The West Indians of Costa Rica: Race Class and the Integration of an Ethnic Minority (Mcgill-Queen's Studies in Ethnic History) [Paperback]

Ronald N. Harpelle (Author)

Book Description

Series: Mcgill-Queen's Studies in Ethnic History | Publication Date: February 2002

The Jamaicans, Barbadians, and other West Indians who migrated to Costa Rica at the turn of the twentieth century found themselves in a country that prides itself on its Spanish and "white settler" origins. In The West Indians of Costa Rica Ronald Harpelle examines the ways in which people of African descent reacted to key issues of community and cultural survival from 1900 to 1950. He 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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"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

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Mcgill Queens Univ Pr (February 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0773522816
• ISBN-13: 978-0773522817
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,660,303 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #40 in Books > History > Americas > Central America > Costa Rica

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