Dissertation
"Indo-Caribbeans in New York City:
Negotiating Identity at the Black/Asian Interface"
Anjanette's dissertation unites her interests in Afro-Asian relations, South Asian casteism and colorism, and race/ethnicity in the United States, the Caribbean, and Latin America by examining the ethno-racial incorporation of Indo-Caribbeans immigrants in New York City. Indo-Caribbeans are West Indians of South Asian descent. Their ancestors were brought to the Caribbean as indentured servants in 1838, making Indo-Caribbeans the first -- and until 1965, the largest -- South Asian population in the New World.
Although racially "Indian", Indo-Caribbeans are ethnically both "Indian" and "West Indian", giving them ethnic options in the United States. By investigating how Indo-Caribbean immigrants carve out ethno-racial identities in New York City's multi-ethnic context, Anjanette traces how factors such as Indo-Caribbeans' lower caste and class profiles in contrast to many South Asian Americans, their indenture history, and their long creolization in West Indian societies shape Indo-Caribbeans' relations with the city's African American, Afro-West Indian, and South Asian American communities.
Drawing from the Indo-Caribbean case, Anjanette's study develops a broad theoretical account of how ethno-racially ambiguous groups in the United States construct identities and coalitions in an era of increasing demographic diversity, racial fluidity, and complex migration. Click here to learn more about Anjanette's dissertation.
Photo guide (above from left to right): (1) Map of the Caribbean, (2) Strange Fruit by Indo-Caribbean artist Wendy Nanan. Nanan references Billie Holiday's protest song against Southern lynchings, while depicting an alliance between the Rastafarian Lion of Judah, and the Hindu god, Ganesh, (3) Riccardo Magherini, NYC, Times Square, NY 02.
other research
In addition to her dissertation, Anjanette has conducted numerous studies at the intersection of race, urban sociology, and health. These include a longitudinal analysis of the rise of urban food deserts in Chicago, a study of the effects of neighborhood violence on children's friendship, and a study geared to enhancing sexual health messaging for minority youth. Click on the links below to learn more about Anjanette's other projects.
