Federal Writers' Project – Life Histories/2019/Fall/Section 1/Wilbur Edward Roberts

Overview

Wilbur Edward Roberts was a local resident of the Bahamas. He made his living as a fisherman, and immigrated to Florida with his family in 1915. As a black immigrant, Roberts was subject to social injustice. Roberts was interviewed in 1938 as a part of the Federal Writers’ Project.

Table of Contents

1. Biography
   1. Career and Early Life
   2. Family
   3. Death
2. Social Issues
   1. Immigration and Xenophobia
   2. Racism
3. References

1. Biography

1. Career and Early Life: Wilbur Edward Roberts was born on May 24th, 1855. Growing up on the Great Arbor Abaco Island in the Bahamas, Roberts was taught by his father at a young age how to fish, catch turtles, and sponges. This quickly became a career for him; at the time, “…sponge fishing in the Americas produced more than two-thirds of the world’s supply in weight.” This was not a very lucrative career, but it was enough to support Wilbur Roberts and his family. Given that Roberts found his niche at a young age, and needed to work to support his family; he never attended school. This would prove to be a catalyst for issues faced by Roberts later in life, such as immigrating to the United States.
2. Family: In 1896, he married Mary Jane Key. They lived together on the Great Arbor Abaco Island until 1915, when they immigrated to Florida with their family. His kids and their names/whereabouts are unknown.
3. Death: Roberts died at the age of 89 in 1944, but his place of death is unknown.

   

   The Sponge Fleet, Nassau, Bahamas

   
   

2. Social Issues

1. Immigration and Xenophobia: At the time that Roberts and his family immigrated to the United States, American attitudes towards immigration were not good. After over 1 million people immigrated to the United States in 1905, many Americans became fearful. This lead to tougher restrictions on immigration enforced by Teddy Roosevelt, as well as harsher, more xenophobic attitudes from American citizens. According to A Short History of Xenophobia in America, “…immigration quotas based on racial hierarchies formally passed in 1924 and would remain in effect until 1965.”Xenophobia is a dislike of or prejudice toward people from other countries. Many Americans were skeptical of foreigners, and as the Great Depression progressed, so did these attitudes. When jobs were scarce, the last thing Americans wanted was an immigration influx that threatened the jobs that were left. These attitudes would continue to influence immigration legislation throughout the remainder of the 20th Century. Along with xenophobia, another issue faced by immigrants was having to pay fake taxes on land. Due to the fact that Wilbur Roberts couldn’t write or read; it was nearly impossible for him to complete the required documents to apply for American citizenship.

   

   Still from the American film The Birth of a Nation (1915) with Ku Klux Klan riders

   
   

1. Racism: Wilbur Edward Roberts was a black man who immigrated to the American South in the early 1900s, and racism played a big role in his life. At the time of his immigration, “…an English literacy test component actually passed in the House on five occasions and the Senate on four, but was twice vetoed by Presidents Cleveland and Taft.” Since Wilbur Roberts was unable to read or write, his right to vote was, in a sense, taken away. This also affected his pursuit of American citizenship. Without the ability to read or write, it was basically impossible to fill out citizenship paperwork. Along with this, in 1905, “The Clansman: An Historical Romance of the Ku Klux Klan,” by Thomas Dixon, was published. This book portrayed the Ku Klux Klan as virtuous, and set back progress made since the end of the Civil War. It also describes the environment in which Wilbur Roberts was immigrating to, which was the post Civil War Southern United States. At the time, the Southern United States was not far removed from the Reconstruction period that made Southerners more resentful and reminiscent of the aftereffects of the Civil War. This resentment was cast on the predominantly black minority populations, and individuals like Roberts suffered because of this. In the early 20th Century, Miami was a hub for black Bahamians immigrating. At the time, both racism and xenophobia were two very prominent aspects.

3. References