Race Migrations: Latinos and the Cultural Transformation of Race

by Wendy Roth

In this groundbreaking study of Puerto Rican and Dominican migration to the United States, Wendy D. Roth explores the influence of migration on changing cultural conceptions of race―for the newcomers, for their host society, and for those who remain in the countries left behind. Just as migrants can gain new language proficiencies, they can pick up new understandings of race. But adopting an American idea about race does not mean abandoning earlier ideas. New racial schemas transfer across borders and cultures spread between sending and host countries. Behind many current debates on immigration is the question of how Latinos will integrate and where they fit into the U.S. racial structure. Race Migrations shows that these migrants increasingly see themselves as a Latino racial group. Although U.S. race relations are becoming more "Latin Americanized" by the presence of Latinos and their views about race, race in the home countries is also becoming more "Americanized" through the cultural influence of those who go abroad. Ultimately, Roth shows that several systems of racial classification and stratification co-exist in each place, in the minds of individuals and in their shared cultural understandings of "how race works."

Genres: History

268 pages, Hardcover

First published June 13, 2012

Reviews

[celia · Rating 2 out of 5]

A dense read, at times repetitive. The appendix is definitely worth a perusal0 Roth takes the time to more or less lay out her research methodology, which really improves the understanding of her research and lends credence to her results.

One of the most interesting conclusions Roth came to is that migrants to the U.S. don't necessarily assimilate entirely to U.S. racial schema/understanding. Not only do they still maintain previously held schema, but they influence what was already there. If you're doing any type of work with Latinx communities or working with race in the U.S., this is an important read.

She really could spend more time citing the research that's come before her and has CLEARLY influenced her work and thinking though. Her wording/framework is often problematic and incomplete. Consider reading: Candelario, Levitt, Bonilla-Silva, and see who they quote if you want more in depth and nuanced research...

[Gordon Kwok · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this book and appreciate the author’s attempt to explain her methodology and intent. In short, an informative book on how “race” is a social construct influenced by society. I recommend this book with an interest in race, sociology or want a greater understanding of how Dominican and Puerto Rican immigrants view race both in the motherland and here after moving to the US.

[Serah · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an immigrant or a minority, have you ever seriously questioned your identity and belonging in a sea of presumptions and biases? If you ever did, this book is a must. The researcher explores where Latin American classify themselves in the US an how the US (citizens) classify them, e.g white, black, latin..etc. and why they come up with this stratification, is it colour, culture, customs, history?