| Summary |
This thesis argues that migrant families coming to the United States endured migration with their culture and families intact, and were able to adapt and assimilate into American society. The opposing thesis was developed by Historian Oscar Handlin which describes the migrant as totally isolated from extended family as a result of migration and living a life of isolation and disorganization in American society. From this viewpoint, the family did not survive the migration and eventually lapsed into disorder. According to Handlin, this was a natural consequence of migration. The example group in this study is the Puerto Rican migrants who settled in New York City. This thesis will demonstrate how Puerto Rican migrants transplanted their culture and adapted to American society employing customary family support systems. These were very effective non-traditional migrant family support systems that were not recognized by traditional American immigration historians. The primary data consisted of a small representative sample of interviews of Puerto Rican men and women of different ages who spanned several generations that illustrated how migrants transplanted their culture as they assimilated into American society in New York City. |
| General note | Submitted to the faculty of the Department of History. |
| General note | Advisor: Donald H. Parkerson |
| Dissertation note | M.A. East Carolina University 1996 |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 110-112). |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | History. |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | Thèses et écrits académiques. |
