The New Noir

How has the expansion of the Black American middle class and the increase in the number of Black immigrants among them since the Civil Rights period transformed the cultural landscape of New York City? In her new book The New Noir: Race, Identity & Diaspora in Black Suburbia (University of California Press, 2019), Orly Clergé explores this question and more. Exploring the lived experiences of the people in Queens and Long Island through ethnographic methods, Clergé discovers a racial consciousness spectrum and heterogeneity of experiences among and between people living in these two suburbs of NYC. Presenting deep and rich exploration of history of racial and social stratification, the book investigates issues of urbanization and suburbanization, migration, race, class, and family. This book would be an excellent addition to many graduate level Sociology courses, including any that focus on migration, race, stratification, or neighborhoods. This book will also be of interest to anyone interested in the history and development of NYC.

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Sarah E. Patterson is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Michigan.