by Mahadevi Ramakrishnan and R Scott Smith

This book explores the history of immigration and development of cultural identities on the island of Martinique from 1635 to the present with particular attention to the major cultural groups—African, French, and Indian—as well the role of the indigenous Caribs in cultural hybridization. This interdisciplinary study of intertwined adaptive strategies to emigration and resettlement provides insight into the complicated tapestry of contemporary Martinican identity, including Martinique’s chosen status as an Overseas Department of France. To help students navigate nearly 400 years of complex history, the authors provide a glossary and questions for reflection.

An effective survey of Martinique’s hybrid, and indeed multifaceted, cultural identity through the thematic prisms of resettlement and migration.… The complex issues marking the post-emancipation period receive thoroughgoing treatment as well, particularly the contributions of the island’s Indian, Congolese, Chinese, and Syro-Lebanese arrivants…. It will be valuable reading for scholars in Caribbean Studies, French Studies, Postcolonial Studies, and related fields.
—Professor H. Adlai Murdoch, Professor of Francophone Studies and Director of Africana Studies,
Tufts University.

282 pp., softcover with b&w illustrations, 6×9 inches. 

Cat. Number: CSP3704
ISBN Number: 9781626323704