On Becoming Black: Narratives From a Black Caribbean Immigrant

• In Event: Know Thyself: Reflections of Emerging Black Female Scholars Through Critical Race Theory

Abstract

The formation and understanding of racial identities play a significant role in the lives of Black immigrants in the United States. In fact, Warner (2012) posits that “all immigrants experience conflicts of social identity when confronted with the necessity of remaking their lives in a new society” (p.69). In the midst of negotiating their social identities in United States, Black-Caribbean immigrants are often shocked when they realize the meanings placed upon their Black bodies. Using critical race theory and storytelling through a series of vignettes, I document and reflect on my journey as a Black-Caribbean immigrant on becoming Black, not just in skin, but in thought as well. In doing so, I also analyze what this means and what this looks like in the context of the United States.
As a Black-Caribbean immigrant, my lack of understanding of race and racism became apparent when I immigrated to the United States. While there are Black immigrants who are aware of the injustices and hurt placed on Black bodies, the nuances of race and racism escaped me. My lack of knowledge had more to do with my environment in my native country than the color of my skin. Hall’s (1992) work on identity supports this as he suggests that, “identity is formed and transformed continuously in relation to the ways in which we are represented or addressed in the cultural systems that surround us” (p. 30). Emigrating from a country that is predominantly Black where I was not socialized to talk about race or racism, and where there was no overlap or framing from a U.S. historical context in school, I was ill-prepared to tackle the systemic racism that undergirds the U.S.
In thinking about the ways in which racial identity is constructed, adopted, and experienced among Black-Caribbean immigrants in the U.S., the scholarly significance of this paper draws attention to the experiences of Black-Caribbean immigrants by utilizing critical race theory as a framework and storytelling as a methodological tool. While it is understood among scholars and within the field that race is socially constructed (Delgado, & Stefancic, 2012), relying only on phenotypic differences to classify groups and assert power over others, this social construct is an adjustment for Black immigrants. Courses such as “Critical Race Theory in Education” are helpful in bringing emerging academics into conversation with each other about their unique understandings of what might otherwise seem like the "same" label.

Author

• Kayon A. Hall, Michigan State University