Category Archives: Reading Responses

Sherri-Ann P. Butterfield tackles the question of identity in second generation West Indian immigrants and how second generation immigrants see themselves in a New York setting. She hypothesizes certain types of self-identification for the people she interviews. Some people may … Continue reading →

This weeks articles mainly focused on second-generation immigrants and how they are struggling to find their unique identity within the vast and diverse culture of New York City that can be overwhelming. In Butterfield’s article, she goes through many personal … Continue reading →

Butterfield’s conception of West Indian self-identity reminded me of a concept I learned last semester in Sociology 101. This concept is called the Looking-Glass Self, created by Charles Horton Cooley in 1902. It says that we view ourselves and form … Continue reading →

Sherri-Ann P. Butterfield’s study on the way West Indians are identified versus what their ethnicity actually is, reveals some harsh truths about the way society views people. At first glance, people usually don’t take the time to ask where a … Continue reading →

What really appealed to me in this week’s readings was the discussion of education and its involvement in shaping the identity of second generation immigrants. Schools are one of the biggest catalysts of cultural diversity here in New York. During … Continue reading →

In Sheri Ann Butterfield’s article, she describes the identity of second generation West Indians in terms of both race and ethnicity. She asserts that West Indians do not make a choice between race and identity; they embrace both. According to … Continue reading →

My group is zeroing on the religion of Jackson Heights. Our initial plan was to find the 3 most common religions practiced in the area and then focusing on those. At first we had trouble finding exact percentages of the … Continue reading →

Sherri-Ann P. Butterfield conducted a very interesting study on the identity formation and classification of second generation West Indians. The main issue for West Indians is that they continue to be distinguished by the color of their skin instead of … Continue reading →

There is one observation in the Butterfield piece that really struck me more than any other, and that is the assertion of one interviewed subject that the very existence of such a broad and diverse range of cultural groups in … Continue reading →

One of Butterfield’s main points in her article is that a racial identity and an ethnic one are not mutually exclusive traits, and that a person can have both, rather than choose between the two.  For example, a person can … Continue reading →