ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts covered in the preceding chapters of this book. The book argues that a structural change has taken place since the islands came under United States control. It is concerned with the presence or degree of Chinese ethnicity in two Caribbean areas, and presents the Chinese as a group perceived to be different from its neighbors only in cultural terms. The only difference is that, despite the absence of any observable distinction, the “Caribs” claim to be of Carib Indian descent, and that claim is accepted by other, non-Carib, Dominicans. The case of the Dominican Caribs is strikingly reminiscent of Cape Cod Indian disputes. The book shows that the emphasis on “race” and/or “color” distinctions will be greater or lesser in different socioeconomic contexts.
