'to transplant in alien soil': Race, Nation, Citizenship, and the Idea of Emigration in the Revolutionary Atlantic
<p>The emigration of African Americans to Haiti throughout the nineteenth century was influenced by the Haitian Revolution (1791–1804). Looking beyond this influence as mere legacy, this article proposes that scholars begin to interrogate the relationship that developed between African America...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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eScholarship Publishing, University of California
2018-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Transnational American Studies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://escholarship.org/uc/item/82p0w1pn |
| _version_ | 1818749882551238656 |
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| author | Westenley Alcenat |
| author_facet | Westenley Alcenat |
| author_sort | Westenley Alcenat |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>The emigration of African Americans to Haiti throughout the nineteenth century was influenced by the Haitian Revolution (1791–1804). Looking beyond this influence as mere legacy, this article proposes that scholars begin to interrogate the relationship that developed between African American Black Nationalists and Haitian allies. The article explores whether the emigration by African Americans to postrevolutionary Haiti during the nineteenth century was a political rejection of the US. Or was it an opportunity to explore the possibilities of democratic citizenship—the right to have rights—that only Haiti had to offer, in the hope of promoting genuine democracy in the United States, as well? Why, in spite of their insistence that they, too, were Americans, did some African Americans accept the invitation by Haitian revolutionaries to board a ship to the island republic? Black emigration, I argue, was not born of racial solidarity. Rather, it was the political consequence of racial exclusion.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T04:10:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-776a688c27c142098298c80f960941b4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1940-0764 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T04:10:50Z |
| publishDate | 2018-12-01 |
| publisher | eScholarship Publishing, University of California |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Transnational American Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-776a688c27c142098298c80f960941b42022-12-21T21:21:29ZengeScholarship Publishing, University of CaliforniaJournal of Transnational American Studies1940-07642018-12-019110.5070/T891029713ark:13030/qt82p0w1pn'to transplant in alien soil': Race, Nation, Citizenship, and the Idea of Emigration in the Revolutionary AtlanticWestenley Alcenat0Fordham University<p>The emigration of African Americans to Haiti throughout the nineteenth century was influenced by the Haitian Revolution (1791–1804). Looking beyond this influence as mere legacy, this article proposes that scholars begin to interrogate the relationship that developed between African American Black Nationalists and Haitian allies. The article explores whether the emigration by African Americans to postrevolutionary Haiti during the nineteenth century was a political rejection of the US. Or was it an opportunity to explore the possibilities of democratic citizenship—the right to have rights—that only Haiti had to offer, in the hope of promoting genuine democracy in the United States, as well? Why, in spite of their insistence that they, too, were Americans, did some African Americans accept the invitation by Haitian revolutionaries to board a ship to the island republic? Black emigration, I argue, was not born of racial solidarity. Rather, it was the political consequence of racial exclusion.</p>http://escholarship.org/uc/item/82p0w1pnhaitian revolution, african american emigration, black emigration, black citizenship, black nationalism, exile |
| spellingShingle | Westenley Alcenat 'to transplant in alien soil': Race, Nation, Citizenship, and the Idea of Emigration in the Revolutionary Atlantic Journal of Transnational American Studies haitian revolution, african american emigration, black emigration, black citizenship, black nationalism, exile |
| title | 'to transplant in alien soil': Race, Nation, Citizenship, and the Idea of Emigration in the Revolutionary Atlantic |
| title_full | 'to transplant in alien soil': Race, Nation, Citizenship, and the Idea of Emigration in the Revolutionary Atlantic |
| title_fullStr | 'to transplant in alien soil': Race, Nation, Citizenship, and the Idea of Emigration in the Revolutionary Atlantic |
| title_full_unstemmed | 'to transplant in alien soil': Race, Nation, Citizenship, and the Idea of Emigration in the Revolutionary Atlantic |
| title_short | 'to transplant in alien soil': Race, Nation, Citizenship, and the Idea of Emigration in the Revolutionary Atlantic |
| title_sort | to transplant in alien soil race nation citizenship and the idea of emigration in the revolutionary atlantic |
| topic | haitian revolution, african american emigration, black emigration, black citizenship, black nationalism, exile |
| url | http://escholarship.org/uc/item/82p0w1pn |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT westenleyalcenat totransplantinaliensoilracenationcitizenshipandtheideaofemigrationintherevolutionaryatlantic |