Rather be known as Haitian: identity construction of the ethnically-identified second generation

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this article, I examine how city context influences ethnic identity development and construction of the mainstream. Based on forty-one in-depth interviews and ten months of ethnographic fieldwork, I demonstrate how the children of Haitian immigrants reject the American identity on two fronts – race and ethnicity – in Miami, Florida, a majority-minority city. Specifically, when Haitian Americans speak of “Americans,” they are usually referring to African Americans. American is also used to describe Haitian Americans who are seen as having Americanized or adopted U.S. attitudes and behaviours to the point that they have a stronger connection to the United States than to Haiti. More than a peculiar word association, I argue that Haitian Americans’ relationship with African Americans and the role of ethnicity in Miami propels Haitian Americans to strive to remain ethnically distinct from both African Americans and American whites.