Twice this week I have heard statements, though quite innocent, are loaded with racist slur or maybe I should say nationalistic slant. One was "Despite the love-hate relationship between our countries I still bringing Trinidad because they are Caribbean." This was said when discussions were going on prior to the recent Trinidadian World Cup match. Sadly Trinidad was defeated. Well done guys. I think you are winners whether you have won a trophy or not. You have again shown the world that Trinidad and the Caribbean are World Class and not Third World. The other was a discussion about two educators one obviously not liking the other. The reason...one was from Guyana and the other from Trinidad. I find it so interesting that we despise the US and UK for racism exhibited in these countries and right here in our region we have the same thing going on. Some may argue that it not as overt and that is a different thing etc. In my mind I am unable to distinguish between the two.
Why is there a love hate relationship between the Jamaicans and Trinidadians? Why do Guyanese and Trinidadians dislike each other? Yes I am generalizing a bit but I do so against the background that these discussions are on the road. Jamaicans have a saying "If a nuh so, a near so it go". Translation: What is said and heard about a situation is not usually far from the truth.
I find it interesting against the background of the Carib bloggers. Can you imagine me disliking SmallIslandGirl simply because I know she is from T&T and vice-versa. I've never met the lady. From her writings she seems to be a pretty decent and interesting person. On what basis could I dislike her? Let us move therefore to a national level...Jamaica has a population of 2.5 million. Trinidad has a population of about 1.1 million. Most Jamaicans have never been in contact with a Trinidadian and vice versa. So what propels us to this negative view of persons simply because of nationality?
I can say quite confidently that I have had a cultural enlightenment by my treks around the Carib blogs. I have read about food and drinks that are still a vague concept but one day I hope to sample simply because I have had this limited interaction with other persons from our region. Maybe we need to educate our countrymen some more...
Remember that what we see of each other does not represent the whole. We may dislike things about the persons we meet but that does not provide just cause for us to dislike their nations people.
Later all.
8 comments:
Well said Scratchie. There is an unecessary competitive element existing in our region. We all have so much in common that it really shouldn't be that way.
You know, you raised an interesting point....
The first time I really became interested in any of the other islands was when I went to UWI and met people there who were from those islands.
Prior to that they were just some other dots on a map. Perhaps this is because my epiphany re West Indies cricket came late... I never became interested in cricket until I was probably in my thirties... but if you are into West Indies cricket, you sort of have to take an interest in the other islands, even if its only to squabble over which of them was taking a Yardie's place on the team.
Many Jamaicans may really not have come into contact with Trinis and Lucians and Bajans, et cetera....
Bwoy, nowadays I am in contact with other islanders daily! Its like the norm for me now!
I have never had any dislike for the other islanders though... only a healthy competitive spirit when our national team bucked them on a football field.
Hell, I didn't even care if they beat us in track and field. Football now, that is serious business!
I guess we're just jealous because we didn't qualify. And mst people think that blacks can't be racist.
True thing scratchie and worse is the way they stereotype people because of where they are from.I keep hearing small islanders meaning people from the OECS are not as smart,not as good looking and God knows what else than their big island counterparts.Most times it amuses me and the other times am amazed at the thought processes
Good words Scratchie! We need to remember we are all Caribbean people and stop segregating our selves because of which island we come from.
I started my Caribbean experience when I was 13 and went to Trinidad for world netball championships. Loved every bit of it, even though one trinidadian spectator, during a match between jamaica and trinidad, poked my sister on the back with her toes and said "tell manely to give us back we money".
Hrmph.
Then I went to UWI and all things Caribbean consumed me - the men, the food, the culture. It only seemed natural that my vacation landscape was going to be the Caribbean.
And that I have done. Been to about 13 islands thus far. And i aint done yet!
I love the Caribbean.
Good post Scratch, I was telling some friends that during the world cup I didn't even think that I was Jamaican, when watching the soca warriors I was just a caribbean national cheering on a caribbean team.
It's really a triangle: Jamaicans, Trinidadians and Barbadians. The hatred thing started from 1960s when a Federation was to be started; Bajans and Trinis like each other but both don't like Jacans. The University of the West Indies was another problem. It is said that Jacans behaved as if the University was totally theirs although there were and still are campuses in Trinidad and Barbados. It so happens that Caymanians and Bahamians don't like Jacans either.
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