THE CARIBBEAN NATION-STATE IN BROOKLYN POLITICS: AN EXAMINATION OF THE UNA CLARKE MAJOR OWENS CONGRESSIONAL RACE

Abstract

The political campaigns of Una Clarke and Major Owens show an interesting display of ethnic politics. In this paper, I argue that the presence of a Caribbean population in Brooklyn New York presents itself as a challenge to the already present African-American structure. The Caribbean politicians do not subscribe nor fully ally with the African-American politicians, and instead, seek to carve out a niche for themselves and utilize their ties to home in an effort to cajole the Caribbean populace for support. Through the purview of a political campaign in Brooklyn between an African-American incumbent and a Caribbean insurgent, I attempt to contribute to the transnationalist literature through illustrating the concept of the nation−state, which can be explained as an immigrant’s continual bond to their home country while living abroad.

Citation

Brown, E. (2004), "THE CARIBBEAN NATION-STATE IN BROOKLYN POLITICS: AN EXAMINATION OF THE UNA CLARKE MAJOR OWENS CONGRESSIONAL RACE", Krase, J. and Hutchison, R. (Ed.) Race and Ethnicity in New York City (Research in Urban Sociology, Vol. 7), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 221-244. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1047-0042(04)07010-2