DOCSLIB.ORG

Rethinking the African Diaspora Judith Byfield, Special Issue Editor

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Rethinking the African Diaspora Judith Byfield, Special Issue Editor Introduction: Rethinking the African Diaspora Judith Byfield, special issue editor The idea of one Africa to unite the thoughts and ideals of all native peo­ ples of the dark continent belongs to the twentieth century and stems nat­ urally from the West Indies and the United States. Here various groups of Africans, quite separate in origin, became so united in experience and so exposed to the impact of new cultures that they began to think of Africa as one idea and one land. —W.E.B. Du Bois This special issue of the ASR devoted to the African diaspora grew out of conversations at several African Studies Association meetings. In both for­ mal and informal settings, participants made note of the recent tidal wave of scholarly, funding, and political interest in the African diaspora. It is clear that the African diaspora will belong to the twenty-first century as much as it belongs to the twentieth. Yet despite the exciting conferences and the new journals, many Africanists remain concerned about the way Africa and even the diaspora have been constructed in the discussion. Geo­ graphically, the African diaspora has been conceived in very narrow terms. With a focus primarily on African descendants in western Europe and the Americas, African migration across the Indian Ocean often was over­ looked. Attention to Africa itself has been problematic. In some instances, Africa was elided from the discussion (Cooper 1996); while in others, the generalizations about Africa reflected an unawareness of the tremendous African Studies Review, Volume 43, Number 1 (April 2000), pp. 1-9 Judith Byfield is an associate professor of history at Dartmouth College where she teaches African and Caribbean history. Her main research interests are women's social and economic history in Nigeria. Her publications include "Innovation and Conflict: Cloth Dyers and the Interwar Depression in Western Nigeria" (Journal of African History 38 [1]) and "Pawns and Politics: The Pawnship Debate in Western Nigeria," in Toyin Falola and Paul Lovejoy, eds. Pawnship in Africa: Debt Bondage in Historical Perspective (1993). Herbook, The Bluest Hands: A Social and Economic History of Indigo Dyers in Abeokuta (Western Nigeria), 1850-1940 is forthcoming from Heinemann Press. 1 2 African Studies Review quantity of outstanding research that now exists on multiple aspects of African societies (Lovejoy 1997; Gomez 1998). In order to more deeply engage scholars writing on the African dias­ pora, the Pan-African Caucus sponsored a roundtable on the topic at the 1998 ASA conference in Chicago. There, Tiffany Ruby Patterson and Robin D. G. Kelley presented a draft of their paper that attempted both to cri­ tique and to further the analysis of the African diaspora.2 The enthusiastic response at that session demonstrated the strong interest and reservations many Africanists share about this new generation of scholarship on the diaspora. This special issue builds upon that response and incorporates a broader range of perspectives on the diaspora. It presents a revised version of the Patterson and Kelley paper, commentaries on it from Africanists and non-Africanists, and articles from eight additional scholars. The articles and commentaries reflect the geographical, and to a lesser degree, the dis­ ciplinary breadth of diasporan scholarship. The articles in this volume accomplish several critical tasks. Collective­ ly they provide a provocative and stimulating critique of scholarship on the African diaspora. While the authors acknowledge limitations within a dias- poric framework, they nonetheless demonstrate that a diasporan perspec­ tive can refine our understanding of local, regional, and world histories. In addition, they identify critical theoretical and methodological issues that will influence research agendas of the twenty-first century. Mapping the African Diaspora in Thought and Space The geographical regions represented in this issue remind us that the dis­ persal of African populations was vast. Nonetheless, dispersal, as Patterson and Kelley point out, does not constitute a diaspora. According to Patter­ son and Kelley, the creation of a diaspora is in large measure contingent on a diasporic identity that links the constituent parts of that diaspora to a homeland. Contrary to Du Bois's suggestion, the notion of an African dias­ pora for which Africa was the homeland was not a natural development. It had to be socially and historically constituted, reconstituted, and repro­ duced. This is most apparent when one contrasts the development of a diasporic identity among African descendants on the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian Peninsula, and in the Americas. The crystallization of diasporic thought began very early in the history of African descended populations in North and South America. The major­ ity of these peoples were brought to the American shores as a consequence of the slave trade. As early as the eighteenth century, writers like Equiano helped establish a literary tradition that recalled Africa as a homeland. Equiano was certainly not alone. In Latin America, it can be argued that the writings of Juan Latino in the sixteenth century represented an even Rethinking the African Diaspora 3 earlier generation of diasporic thought (Patterson and Kelley 1998). Voluntary as well as enforced migration of Africans to the Arabian Peninsula and South Asia have a much longer history than the migration to the Americas, but as Ned Alpers argues in this volume, an equally well- articulated diasporic consciousness did not develop in these regions. The emphasis here is on articulation, for Alpers also demonstrates that although a literary tradition did not develop among African descendants across the Indian Ocean, one can still identify a number of cultural artifacts through which Africa was recalled. In parts of Oman, for example, Swahili still has currency, while in Gujarat, Indian sociologists have identified clan names that reveal African origin. Although the dispersal of Africans to these regions did not produce a comparable historical record of diasporic ruminations, conditions in the twentieth century have. Vijay Prashad shows that efforts to forge a diasporic consciousness and literature in India have taken a significant leap forward since the 1970s. Dalits, formerly called "untouchables," have forged a nationalist movement that links itself with the struggles of black peoples around the world and African Americans in particular. While Afro-Dalit scholars argue that Africans and Indians came from common ancestors, the recent development of this scholarship reinforces Patterson and Kel- ley's suggestion that we have to explore how a diasporic consciousness gets constructed and the historical, economic, and social factors that condition its development. In this case, African descent is only one factor of Dalit and African American common experience; they share histories of domination and resistance. They also share the temporal space of the late twentieth century in which advances in print, the internet, and other forms of com­ munication and travel allow greater access to each other and their respec­ tive constituencies. Consequently, Dalit construction of a diasporic identity has been more interdependent than that of previous generations. The rapid pace of technological change also facilitates greater inter­ dependence in refashioning diasporic cultural forms. In The Black Atlantic, Paul Gilroy illustrates how the evolution of the 1960s American hit "I'm So Proud" into the 1990 British reggae hit "Proud of Mandela" wove Africa, America, Europe, and the Caribbean together seamlessly. This song, which originated in the musical styles and experiences of black Chicagoans, was reformatted through Jamaican sensibilities and "produced in Britain by the children of Caribbean and African settlers to pay tribute to a South African hero" (1993:94-95). The particular sites of the diaspora that were foregrounded in the story of "I'm So Proud" also have a language in common English. Ivor Miller's contribution to this volume illuminates another genre of diasporic music. In Cuba, the Abakua society, a male secret society that derived principally from male leopard societies in the Cross River region of southeastern Nige­ ria, had a tremendous influence on popular music. Abakua words, chants, 4 African Studies Review and rhythms were incorporated into mambos and rumbas by musicians, many of whom belonged to Abakua societies. The popularity of Afro- Cuban jazz beyond the island's borders has taken these Abakua elements into Latin America, the United States, Japan, Europe, and multiple parts of Africa, especially Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This music is helping to fashion a diasporic consciousness that overrides the lan­ guage barriers created in part by former imperial borders. The distances traveled by these musical forms remind us that the relationship between Africa and the diaspora is not unidirectional. Abakua-inspired Afro-Cuban music also illuminates the dynamic rela­ tionship between expressive culture and politics as well as the complex nature of politics in the diaspora. Miller suggests that Cuba's Abakua prac­ titioners no longer look to Africa as the homeland. This music, whose his­ tory reflects the creativity and vitality of enslaved Africans, now stands as a symbol of Cuban identity and vitality despite the American embargo. As such it is part of the larger discourse that is not only a counterpoint but also a challenge and critique of capitalism and Euro-American
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Turkish Diaspora in Europe Integration, Migration, and Politics
    GETTY GEBERT IMAGES/ANDREAS The Turkish Diaspora in Europe Integration, Migration, and Politics By Max Hoffman, Alan Makovsky, and Michael Werz December 2020 WWW.AMERICANPROGRESS.ORG Contents 1 Introduction and summary 4 Key findings 9 Detailed findings and country analyses 34 Conclusion 37 About the authors and acknowledgments 38 Appendix: Citizenship laws and migration history in brief 44 Endnotes Introduction and summary More than 5 million people of Turkish descent live in Europe outside Turkey itself, a human connection that has bound Turkey and the wider European community together since large-scale migration began in the 1960s.1 The questions of immigra- tion, citizenship, integration, assimilation, and social exchange sparked by this migra- tion and the establishment of permanent Turkish diaspora communities in Europe have long been politically sensitive. Conservative and far-right parties in Europe have seized upon issues of migration and cultural diversity, often engaging in fearmonger- ing about immigrant communities and playing upon some Europeans’ anxiety about rapid demographic change. Relations between the European Union—as well as many of its constituent member states—and Turkey have deteriorated dramatically in recent years. And since 2014, Turks abroad, in Europe and elsewhere around the world, have been able to vote in Turkish elections, leading to active campaigning by some Turkish leaders in European countries. For these and several other reasons, political and aca- demic interest in the Turkish diaspora and its interactions
    [Show full text]
  • Changing Notions of Diaspora
    Published in International Affairs 72 (3), July 1996, 507–20 DIASPORAS AND THE STATE: FROM VICTIMS TO CHALLENGERS Robin Cohen The notion of ‘diaspora’, used first in the classical world, has acquired renewed importance in the late twentieth century. Once the term applied principally to Jews and less commonly to Greeks, Armenians and Africans. Now at least thirty ethnic groups declare that they are a diaspora, or are so deemed by others. Why these sudden proclamations? Frightened by the extent of international migration and their inability to construct a stable, pluralist, social order many states have turned away from the idea of assimilating or integrating their ethnic minorities. For their part, minorities no longer desire to abandon their pasts. Many retain or have acquired dual citizenship, while the consequences of globalisation have meant that ties with a homeland can be preserved or even reinvented. How have diasporas changed? What consequences arise for the nation-state? ∗ Until a few years ago most characterisations of diasporas emphasized their catastrophic origins and uncomfortable outcomes. The idea that ‘diaspora’ implied forcible dispersion was found in Deuteronomy (28: 25), with the addition of a thunderous Old Testament warning that a ‘scattering to other lands’ constituted the punishment for a people who had forsaken the righteous paths and abandoned the old ways. So closely, indeed, had ‘diaspora’ become associated with this unpropitious Jewish tradition that the origins of the word have virtually been lost. In fact, the term ‘diaspora’ is found in the Greek translation of the Bible and originates in the words ‘to sow widely’.
    [Show full text]
  • The Lived Experiences of Black Caribbean Immigrants in the Greater Hartford Area
    University of Connecticut OpenCommons@UConn University Scholar Projects University Scholar Program Spring 5-1-2021 Untold Stories of the African Diaspora: The Lived Experiences of Black Caribbean Immigrants in the Greater Hartford Area Shanelle A. Jones [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://opencommons.uconn.edu/usp_projects Part of the Immigration Law Commons, Labor Economics Commons, Migration Studies Commons, Political Science Commons, Race and Ethnicity Commons, Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies Commons, and the Work, Economy and Organizations Commons Recommended Citation Jones, Shanelle A., "Untold Stories of the African Diaspora: The Lived Experiences of Black Caribbean Immigrants in the Greater Hartford Area" (2021). University Scholar Projects. 69. https://opencommons.uconn.edu/usp_projects/69 Untold Stories of the African Diaspora: The Lived Experiences of Black Caribbean Immigrants in the Greater Hartford Area Shanelle Jones University Scholar Committee: Dr. Charles Venator (Chair), Dr. Virginia Hettinger, Dr. Sara Silverstein B.A. Political Science & Human Rights University of Connecticut May 2021 Abstract: The African Diaspora represents vastly complex migratory patterns. This project studies the journeys of English-speaking Afro-Caribbeans who immigrated to the US for economic reasons between the 1980s-present day. While some researchers emphasize the success of West Indian immigrants, others highlight the issue of downward assimilation many face upon arrival in the US. This paper explores the prospect of economic incorporation into American society for West Indian immigrants. I conducted and analyzed data from an online survey and 10 oral histories of West Indian economic migrants residing in the Greater Hartford Area to gain a broader perspective on the economic attainment of these immigrants.
    [Show full text]
  • PDF Fileiranian Migrations to Dubai: Constraints and Autonomy of A
    Iranian Migrations to Dubai: Constraints and Autonomy of a Segmented Diaspora Amin Moghadam Working Paper No. 2021/3 January 2021 The Working Papers Series is produced jointly by the Ryerson Centre for Immigration and Settlement (RCIS) and the CERC in Migration and Integration www.ryerson.ca/rcis www.ryerson.ca/cerc-migration Working Paper No. 2021/3 Iranian Migrations to Dubai: Constraints and Autonomy of a Segmented Diaspora Amin Moghadam Ryerson University Series Editors: Anna Triandafyllidou and Usha George The Working Papers Series is produced jointly by the Ryerson Centre for Immigration and Settlement (RCIS) and the CERC in Migration and Integration at Ryerson University. Working Papers present scholarly research of all disciplines on issues related to immigration and settlement. The purpose is to stimulate discussion and collect feedback. The views expressed by the author(s) do not necessarily reflect those of the RCIS or the CERC. For further information, visit www.ryerson.ca/rcis and www.ryerson.ca/cerc-migration. ISSN: 1929-9915 Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada License A. Moghadam Abstract In this paper I examine the way modalities of mobility and settlement contribute to the socio- economic stratification of the Iranian community in Dubai, while simultaneously reflecting its segmented nature, complex internal dynamics, and relationship to the environment in which it is formed. I will analyze Iranian migrants’ representations and their cultural initiatives to help elucidate the socio-economic hierarchies that result from differentiated access to distinct social spaces as well as the agency that migrants have over these hierarchies. In doing so, I examine how social categories constructed in the contexts of departure and arrival contribute to shaping migratory trajectories.
    [Show full text]
  • An Africana Womanist Reading of the Unity of Thought and Action
    IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) Volume 22, Issue 3, Ver. V (March. 2017) PP 58-64 e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845. www.iosrjournals.org An Africana womanist Reading of the Unity of Thought and Action Nahed Mohammed Ahmed Abstract:- This article examines the importance of establishing an authentic African-centered paradigm in Black Studies. In doing so, this article selects Clenora Hudson-Weems’ Africana womanism paradigm as an example. The unity of thought and action is the most important concept in this paradigm. The article tries to trace the main features of such a concept and how these features are different from these in other gender-based paradigms. Africana womanism, coming out of the rich and old legacy of African womanhood, then, is an authentic Afrocentric paradigm. Africana womanism is a term coined in the late 1980s by Clenora Hudson- Weems. As a pioneer of such an Africana womanist literary theory, Hudson-Weems explains the term Africana womanism as follows: Africana means African-Americans, African-Caribbeans, African-Europeans, and Continental Africans. Womanism is more specific because “terminology derived from the word ‘woman’ is . more specific when naming a group of the human race” (“Africana Womanism: An Overview” 205-17). Besides, womanism is a recall for Sojourner Truth's powerful speech, “And Ain't I a Woman " affirming that the Africana woman 's problem lies in being black and not in being a woman in which she was forced to speak about race issues because "she was hissed and jeered at because she was black, not because she was a woman, since she was among the community of women" (207).The present article uncovers the importance of Hudson-Weems’ quest for an authentic Africana paradigm through shedding light on her concept of the unity between thought and action, used by earlier authentic Africana paradigms, namely Black aestheticism and Afrocentricity In “Africana Womanism and the Critical Need for Africana Theory and Thought,” Hudson-Weems clarifies her concept of the unity between thought and action.
    [Show full text]
  • The Asian Diaspora in Latin America: Asian in the Andes
    The Asian Diaspora in Latin America: Asians in the Andes Three years ago, as a result of my studies in the dual major of Photography and Asian Studies, and motivated by my own personal experiences, I began a long-te1m commitment to document the Asian Diaspora in Latin America. In this project, which has so far taken me to Cuba and Mexico, I explore the presence and reveal the stories of the displaced and disregarded Asians of Latin America. I would use the opportunity given to me, should I be awarded a Mortimer Hays-Brandeis Traveling Fellowship, to continue this project in the Andean countries of Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Chile. My intention as a photographer is to trace and record what has been overlooked or forgotten. Despite the undisputed Asian contribution to Latin American history, the economy and politics, their significance has been relatively neglected, as much by Asians 1 as by the world at large. This project will consist of photographic images and essays based on interviews and individual stories I will conduct while on location in and around Lima, Peru. My exploration of the Asian presence in Latin America began when I came to New York City for my studies and I encountered Spanish-speaking Asian communities. The 2000 Census showed that 11,500 Hispanic Asians live in New Y ork,2 and Professor Evelyn Hu-DeHa1i, director of the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America 1 Recognizing the ongoing debate amongst scholars to define what ethnicities the term "Asian" includes, I choose for this proposal and only for matter of clarity to stay focused on Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans.
    [Show full text]
  • The Balkans of the Balkans: the Meaning of Autobalkanism in Regional Popular Music
    arts Article The Balkans of the Balkans: The Meaning of Autobalkanism in Regional Popular Music Marija Dumni´cVilotijevi´c Institute of Musicology, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; [email protected] Received: 1 April 2020; Accepted: 1 June 2020; Published: 16 June 2020 Abstract: In this article, I discuss the use of the term “Balkan” in the regional popular music. In this context, Balkan popular music is contemporary popular folk music produced in the countries of the Balkans and intended for the Balkan markets (specifically, the people in the Western Balkans and diaspora communities). After the global success of “Balkan music” in the world music scene, this term influenced the cultures in the Balkans itself; however, interestingly, in the Balkans themselves “Balkan music” does not only refer to the musical characteristics of this genre—namely, it can also be applied music that derives from the genre of the “newly-composed folk music”, which is well known in the Western Balkans. The most important legacy of “Balkan” world music is the discourse on Balkan stereotypes, hence this article will reveal new aspects of autobalkanism in music. This research starts from several questions: where is “the Balkans” which is mentioned in these songs actually situated; what is the meaning of the term “Balkan” used for the audience from the Balkans; and, what are musical characteristics of the genre called trepfolk? Special focus will be on the post-Yugoslav market in the twenty-first century, with particular examples in Serbian language (as well as Bosnian and Croatian). Keywords: Balkan; popular folk music; trepfolk; autobalkanism 1.
    [Show full text]
  • The Role of Host Countries in Diaspora-Driven Development: Canadian Policy and Practice
    The Role of Host Countries in Diaspora-Driven Development: Canadian Policy and Practice by Shaheen Nanji B.G.S., Simon Fraser University, 2005 PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in the School for International Studies Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences © Shaheen Nanji 2011 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Fall 2011 All rights reserved. However, in accordance with the Copyright Act of Canada, this work may be reproduced, without authorization, under the conditions for “Fair Dealing.” Therefore, limited reproduction of this work for the purposes of private study, research, criticism, review and news reporting is likely to be in accordance with the law, particularly if cited appropriately. APPROVAL Name: Shaheen Mansur Nanji Degree: Master of Arts (International Studies Title of Thesis: The Role of Host Countries in Diaspora-Driven Development: Canadian Policy and Practice Supervisory Committee: Chair: Dr. John Harriss Professor ______________________________________ James Busumtwi-Sam Senior Supervisor Associate Professor of Political Science ______________________________________ John Harriss Supervisor Professor Date Approved: December 6, 2011 ________________________ ii Partial Copyright Licence ABSTRACT Current research on diaspora and development has two major gaps: (1) inquiry focuses primarily on the potential of remittances and investment and overlooks the broader impacts of diaspora-driven development; and (2) the diaspora-development nexus is often considered a dyadic relationship of diaspora and their ‘home’ countries and overlooks the role of developed ‘host’ nations. Diaspora-driven development occurs when transnational networks forged between their ‘host’ society and ‘home’ country/place of attachment, facilitate economic, knowledge, social, and political interchange. Becoming diasporic means acquiring the agency (the awareness, commitment, and attachments to a wider community) to engage in development beyond the maintenance of familial ties and transmission of remittances.
    [Show full text]
  • Alexander the Great
    RESOURCE GUIDE Booth Library Eastern Illinois University Alexander the Great A Selected List of Resources Booth Library has a large collection of learning resources to support the study of Alexander the Great by undergraduates, graduates and faculty. These materials are held in the reference collection, the main book holdings, the journal collection and the online full-text databases. Books and journal articles from other libraries may be obtained using interlibrary loan. This is a subject guide to selected works in this field that are held by the library. The citations on this list represent only a small portion of the available literature owned by Booth Library. Additional materials can be found by searching the EIU Online Catalog. To find books, browse the shelves in these call numbers for the following subject areas: DE1 to DE100 History of the Greco-Roman World DF10 to DF951 History of Greece DF10 to DF289 Ancient Greece DF232.5 to DF233.8 Macedonian Epoch. Age of Philip. 359-336 B.C. DF234 to DF234.9 Alexander the Great, 336-323 B.C. DF235 to DF238.9 Hellenistic Period, 323-146.B.C. REFERENCE SOURCES Cambridge Companion to the Hellenistic World ………………………………………. Ref DE86 .C35 2006 Encyclopedia of the Ancient Greek World ……………………………………………… Ref DF16 .S23 1995 Who’s Who in the Greek World ……………………………………………………….. Stacks DE7.H39 2000 PLEASE REFER TO COLLECTION LOCATION GUIDE FOR LOCATION OF ALL MATERIALS ALEXANDER THE GREAT Alexander and His Successors ………………………………………………... Stacks DF234 .A44 2009x Alexander and the Hellenistic World ………………………………………………… Stacks DE83 .W43 Alexander the Conqueror: The Epic Story of the Warrior King ………………..
    [Show full text]
  • I Am Because We Are: Africana Womanism As a Vehicle of Empowerment and Influence”
    “I Am Because We Are: Africana Womanism as a Vehicle of Empowerment and Influence” Janiece L. Blackmon Thesis submitted to the faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts In History Committee Chair: Dr. Beverly Bunch‐Lyons Committee Member: Dr. Hayward Farrar Committee Member: Dr. Brett L. Shadle June 16, 2008 Blacksburg, VA Keywords: Gender, Africana womanism, Rastafarianism, Black Panther Party, Nation of Gods and Earths “I Am Because We Are: Africana Womanism as a Vehicle of Empowerment and Influence” Janiece L. Blackmon ABSTRACT The purpose of this research project has been to shed light on the experiences of Black women in Afrocentric groups—Nation of Gods and Earths, the Black Panther Party, and Rastafarians—that operated on the fringes of society during the 1960s through the early 2000s. This work articulates the gender dynamics between the men and women of the groups. In it, I trace the history of Black nationalism and identity in the United States in the late 19th century to the 20th century which set the framework for the formation of the Nation of Gods and Earths (NGE), the Black Panther Party(BPP), and Rastafarianism and its members to see themselves as a part of the Black nation or community and the women of these groups to see their identity tied in with the goals and desires of the group not as one set on individualistic ambitions. The Africana womanist did not see herself as an individual but rather a vital part of the entire Black community.
    [Show full text]
  • Afro-Latinos in Latin America and Considerations for U.S. Policy
    Order Code RL32713 Afro-Latinos in Latin America and Considerations for U.S. Policy Updated November 21, 2008 Clare Ribando Seelke Analyst in Latin American Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Afro-Latinos in Latin America and Considerations for U.S. Policy Summary The 110th Congress has maintained an interest in the situation of Afro-Latinos in Latin America, particularly the plight of Afro-Colombians affected by the armed conflict in Colombia. In recent years, people of African descent in the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking nations of Latin America — also known as “Afro-Latinos” — have been pushing for increased rights and representation. Afro-Latinos comprise some 150 million of the region’s 540 million total population, and, along with women and indigenous populations, are among the poorest, most marginalized groups in the region. Afro-Latinos have formed groups that, with the help of international organizations, are seeking political representation, human rights protection, land rights, and greater social and economic opportunities. Improvement in the status of Afro-Latinos could be difficult and contentious, however, depending on the circumstances of the Afro-descendant populations in each country. Assisting Afro-Latinos has never been a primary U.S. foreign policy objective, although a number of U.S. aid programs benefit Afro-Latinos. While some foreign aid is specifically targeted towards Afro-Latinos, most is distributed broadly through programs aimed at helping all marginalized populations. Some Members support increasing U.S. assistance to Afro-Latinos, while others resist, particularly given the limited amount of development assistance available for Latin America. In the 110th Congress, there have been several bills with provisions related to Afro-Latinos.
    [Show full text]
  • Reparations in the Caribbean and Diaspora Prilly Bicknell-Hersco
    Reparations in the Caribbean and Diaspora Prilly Bicknell-Hersco Introduction Millions of people have been victim to violent and inhumane social injustices, many of them based on racial and cultural hierarchies. The Nazi Holocaust or the colonization of North America through the genocide of indigenous populations are examples of such instances. When these victims have no direct claim on those who committed the harm, the victims turn to the government for reparations. It can be said that the enslavement of Africans in the Caribbean is another painful and violent injustice, yet few reparations, if any at all, have been paid out to those most affected by the transatlantic slave trade. In 2013, CARICOM released an official request for Reparations for the Native Genocide and Slavery from the United Kingdom and the other European colonies. The discussion of reparations for slavery has ignited debate worldwide. Transformative justice is a philosophical way of handling conflict and violence. It looks to provide immediate safety, long-term healing, and reparations for victims. Transformative justice attempts to hold those who commit the violence accountable by ending the immediate abuse, committing to avoid abuse in the future, and offering reparations for past abuse. “For reparations to be meaningful, or at least for them to be meaningfully transformative, there needs to be a focus on both the process and outcomes of reparations programs. Moreover, reparations programs need to consider what the intended recipients want and need” (Evans and Wilkes 139). This thought process has led officials to take different approaches to provide reparations, including different policies and procedures beyond exclusively financial payments.
    [Show full text]