Society,
as they knew it, was divided into whites, mulattoes, and blacks
instead of into black and white. Many mulattoes were not
psychologically ready for the experience of being lumped in with
the Blacks. Moreover, the racism they knew had been modified by
an economic class system which left some of the poor whites with
less status than that of professional blacks. Coming to America,
for them, meant a loss of status although it might also mean an
increase in affluence.
James Weldon Johnson described the West Indian immigrants as
being almost totally different from the Southern rural Negroes
who had moved into New York City. He said that the West Indians
displayed a high intelligence, many having an English commmon-
school education, and he noted that there was almost no
illiteracy among them. He also said that they were sober-minded
and had a genius for business enterprise. It has been estimated
that one-third of the city's Negro professionals, physicians,
dentists, and lawyers, were foreign born.
The West Indians had an ethos which stressed saving, education,
and hard work.
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