Caribbean American Heritage: Readings and Resources

"One man’s personal discovery of his family’s involvement in transatlantic slavery leads to his call for a wider reckoning among the descendants of slave owners."

"A trailblazing book on the depiction of the Haitian Revolution in film and video games."

"Blending mythology and memory, Saga Boy follows a young Black immigrant's vibrant personal metamorphosis."

"A unique historical examination of Haitian Vodou's political and religious origins."

"An assessment, celebration, and careful notation of the extraordinary melting pot of Latin music."

"Whether at UFW picket lines in California’s Central Valley or capturing summertime street life in East Harlem Latinx photographers have documented fights for dignity and justice as well as the daily lives of ordinary people."

"Vivid photographs and essays that deliver an extraordinary immersion in Caribbean identity and ritual performance."

"Mimi Sheller delves into the ecological crises and reconstruction challenges affecting the entire Caribbean region during a time of climate catastrophe."

"VP Records co-founder, and one of the reigning matriarchs of Reggae music, Patricia “Miss Pat” Chin, continues to lead the largest independent label and distributor of Caribbean music."

"Phonographic Memories is the first book-length analysis of Caribbean popular music in the Caribbean novel."

"The inspiring story of Pauline Davis, a Bahamian sprinter who fought through poverty, inequality, and racism to compete in five Olympic games and become the first woman from the Caribbean to win Olympic gold."

"Riff explores the turbulent life of the musician and poet Shake Keane who migrated from St Vincent to London in the 1950s where became a significant figure on the free form jazz scene and innovative poet."

"Gaming legend and boss level disruptor Reggie Fils-Aimé, retired President and Chief Operating Officer of Nintendo of America Inc., shares leadership lessons and inspiring stories from his unlikely rise to the top."

"A memoir about being free—sexually, politically and artistically—chronicles the tumultuous yet luminary life of the author, from his poverty-stricken childhood in rural Cuba to his imprisonment as a homosexual to the events leading to his death in New York."

"Best-selling author of Bad Feminist explores the devastating act of violence that triggered her personal challenges with food and body image, sharing advice for caring for oneself and eating in healthful and satisfying ways."

"This book is for everyone. Because we can all be allies. As an ally, you use your power--no matter how big or small--to support others. You learn, and try, and mess up, and try harder. In this collection of true stories, 17 critically acclaimed and bestselling YA authors get real about being an ally, needing an ally, and showing up for friends and strangers. From raw stories of racism and invisible disability to powerful moments of passing the mic, these authors share their truths. They invite you to think about your own experiences and choices and how to be a better ally. There are no easy answers, but this book helps you ask better questions. Self-reflection prompts, resources, journaling ideas, and further reading suggestions help you find out what you can do. Because we're all in this together. And we all need allies""

"This book chronicles the life of black jazz trumpeter, vocalist, and bandleader Arthur Briggs, from his early years in Grenada, through his teens in New York City during the Harlem Renaissance period, and his career in jazz in Europe after WWI."

"Examining the way in which the characteristics of the societies they left shaped their perceptions of the land to which they traveled, Winston James draws sharp differences between Hispanic, Anglophone, and other non-Hispanic arrivals."

"Sweeping from close-knit island communities to the streets of New York City and midwestern university towns, these eleven stories form a portrait of a nation, a people, and a way of life."

"When an elderly Bimshire village woman calls the police to confess to a murder, the result is a shattering all-night vigil that brings together elements of the African diaspora in one epic sweep."

"The people of the US Virgin Islands coexist with the Ynaa, a race of super-advanced aliens on a research mission they will not fully disclose, until the death of a young boy plunges three families into an inevitable conflict."

"Examining the lives of ordinary Haitians, particularly those struggling to survive under the brutal Duvalier regime, Danticat illuminates the distance between people's desires and the stifling reality of their lives." Short stories.

"A modern-day interpretation of King Lear set in Trinidad, Jamaica, and Barbados follows widower Peter Ducksworth and his decision to divide his land among his three daughters while he is still alive."

"A magical coming-of-age tale relates episodes from the young life of Annie John, aged 10 to 17, as she grows up on the Caribbean island of Antigua."

"A tale inspired by the 1976 attempted assassination of Bob Marley spans decades and continents to explore the experiences of journalists, drug dealers, killers and ghosts against a backdrop of period social and political turmoil."

"Babakar is a doctor living alone in Guadeloupe, with only the memories of his childhood in Mali, until the child Anais comes into his life. Forced to abandon his solitude, he takes her to Haiti in search of her family. "

"After receiving her long-coveted visa to America, Patsy leaves behind her family in Jamaica, only to discover that life as an undocumented immigrant is not what her best friend had described."

"The profoundly unsettling story of an elderly slave's daring escape into the wild from a plantation in Martinique, with his master and a fearsome hound on his heels."

"Mireille Duval Jameson, a rich and self-assured Haitian woman, is kidnapped by a gang of heavily armed men. Held captive by a man who calls himself the Commander, Mireille must endure his torment until her unwilling father pays up."

"An epic family saga chronicling the families of three siblings who survived a shipwreck off the Virgin Islands in 1916 and raised three generations there, adapting to the unique language, rhythm and magic of island life over 60 years."

"The sights, sounds, tastes, rhythms, and dance moves of a Caribbean dancehall bashment (party) come to life in this rhyming story featuring Shane, an Afro-Caribbean American boy who overcomes his fear of dancing and singing in front of his kinfolk and family friends."

"Yesenia, a young Afro-Dominican American girl, loves plátanos (plantains) and describes the many ways in which they infuse her extended family’s daily life and traditions with culture, shared memories of their island, comfort, and love."

"An unnamed white Puerto Rican girl narrates her family’s experience of preparing for, enduring, and recovering from a destructive hurricane that blows the roof off their home in Puerto Rico. In the storm’s aftermath, community members eventually come together to help the family install a new roof; in the meantime, a stand-in roof of blue tarp provides a stimulus for the siblings’ imaginations as the girl patiently helps her brother, Antonio, work through post-traumatic mutism."