The Afro-Caribbean Experience Across Generations: Tracing Roots, Feminist Storytelling, and Negotiating Black Identity in Vancouver

Abstract

This project examines the intergenerational experiences of Afro-Caribbean communities in Vancouver. Through storytelling and reflexive thematic analysis, the study investigates how systemic racism, migration, and cultural transmission shape identity and belonging, with attention to cultural preservation. 

Drawing on Black feminist thought, postcolonial feminism, and diasporic theory, the research centers participants’ narratives—particularly women’s voices—as keepers of memory and agents of resilience. Methods include surveys, in-depth interviews, and focus groups. These approaches allow participants to share personal experiences while actively contributing to knowledge creation. 

For this symposium, I will present a poster or presentation highlighting key findings on how Afro-Caribbean community members maintain cultural continuity, navigate bicultural tensions, and negotiate Black identity in Vancouver’s racialized landscape. The poster and or presentation will feature participant stories, visual representations of community networks, and insights on the role of ancestry tracing in shaping identity. By combining academic analysis with accessible storytelling, this project demonstrates the importance of centering community voices in understanding the lived realities of Black Canadians, offering new perspectives on resilience, heritage, and belonging.