAN-AMERICAN YOUNG ADULTS IN SOUTH FLORIDA A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in COMPARATIVE SOCIOLOGY by Patricia N. Vanderkooy 2011 To: Dean Kenneth Furton College of Arts and Sciences This dissertation, written by Patricia N. Vanderkooy, and entitled Life Pathways of Haitian-American Young Adults in South Florida, having been approved in respect to style and intellectual content, is referred to you for judgment. We have read this dissertation and recommend that it be approved. _______________________________________ Sarah J. Mahler _______________________________________ Jean Rahier _______________________________________ Dionne Stephens _______________________________________ Alex Stepick, Major Professor Date of Defense: April 11, 2011 The dissertation of Patricia N. Vanderkooy is approved. _______________________________________ Dean Kenneth Furton College of Arts and Sciences _______________________________________ Interim Dean Kevin O’Shea University Graduate School Florida International University, 2011 ii ©Copyright 2011 Patricia N. Vanderkooy All rights reserved. iii DEDICATION For my parents, for loving me through it all. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS When I moved to Haiti in 1999, I quickly learned a few basic greetings in Creole. A general question about how a person was doing was often followed by the response, M’ap kenbe, pitit pitit (I’m holding on, bit by bit). This dissertation has been my biggest exercise thus far in holding on, bit by bit. Through tumultuous situations – both dissertation related and otherwise – I developed tenacity and came to deeply appreciate the people holding onto me when my own ability to hold on was compromised. My profound gratitude goes to my dissertation advisor, Dr. Alex Stepick. His support was unflagging, his praise generous and criticism constructive. As befits an anthropologist, he reminds me to listen to peoples’ stories and to share their reality with the wider world. Thank you for your key role in shaping me as a scholar, writer, and teacher. Dr. Sarah Mahler also generously gave of her time and advice; the infamous purple pen always encouraged me to be precise and articulate my arguments. Thank you, Dr. M, for nurturing my skills and encouraging me along the way. Both Dr. Jean Rahier and Dr. Dionne Stephens also offered helpful feedback and guidance in the course of this dissertation project, and I thank them greatly for their role in my professional development. I was also supported and held onto by my graduate student colleagues at Florida International University, particularly members of Team Mahler and Dr. Stepick’s dissertation group. My deepest thanks to Jasney Cogua-Lopez, Tekla Nicholas, Anne Braseby, Sharon Placide, Francisco Sastre, Marcos Feldman, Rick Giorsio, Alejandro Angee, Karen Mahar, Emily Eisenhauer, and Dusan Ugrina. v I greatly appreciate the generous financial support provided for this research by several institutions, including the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada, the Presidential Fellowship and Dissertation Year Fellowship programs at Florida International University, and the Florida-Canada Linkage Institute. Several close friends provided critical support throughout this dissertation project. To these dear friends: thank you for toasting success with me, commiserating through setbacks, mixing mojitos when necessary, and welcoming me in your homes for weeks on end. Special thanks to Maegan C., who taught me the value of deep breaths and rejuvenation. My voice would not be what it is in these pages without your guidance. I cannot express adequately my thanks and appreciation to the men and women whose stories fill these pages. Thank you for opening your lives to me, showing me how each of you kenbe each day, and inspiring me with your resiliency. For my family: thank you for standing by me through both the brightest and the darkest of days. You’ve each played an important – and unique – role in bringing this dissertation to fruition. Without a doubt, my parents brought kenbe to a whole new level. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for holding onto me with the strength of a thousand horses, and more than anything, for demonstrating that love is a verb. Many others also cheered me unfailingly over the past several years. Thank you. Your unfailing belief in my ability and unending support truly were the magic ingredient enabling me to kenbe, bit by bit. vi ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION LIFE PATHWAYS OF HAITIAN-AMERICAN YOUNG ADULTS IN SOUTH FLORIDA by Patricia N. Vanderkooy Florida International University, 2011 Miami, Florida Professor Alex Stepick, Major Professor This research examines the life pathways of 1.5 and second generation Haitian immigrants in South Florida. The purpose of the research is to better understand how integration occurs for the children of Haitian immigrants as they transition from adolescence to adulthood. Building upon a prior study of second-generation immigrant adolescents between 1995 and 2000, a sub-set of the original participants was located to participate in this follow-up research. Qualitative interviews were conducted as well as in-depth ethnographic research, including participant observation. Survey instruments used with other second-generation populations were also administered, enabling comparisons with the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS). The results indicate that educational and occupational achievements were markedly below the participants’ original expectations as adolescents. Gender figures prominently in participants’ familial roles and relationships, with men and women distinctly incorporating both Haitian and American cultural practices within their households. Contrary to previous research, these results on the identification of participants suggest that these young adults claim attachment to both Haiti and to the United States. The vii unique longitudinal and ethnographic nature of this study contributes to the ongoing discussion of the integration of the children of immigrants by demonstrating significant variation from the prior integration trends observed with Haitian adolescents. The results cast doubt on existing theory on the children of immigrants for explaining the trajectory of Haitian-American integration patterns. Specifically, this research indicates that Haitians are not downwardly mobile and integrating as African Americans. They have higher education and economic standing than their parents and are continuing their education well into their thirties. The respondents have multiple identities in which they increasingly express identification with Haiti, but in some contexts are also developing racialized identifications with African Americans and others of the African diaspora. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTION: THE STORY OF HAITIAN IMMIGRANTS ........................ 1 Haitian Migration to the United States ................................................................... 3 Haitians in the United States ................................................................................. 10 Overview of Dissertation ...................................................................................... 17 II. LITERATURE REVIEW: IMMIGRANT INTEGRATION................................ 20 Literature on Identity ............................................................................................ 22 Literature on Immigrant Assimilation/Integration ................................................ 33 Literature on the Children of Immigrants ............................................................. 44 A Critical Gap in Knowledge ............................................................................... 57 III. RESEARCH METHODS AND CONTEXT ........................................................ 60 Project Overview .................................................................................................. 60 Methods................................................................................................................. 61 Data Analysis ........................................................................................................ 65 Description of Sample ........................................................................................... 65 Limitations ............................................................................................................ 67 South Florida Context ........................................................................................... 68 English & Ebonics ...............................................................................................