Empire's Guestworkers
Haitian Migrants in Cuba during the Age of US Occupation
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Cambridge University Press
Published:23rd May '19
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
This insightful exploration of Haitian guestworkers reveals their experiences in Cuba and the broader implications of migration, labor, and imperialism during a transformative era.
In Empire's Guestworkers, the author delves into the complex lives of Haitian seasonal migrants as they navigate the rural landscapes of Haiti and the diverse urban settings of eastern Cuba. This groundbreaking study highlights the experiences of these guestworkers on sugar plantations, coffee farms, and in bustling cities, providing a detailed account of their daily struggles and triumphs. By focusing on their lived experiences, the book sheds light on the broader implications of labor, empire, and political economy during a pivotal period in Caribbean history.
The narrative explores how Haitian migration to Cuba intertwines with themes of race, national development, and the impact of US imperialism in the early twentieth century. By filling a significant gap in existing literature, Empire's Guestworkers offers readers a unique perspective on the socio-political dynamics that shaped the lives of these migrants. The author meticulously reconstructs the challenges faced by Haitian workers, revealing how their efforts to improve their living and working conditions influenced migration policies and economic realities in both Haiti and Cuba.
Furthermore, the book examines the cultural and spiritual dimensions of migration, illustrating how the practice of religion among these workers contributed to their resilience and sense of community. Through this innovative analysis, Empire's Guestworkers presents a compelling narrative that not only highlights the historical significance of Haitian migration but also invites readers to reflect on the enduring legacies of race, politics, and development in the Caribbean.
'This exhaustively researched and incisively analyzed study spotlights the Haitians who migrated to Cuba during the first decades of the twentieth century. Revising received assumptions with each chapter, Matthew Casey reveals the heterogeneous identities and experiences of Haitians in Cuba, the extent to which they forged connections with local people and migrants from other parts of the Caribbean, and the role they played in shaping larger social, cultural, economic, and political processes. Empire's Guestworkers is a model of transnational historical scholarship from below.' Kate Ramsey, University of Miami, Coral Gables
'This book is a deeply-researched and lucidly-reasoned study of migration, race, nation, and empire in what may be the first instance of the guestworker programs and massive deportations that would come to characterize contemporary global migrations. Casey explores the process from above - the triangular power relations between states and elites - and below - the migrant's transnational strategies of resistance and adaptation - in a manner that is creative, dialectical, and eye-opening.' José C. Moya, Columbia University, New York
'A major achievement, Matthew Casey's extraordinary study peels away the obfuscating layers of conventional history to present in glimmering details the daily trials and rewards of early twentieth century Haitian migrants in Cuba. The book is more than a migration narrative: it is a profound reminder that the intricate evolution of Caribbean nations in a world of empire cannot be fully understood without close study of their past connections.' Matthew J. Smith, University of the West Indies, Mona
'Empire's Guestworkers is an exceptionally rigorous, engaging, and thoughtful book that makes an invaluable contribution to existing scholarship. In illuminating the complexities that characterized these migrants and this migration, Casey calls into question constructions of migrants, nations, and empires across time and place.' Andrea Queeley, H-LatAm
'… an original and engaging work for scholars, teachers, policymakers and members of a more general audience concerned about how and why our societies become diverse in population, generate local and transnational networks, establish and enforce particular laws, and continue to be burdened by particular prejudices and persistent debates.' Chantalle F Verna, Journal of Social History
'Empire's Guestworkers is an impressive piece of scholarship, both analytically and methodologically.' Matthew Davidson, SX Salon (smallaxe.net)
ISBN: 9781107566958
Dimensions: 230mm x 153mm x 20mm
Weight: 340g
325 pages