Caribbean Migrants

• Author(s): Richardson, Bonham C.
• Series:
• Imprint: Univ Tennessee Press
• Publication Date: 1983-03-01
• Status: Active
• Available in Hardcover - Cloth: Price $17.95 | Buy Now

Faced with colonial heritage and progressive ecological devastation, resourceful Caribbean islanders migrate to cities such as New York and London for work, yet maintain cultural ties to their homes. Richardson’s provocative study illuminates the context within which a growing American ethnic group exists.

The Author: Bonham C. Richardson is professor of geography at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

“If the islands and their populations are small, the author’s perspective is admirably broad. In effect he has written a socio-economic history of St. Kitts and Nevis since colonisation began, but with special reference to migration and a developing ‘migration culture’ and to ecological change. . . . a well-written and highly readable book. . . . The emphasis on ecological change, and on the linkages between environmental modifications and socio-economic-cultural responses, makes this book original in approach and enlightening in its conclusions. . . . a most valuable contribution to Caribbean studies.”
—Bridget Brereton, Journal of Caribbean History

“This work is perhaps the most thoroughly researched piece of historical-cultural geography on a Caribbean topic . . . . It is well written and provides an outstanding analysis of a vitally important aspect of Caribbean society.”
—Thomas D. Boswell, Journal of Geography

“[An] interesting and highly readable account of Caribbean emigration touches briefly on regional movements in the southeast islands, then focuses sharply on St. Kitts and Nevis in the former British Leewards.”
—Colin Clarke, Journal of Historical Geography

“. . . should be studied by everyone whose planning decisions will impact the peoples and environments of this region. It may be a touchstone for understanding the increasing demands for basic livelihood in other regions of the world.”
—Herrick H. Smith, Landscape Journal

“. . . a significant contribution to Caribbean migration studies, particularly in reminding us of the importance of ecological variables.”
—Trevor W. Purcell, Hispanic American Historical Review

“. . . highly recommended to all students of human migration and of the Caribbean in particular. It gives a close and intimate view of many of the problems confronting the smaller islands at a time when this region of the world is at the center of attention.”
—Sergio Diaz-Briquets, International Migration Review

” . . . an important and unusual contribution to our understanding of human migration, historical geography, and West Indian studies.”
—Choice

“This book can be read with profit and pleasure by Caribbeanists, students of migration, development experts, or anyone who thinks to scan the past for a better grasp of the creative responses of masses of people who are intended, or unintended, targets of macro-economic and social change.”
—Catherine Lugar, History: Reviews of New Books