ABSTRACT
Labor migration has long been the most important strategy used by poor villagers to promote their economic well-being and raise their social standing. Migration from the village probably began immediately after Emancipation in 1838 as part of the widespread exodus of former Vincentian slaves to other islands in search of higher wages. The rate of migration is much higher among males in all age cohorts except the youngest one and complements the skewed sex ratio of 100 women per 44 men over the age of 20 in the community. The data also show an overall high rate of male migration: of the 213 men over 30, 126, or 59.2 percent, have a history of past migration. Migration to Trinidad began in the 1920s, reached a peak during the Second World War when work in the oil refineries and US military bases became available, declined after the War, and continue to attract many villagers.
