Sound of My Footsteps

This study investigates the pre-migratory perceptions and the post-migratory academic and socio-economic attainment levels of 30 Jamaican immigrants who migrated to either the United States or England between 1950 and 1990. Interviews were conducted with 15 Jamaican immigrants in Brooklyn and Queens, New York and 15 Jamaican immigrants in Nottingham, England. Through participant observation, narrative, archival and questionnaire research, the primary purpose of this study was to look at what these thirty Jamaican immigrants in New York State and Nottingham, England wanted for their lives and compare that with the academic levels and socio-economic conditions they find themselves in. Pre-migratory perceptions and the economic expectations of these immigrants were gathered through the interviews. Post-Migratory attainment levels were obtained through demographic information acquired through questionnaires completed by each participant. The book reveals the discoveries found during the interviews. Discoveries which include encounters with racial discrimination in housing and employment, and financial successes in spite of these encounters.