Heather Hathaway investigates the lives and writings of two of the most prominent African Caribbean immigrant authors in the United States, Claude McKay (1890-1948) and Paule Marshall (b. 1929). Although both writers traditionally have been studied within the realm of African American literature, their works are significantly shaped by their backgrounds as Caribbean immigrants.. "Caribbean Waves explores the ways in which literature can probe the complexities of displacement and identity construction that often accompany migratory experiences. Analysis of McKay's and Marshall's works reveals how the forces of migration, racial and national affiliation, and "Americanization" can merge to produce uniquely hybridized, and at times profoundly homeless, black American immigrant identities.