Survival of the Knitted - by Vilna Francine Bashi Treitler (Paperback)

About the Book

Using immigrants' own words, Bashi shows how immigrants organize social networks that offer mutual financial and emotional support and help an entire ethnic group navigate systems of socioeconomic stratification.

Book Synopsis

Using immigrants' own words, Bashi shows how immigrants organize social networks that offer mutual financial and emotional support and help an entire ethnic group navigate systems of socioeconomic stratification.

Review Quotes

"Survival of the Knitted is a welcome and brilliantly crafted account of the shifting experiences of generations of black Caribbean migrants. Drawing on a wealth of original research and reflection over a number of years it situates the stories of migrants and their families within a broader social, cultural and political environment. Vilna Bashi's account is powerfully written, has a clear conceptual framework and does not avoid vexed questions about race and ethnicity. The voices of generations of migrants are an integral component of the narrative. It is a wonderful book that raises important questions that will be of interest to both the specialist and the general reader."--John Solomos "City University"

"Overall, Bashi's Survival of the Knitted provides a comprehensive, compelling and original contribution to the field of international migration. By exposing the structure and functioning of the hub-and-spoke migrant social network, and connecting black migrants' life chances to systemic racism in the American social structure, Bashi introduces a fresh perspective that brilliantly captures the dynamic and complex process of migration in the United States."--Zulema Valdez, Department of Sociology "Texas A&M University"

"This ethnography of Caribbean migrants, their networks, their identity, and their ties to their place of origin is grounded in knowledge of theory and good empirical works . . . It is a fine example of multiple sited transnational field research that links the individual and social in global migration"-- "Riva Berleant New West Indian Guide"

"Unlke previous scholarly efforts that focus on race and ethnicity, Bashi's book, in providing a broad view of West Indian migration to the United States, Great Britain, and Canada, draws on a variety of theoretical perspectives and examines West Indian immigrants' social networks."--Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare

"Until I read Vilna Bashi's work, I didn't fully appreciate how transnational social networks could be mobilized so dynamically by migrants in destination as well as origin communities. Her elucidation of the hub-and-spoke structure of destination-centered migrant networks represents a major advance in our understanding of international migration and the social structures that sustain it."--Douglas S. Massey "Princeton University"

"Survival of the Knitted delivers on its clever titles to make a significant contribution to the literature on migrant social networks... The main value of this book lies in its descriptions of how hubs and spokes work in daily practice and the implications of the distinction between them in the study of migrant networks."--American Journal of Sociology

About the Author

Vilna Francine Bashi Treitler's research examines the intersection of international migration and socioeconomic hierarchies. She is also the daughter of a hub.