Immigration, Identity, and the Caribbean Immigrant Student in the English Language Arts Classroom
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The incidence of immigration to the USA from the Caribbean region has seen a steady increase in the last few decades. As such, the number of Caribbean immigrants, in particular those of school-age, has increased exponentially. These immigrants often experience a sense of displacement and alienation as a result of being uprooted from their Caribbean culture and transplanted in a foreign one. The absence of adequate Caribbean cultural representation in mainstream society and in the schools, in particular, serves to deepen this identity crisis. However, there are a variety of ways in which this problem may be addressed and alleviated. One such way is through the expansion of the ELA curriculum to incorporate representations of Caribbean culture. Such an expansion would benefit not only the Caribbean immigrant student but also the other students as well.