Description: Combining history, autobiography, and ethnography, Georges Woke Up Laughing provides a portrait of the Haitian experience of migration to the United States in order to illuminate the phenomenon of long-distance nationalism, the voicelessness of certain citizens, and the impotence of government in an increasingly globalized world. By presenting lively ruminations on his life as a Haitian immigrant, Georges E. Fouron -- along with Nina Glick Schiller, whose own family history stems from Poland and Russia -- captures the daily struggles for survival that bind together those who emigrate and those who stay behind.According to a long-standing myth, once emigrants leave their homelands -- particularly if they emigrate to the United States -- they sever old nationalistic ties, assimilate, and happily live the American dream. In fact, many migrants remain intimately and integrally tied to their ancestral homeland, sometimes even after they become legal citizens of another country. In Georges Woke Up Laughing the,authors reveal the realities and dilemmas that underlie the efforts of long-distance nationalists to redefine citizenship, race, nationality, and political loyalty. Through discussions of the history and economics that link the United States with countries around the world, Glick Schiller and Fouron highlight the forces that shape the emigrant experience of government and citizenship and ultimately create a transborder citizenry. Arguing that the governments of many countries have almost no power to implement policies that will assist their citizens, the authors provide insights into the ongoing sociological, anthropological, and political effects of globalization.Georges Woke UpLaughing will inform and entertain anyone concerned about the rights of people and the power of government within the globalizing economy.

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