ASSIMILATING TO BLACK AMERICA: HOW THE IDENTITY CHOICES OF HAITIAN IMMIGRANT AND HAITIAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS ARE IMPACTED BY RACIAL AND ECONOMIC SEGREGATION By JENNIFER LAURA CRAYTHORNE A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2006 Copyright 2006 by Jennifer Craythorne This dissertation is dedicated to Dr. James Button who, because of his untimely death, does not appear on my committee. I think he would have approved of this epigraph: “I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves, and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education.” While these words are Thomas Jefferson’s, their spirit certainly informed much of the work of Jim Button, from whose quiet activism I was lucky enough to learn. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my mother and father, Dr. Michael and Marlene Perle, for all their unfailing support, both mental and material. My brother also deserves gratitude for coming to my rescue and allowing me to finish this work. My longtime boss, Warren T. Smith also deserves mention for providing me with a grossly overpaid job and many hours spent debating social justice issues. I also owe a debt of gratitude to Brian for his patience and surprisingly high tolerance to dissertation writing snits. My committee, Drs. Maxine Margolis, Della McMillan, Kathryn Borman and Thomas Oakland, deserves a special mention, for sticking with me throughout this overly long process and having faith that I could produce something of value. Each of them, through their words, deeds and scholarship has had a profound impact on me and I thank them. I would also like to thank all of the families who took the time to open their homes and hearts to a stranger and share some of their feelings and frustrations, but most of all, who trusted that I had their children’s best interests at heart. Without all of them, truly none of this would be possible. Finally, to all the rest of my friends and family, I want to thank them for their patience, good humor, biting wit and quick response time on email. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iv LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................. ix LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................................................x ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER 1 SETTING THE STAGE...............................................................................................1 Hypothesis ....................................................................................................................2 Brief Summary of Findings...................................................................................3 Methods .................................................................................................................5 Background and Literature Review..............................................................................8 Theoretical Significance .............................................................................................13 Structure of Dissertation.............................................................................................16 2 IMMIGRATION AND TRANSNATIONAL MIGRATION ....................................18 Introduction.................................................................................................................18 Immigration to the United States – Four Waves ........................................................20 The First Wave ....................................................................................................21 The Second Wave................................................................................................24 The Third Wave...................................................................................................25 The Fourth Wave.................................................................................................28 Explaining Why People Move: Immigration Theories..............................................33 First Generation Theories....................................................................................35 Neoclassical macro-economic model...........................................................35 Neoclassical micro-economic model ...........................................................36 The new economics of migration model......................................................36 Problems.......................................................................................................37 Second Generation Theories................................................................................38 Segmented or dual labor market model........................................................39 Historical-structural and world systems models ..........................................41 Problems.......................................................................................................44 Third Generation Theories ..................................................................................45 v Social capital model .....................................................................................45 Migrant networks .........................................................................................46 Transnational migration ...............................................................................48 Problems.......................................................................................................51 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................52 3 ACCULTURATION ..................................................................................................55 Introduction.................................................................................................................55 Modes of Adaptation ..................................................................................................57 Assimilation.........................................................................................................58 Pluralism..............................................................................................................64 Structural Models ................................................................................................66 Segmented assimilation.......................................................................................67 Transnationalism .................................................................................................70 Identity.................................................................................................................71 Factors that Affect Acculturation ...............................................................................75 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................89 4 IMMIGRATION: THE HAITIAN CASE.................................................................91 Introduction.................................................................................................................91 Haiti Past and Present .................................................................................................93 Haiti’s Population and Demographics...............................................................100 Haiti’s Social Structure......................................................................................102 Haiti’s Economy................................................................................................104 Haitian Immigration..................................................................................................105 Waves of Haitian Immigration ..........................................................................108 Theories Used to Explain Haitian Immigration.................................................111 Factors in Haiti and the United States Favoring Immigration...........................118 Conclusion ................................................................................................................120 5 ACCULTURATION: HAITIANS IN CONTEXT .................................................122 Introduction...............................................................................................................122 The Haitian Diaspora in the United States ...............................................................123 Tampa .......................................................................................................................126 A Port of Entry ..................................................................................................126 Haitians in Tampa..............................................................................................130 Acculturation ............................................................................................................133 Internal Factors..................................................................................................133