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Bridging the Gap: Black Immigrant Identities and Dreams of Home

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Identity Flexibility During Adulthood

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Abstract

This chapter highlights the multidimensional experiences of Black immigrants in the United States as it relates to the intricate process of establishing and maintaining their continuously evolving national, racial and ethnic identities in a predominantly white context. A brief overview of relevant identity and acculturation theories is presented. Descriptions of the experiences of Black immigrants in the United States as depicted in the literature, as well as anecdotal data from individual interviews from an ongoing study of first and second generation Black Caribbean immigrants are integrated throughout the chapter. Whether and how Black immigrants attempt to cultivate assimilationist, traditionalist, biculturalist, or flexible, transnational identities as an adaptive survival strategy while living in the United States is explored.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology Department, Towson University, 8000 York Rd, Towson, MD, 21252, USA

    Leonie J. Brooks Ph.D.

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  1. Leonie J. Brooks Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Leonie J. Brooks Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Towson University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    Jan D. Sinnott

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Brooks, L.J. (2017). Bridging the Gap: Black Immigrant Identities and Dreams of Home. In: Sinnott, J. (eds) Identity Flexibility During Adulthood. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55658-1_5

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