African American Research Center, Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Notes:
251 p., Reviews the conditions endured by the slaves during their passage and in the plantations and how these conditions may have affected their own health and that of their descendants. Providing an evolutionary framework for understanding the epidemiology of common modern-day diseases such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes, it also looks at infectious diseases and their effect on the genetic make-up of Afro-Caribbean populations. Also covered are population genetics studies that have been used to understand the microevolutionary pathways for various populations, and demographic characteristics including the relationships between migration, family type and fertility.
Examined differences within the black population by separately examining the prevalence of inpatient treatment of African Americans and U.S.- and foreign-born Caribbean blacks. Used a population-based sample of 9,371 community-dwelling adults, including 3,570 African Americans, 1,621 blacks of Caribbean descent, and 4,180 non-Hispanic whites. Concludes that disparities between blacks and whites in the prevalence of psychiatric inpatient treatment appear to be persistent, but global comparisons mask important heterogeneity within the black population.
Crack addiction is out of control in Brazil. Alford laments the lack of political power for blacks in Brazil. “This nation tries to hide its Blackness ... Blacks are 52 percent of the population but, in a nation where voting is mandatory, Blacks have less than 10 percent of the elected officials. They have no economic base.” He suggests that drug dealing – which disproportionately victimizes black Brazilians – flourishes due to official corruption and complicity by the police and legal communities.
This article examines the political implications of the changing demographics of the Cuban American community. Over the past decade, pundits have predicted a massive shift in Cuban American voting behavior owing to demographic changes in the community. The authors find evidence that the attitudes of Cuban Americans have undergone significant changes, driven largely by the increased number of post-Mariel (1980) immigrants. The authors also find, however, that these dramatic changes have not yet been reflected at the ballot box, nor are they likely to be soon, owing to the slow process of immigrant political incorporation.
Guyana is often referred to in the literature as the "land of the six races", comprising East Indian, Blacks, Whites, Portuguese, Chinese and Amerindians. This diversity has attracted in the interest of many social science scholars who have labeled Guyana a "plural society". Here, Ramraj examines the aspects of the demographic history of Guyana and current demographic trends, and notes the changes in the ethnic composition of the country's population, and aspects of its spatial distribution especially in relation to the black population. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT];
This paper presents estimates of the level and trend of the fertility of different ethnic minorities in the UK from the 1960s up to 2006. The fertility estimates are derived primarily from the Labour Force Survey using the Own-Child method, with additional information from the General Household Survey and vital registration data. Comparisons are made between the level of fertility of UK-born and immigrant mothers from minority groups, and the fertility of the populations in the country of origin. Total fertility in all groups has fallen from levels that were initially relatively high. That of some UK ethnic groups has already fallen to about the level of the UK national average (e.g., black Caribbean) or below it (e.g., Indian and Chinese). Only among Pakistani and Bangladeshi women does total fertility remain substantially above the national average despite a continuous decrease over the last 20 years.
Study aims to identify the major factors underlying the discrepancy in poverty levels between whites and blacks in Brazil. Results show that the characteristics effect explains a large part of the discrepancy in poverty levels: education and labor variables explain one-half of the gap, and geographic and sociodemographic variables another two-fifths.
Utilizing confidential Census data for 1990 and 2000, the authors develop new destination classifications for 741 labor markets that take into account the differential growth and composition characteristics of 24 Asian, Latin American and Caribbean immigrant groups living in those markets. The empirical analysis of labor market out-migration indicates that immigrants do not see internal migration as an either/or choice between economics and social support but prefer residence places that allow them to maximize both conditions.
