Caribbean Diaspora in the USA: Diversity of Caribbean Religions in New York City

Acknowledgements
My interest in Caribbean migrants arose from my own family history: one of my
ancestors was a wanderer too. He left his home and travelled to the New World. Like
so many migrants before and after him, he could not fulfil his dreams and so returned
home. Decades later his descendants and their neighbours had to leave their homes
for good. A farmer became a building worker behind a tar machine and a family of
eight lived in a small flat. Despite all odds, their migration has come to a successful
end; their stories symbolize the successful integration of a generation of refugees.
With my book I want to honour them.
But before I start telling the stories of the Caribbeans in New York I want to thank
those who have helped me on my own journeys. I am deeply indebted to Lois Wilcken
who not only opened up the Caribbean world in New York to me, but also became a
friend. My warm thanks go to Hector Carrasquillo, Carolle Charles, Lynda Day, Karen
Brown, Felix Sanabria, Virginia Sánchez Korrol and my colleagues in the Department
of Puerto Rican Studies in Brooklyn who supported me in various ways during my
time in Brooklyn. I am very grateful to Selwyn Wilkinson, Edeline Saint Armand,
Awílda Sterling and Susan Richardson who offered me their time and hospitality. Back
in Europe I want to thank Gisela Welz and Sylvia Schomburg-Scherff for their help
and Karl Wernhart and Mark Münzel for their support. I also am grateful to Graham
Harvey and Ashgate who offered me this opportunity to publish my book in English.
My research outcome was originally published under the title Karibische Diaspora
in New York: Vom »Wilden Denken« zur »Polyphonen Kultur« (2002) though this
English publication is not simply a translated but an updated edition.
This book would have been not published without the support of Peggy Morgan.
Thank you, Peggy. You opened your home to a stranger and guided me through my
first steps in Britain.
Finally, I would like to dedicate this book to my late father, who told me the story
of his grandfather leaving his village (for a while) to reach a land beyond the borders.