Despite growing cultural and economic homogenization across the globe, the visible presence of immigrant communities stands out in many metropolises of the world. In almost all major cities the cultural and physical presence of various ethnic or religious groups is very much in evidence. Yet, until now, the academic treatment of international migration has mostly been confined to limited case studies, single ethnic groups, or single locations. Crossing Over offers an alternative to this method, bringing together a diverse group of academics charged with submitting new research that juxtaposes experiences and draws on comparisons between aspects of migration in Europe and the United States. The essays focus on two main issues: security issues—heightened by recent terrorist activities—and the question of citizenship, identity, and host-guest interaction. The result is a collection of accessible research essays that shed light on both the parallels and differences that exist for immigrant groups across continents and cultures.
Holger Henke is a political scientist and works as assistant provost at York College, City University of New York. He has previously taught as a professor (assistant professor, 2004-08; associate professor, 2008) at Metropolitan College of New York.
He grew up in Viersen and since 1972 in Haar (Munich). Henke attended the Geschwister-Scholl-Institute for Political Science at the University of Munich, where he obtained a Magister Artium (Political Science, Modern German Literature, and Communication Sciences) in 1987. He subsequently emigrated and lived for seven years in Jamaica. In 1996 he earned a Ph.D. in Government at the University of the West Indies (Mona) with a dissertation about the foreign relations of that country between 1972 und 1989. Since 1995 he lives near New York City.
Henke studies international relations (Caribbean, Europe, USA, und Asia), migration, political culture and development (political economy). He has published six books and numerous scholarly articles. Henke is the editor of the peer-reviewed journal "Wadabagei: A Journal of the Caribbean and its Diasporas." He currently serves as the President of the Caribbean Studies Association (2010-2011). Henke is also a Senior Fellow of the Caribbean Research Center at Medgar Evers College (City University of New York), where he previously had worked as assistant director, and a Senior Research Fellow of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs in Washington (D.C.). In August 2010, he received the honorary citizenship of Jamaica.
