Jamaican and Black-American Migrant Farm Workers: A Comparative Analysis

Previous writings indicate that black-American migrant farm workers in Northeast coastal labor camps do not tend to be very productive or to save much money. By comparison, a study of Jamaican migrant farm workers in a New York State camp shows that they are very productive and save most of their earnings. Two factors seem most important in explaining this contrast: (1) the relative value of the wages paid to Jamaicans and black Americans and (2) the actual, as well as perceived, opportunities for mobility of each group of migrants and their children. The social policy implications of this analysis are also discussed.