Negotiations of race, class, and gender among Afro-Latina women immigrants to the southern ...

273 Pages·2015·2.24 MB·English

HINES-GAITHER, KRISHAUNA, Ph.D. Negotiations of Race, Class, and Gender Among
Afro-Latina Women Immigrants to the Southern United States. (2015)
Directed by Dr. Leila Villaverde. 273 pp.

This qualitative study uses narrative inquiry to investigate the lived experiences of Afro-
Latina women immigrants to the southern United States. Through Critical Race Theory and Black
Transnational Feminist Theory the researcher explores how Afro-Latina women negotiate the
dynamics of race, class, and gender in their home countries and in the United States. The
researcher collected the counternarratives of eight Afro-Latina women from the Dominican
Republic, Guatemala, and Panama. The researcher conducted individual and group interviews as
well as field observations.
Using the words of the participants, the results of this study reveal five significant
negotiations of race, class, and gender: Negotiations of Immigration and Class: “I did it for my
family.”; Negotiations of Racism: “[T]here is a lot of racism here.”; Negotiations of Race and
Identity: Nationality First: “I am not Mexican or African-American!”; Negotiations of Gender:
‘Women are now in all spheres.’; and Negotiations of Beauty: ‘Pretty is having long straight
hair.’
NEGOTIATIONS OF RACE, CLASS, AND GENDER AMONG

AFRO-LATINA WOMEN IMMIGRANTS

TO THE SOUTHERN

UNITED STATES

by

Krishauna Hines-Gaither

A Dissertation Submitted to
the Faculty of The Graduate School at
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Philosophy

Greensboro
2015

Approved by

_______________________________
Committee Chair
To my life partner, husband, and best friend Julian Douglas Gaither.
To my mother and greatest supporter, Tangela Hines Jones.
To my father, who is the epitome of goodness, Kacie Moore Jr.
To my beautiful son, Giovanni Douglas Gaither, may an insatiable thirst for learning and
education never be quenched.

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APPROVAL PAGE

This dissertation written by KRISHAUNA HINES-GAITHER has been approved by the
following committee of the Faculty of The Graduate School at The University of
North Carolina at Greensboro.

Committee Chair ______________________________________________

Committee Members ______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

____________________________
Date of Acceptance by Committee

_________________________
Date of Final Oral Examination
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A baby born to a teenage mother and young father does not earn a Ph.D. without the support of the
village. My family is the tribe that offered me their unyielding support. To my life partner, husband, and
best friend Julian Douglas Gaither: You have encouraged and supported me throughout this journey. This
dissertation is the fruit of our collective efforts and teamwork. I made it through because you have been my
rock. I love you! To my mother and best friend Tangela Hines Jones: You have supported me in words of
exhortation, deeds, and prayers. Your strength is the foundation on which I stand. I love you. To my father,
Kacie Moore Jr., you inspire me to be a better human. Thank you for showing me what it means to be
compassionate. My spirit of social justice comes from you. To my beautiful son, Giovanni Douglas
Gaither: You rested comfortably in my womb while I conducted my research and wrote my dissertation.
Your impending birth was just the catalyst that I needed to complete this momentous task. As I was
preparing to give birth to my dissertation, I was also preparing to give birth to you. You were the angel that
guided my pen. Mommy loves you.
To the women of my family: As a young woman, you have had a profound impact on who I am
today. Thank you Alice Lee Gaither (and The Gaither Family) for believing in me. I love you Grandma
Margaretta Hines for your wisdom and prayers, and I am indebted to my aunties (Twanna, Trina, Valencia
(Lucy), Tracy, Trixie, and Tammy) for being such stellar examples of womanhood. To all of my brothers
and sisters: May you continue to question the world around you and always grow in the pursuit of
knowledge, for it is the jewel that can never be taken away from you.
To my Salem College family: You are an extension of me. To former Vice President Eileen
Wilson-Oyelaran: Thank you for snatching me out of that graduation line and offering me a job, a job that
soon became my cherished career. I am grateful to former Dean and Vice President Ann McElaney-
Johnson who always saw in me what I could not see in myself. Thank you Ann for your support of my
Ph.D. To former President Susan Pauly, current Dean and VP Susan Calovini, current Modern Language
Chair Dr. HoSang Yoon, and my colleague Dr. Ana León-Távora: Thank you for supporting my sabbatical
which enabled me to complete my dissertation in a timely manner. To my former chair, Dr. Gary
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Ljungquist: You said it would happen, and the day has finally come! To my Salem sisters: Thank you Dr.
Rebecca Dunn for always nudging me with your encouraging words. Mrs. Linda Prichard, your prayers
were answered! Thank you Dr. Sydney Richardson for reaching back and lending me your hand. You never
forgot that there were those who would come after you. Thank you Dr. Jo Dulan for never letting up. You
simply said, as only you can, “Get the damn doctorate!” You spoke and I listened. Finally, to my students
both past and present: I have always said that my pursuit of a Ph.D. was as much for me as it was for my
family and for my students. My students are the reason that I wanted to be an example of the power of
education as the great equalizer. I wanted to grow along with my students so that I could be a better
educator. Thank you for allowing me to grow with you.
To my friends: Dr. Ashauna Short you had the vision to start our beloved Doc Sisters
accountability group and to include Dr. Tracey Lewis, Dr. Robin Buckrham and me. None of us would
have made it through the doctoral process without the cohesion of this supportive team. To VAMPS Artist
Way Group: Thank you for being my muse. To Tamara Hughes Akinbo and Achlaï Ernest Wallace of the
Sisters Beyond Roots Book Club: How many times have you allowed me to bounce my research off of
you? Thank you for listening. To Dr. Uchenna Igbo Vasser: You demonstrated that juggling a career,
family, and graduate school was possible. Thank you for your wisdom and practical advice. I cherish both.
To Mrs. Susan Keener and Dr. John R. Slade: You have been a mother and a father to me. You gave me
professional opportunities when I was still green. Thank you for believing in me and for serving as
powerful mentors in my life. To Dr. James J. Davis: You were the first to suggest a Ph.D. in Cultural
Studies. That seed has now been watered. To Dr. Juan A. Rios Vega: I do not believe that you will ever
fully grasp how much your support meant to me. I could always call on you. To Doulton (Alejandro) Hill:
thank you for that soulful gospel song that you sang to me at the beginning of every phone conversation:
“You ain’t seen nothing yet!”
To my spiritual mothers and fathers: Pastors J.B. and Susan Whitfield, Donna Parsons, and Dr.
Debra Boyd, thank you for your deep spiritual truths and insights.
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To my dissertation committee: Dr. Leila Villaverde, you shine as one of the most humble,
knowledgeable people I know. I am honored that you agreed to serve as my Chair. My command of the
English language is far too limited to fully express how much you have meant to me throughout this
process. I am most appreciative that you were not afraid to challenge me. Dr. Silvia Bettez: I am committed
to social justice as a critical pedagogue because of you. You gave me the power and the tools to believe that
I could change the world. Dr. Ulrich Reitzug: I am grateful for your expertise in qualitative research as well
as your calm, inspiring demeanor. In your presence, I always knew that I could do anything. Dr. Sarah
Cervenak: You are truly one of the great thinkers of our time. I am honored to have had the distinct
privilege of working under your tutelage.
To all the unnamed members of the village: My accomplishment of obtaining a Ph.D. hinges on
the loving kindness of all who surround me. In the spirit of UBUNTU, I am because you are. To the Great
Creator and Giver of Life: Eyes have not seen, nor ears heard, neither has entered into the heart of
(wo)man the things you have prepared for those who love you (1 Cor 2:9). As I enter this new stage of life,
I look up to You to order my steps.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………………………………………….. ix

LIST OF FIGURES …………………………………………………………………………………………. x

CHAPTER

I. INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………….. 1
Statement of Research Problem................................................................................................ 3
Research Questions................................................................................................................... 5
Summary of Research Chapters................................................................................................ 5

II. LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS…………………………....... 8
Literature Review……...…………………………………………………………………....... 8
Theoretical Frameworks
Black Transnational Feminist Theory and Critical Race Theory………………………... 21 Black Transnational Feminist Theory & Critical Race Theory……………….2
III. METHODOLOGY…………………………………………..……….............................................69
My Epistemological Lens…………………………………………….................................... 69
Participant Profile…………………………………………………….................................... 71
Flexibility in Qualitative Research: Renegotiating the Research Process….......................... 81
Trustworthiness …………………………………………………………………………….. 85
Researcher Subjectivity…………………………………………………………………….. 87 Researcher Subjectivity……………………………….………………............................87
Narrative Research Methods………………….…………………………………………….. 91

IV. DATA ANALYSIS/FINDINGS…………………………………………………..........................99
African Presence in Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Panama………………………...99
Negotiations of Immigration and Class: “I did it for my family.”……………………........ 148
Negotiations of Racism: “[T]here is a lot of racism here.”………………………………... 189
Negotiations of Race and Identity: Nationality First:
“I am not Mexican or African-American!”………………………………………...........198
Negotiations of Gender: ‘Women are now in all spheres.’………………………………... 215
Negotiations of Beauty: ‘Pretty is having long straight hair.’…………………………….. 226
V. CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, AND CLOSING THOUGHTS….………………………. 237
Conclusions………………………………………………………………………………... 237
Implications……………………………………………………………………………….. 242
Closing Thoughts………………………………………………………………………….. 244

REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………………................. 246

APPENDIX A. INTERVIEW QUESTIONS……………………………………………………………... 255

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APPENDIX B. UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT GREENSBORO:
CONSENT TO ACT AS A HUMAN PARTICIPANT………………………............ 257
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LIST OF TABLES
Page
Table 1. 2000 and 2010 U.S. Census Population Trends by Race……………………………..... 11
Table 2. Participant Profile………………………………………………………………………. 71
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