Parents                Self-Identification               The Interviews                Racial Discrimination

For the child of an immigrant, a sense of identity is even further abstracted due to the differences from his parents’ culture, and by external influences that are beyond his control. He may feel as though his identity lies between two or more cultures. Furthermore, for a second generation Caribbean immigrant, external factors can have much more of an effect than he intends. Caribbean people are often categorized as belonging to the black race. Some have chosen to identify with the black race, but others have not. Regardless, they experience the racial discrimination aimed toward blacks. Thus, the racial and ethnic identity of a second generation Caribbean is determined by the struggle between self-identification and external factors, mainly race, and class. It is through this interaction that one finds his place in American society.