The West Indians of Costa Rica
Race, Class, and the Integration of an Ethnic Minority
Description
Harpelle focuses on Caribbean migrants and their adaptation to life in a Hispanic society, particularly in Limón, where cultures and economies often clashed. Dealing with such issues as Garveyism, Afro-Christian religious beliefs, and class divisions within the West Indian community, The West Indians of Costa Rica sheds light on a community that has been ignored by most historians and on events that define the parameters of the modern Afro-Costa Rican identity, revealing the complexity of a community in transition. Harpelle shows that the men and women who ventured to Costa Rica in search of opportunities in the banana industry arrived as West Indian sojourners but became Afro-Costa Ricans. The West Indians of Costa Rica is a story about choices: who made them, when, how, and what the consequences were.
Reviews
"A major contribution. Harpelle presents a clear narrative of the development of the region as an extension of the Afro-Antillean British Caribbean. His research and presentation of the important Limon following of Garveyism and the UNIA, a topic never developed before now, is one of the book's strongest points." Steven Palmer, University of Iowa "A significant contribution to scholarship. In the most complete investigation available to date, Harpelle considerably furthers our understanding of the history of the West Indian community in Costa Rica." James Handy, Department of History, University of Saskatchewan
"In the most complete investigation available to date, Harpelle considerably furthers our understanding of the history of the West Indian community in Costa Rica." James Handy, Department of History, University of Saskatchewan "A major contribution. Harpelle presents a clear narrative of the development of the region as an extension of the Afro-Antillean British Caribbean. His research and presentation of the important Limon following of Garveyism and the UNIA, a topic never developed before now, is one of the book's strongest points." Steven Palmer, University of Iowa