“First Thing When I Walk Through the Door, I Am a Black Woman”: Pilot Study Examining Afro-Caribbean Women's Racial and Ethnic Identity

Abstract

Hybrid identity theory was utilized to understand how race and ethnicity were perceived from the perspective of Afro-Caribbean women living in the U.S. Thematic analysis revealed four themes: (1) inability to understand African Americans’ experiences, (2) feelings of racial and gender bias, (3) racial pride in the Black community, and (4) ethnic pride in the Caribbean community as a protective factor. Findings indicate that women's observed racial role distancing was a fluid process where women moved freely between ethnic difference and racial togetherness depending on their perceptions of racial stereotypes among the African American community. Clinical implications are offered.