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GRAPPLING WITH ISSUES OF DEMOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY

Arielle Faith Ogilvie

812005569

The University of the West Indies (UWI) St. Augustine,

Faculty of Humanities and Education

FOUN 1101 Caribbean Civilisation

21 st April 2017

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In the words of Professor Rex Nettleford, an apt description of the typical Caribbean person is “part African, part European, part Asian, part Native American but totally Caribbean(Rose 2008).  Despite phenotypic differences and unique ethnicities that have touched the Caribbean isles, to varying degrees, every islander embodies portions of every immigrant that has inhabited the various lands, whether based on race, shared cultural attributes such as religion, linguistics, politics and extraordinary historical experiences, a Caribbean identity as been forged that surpasses a common geographical location. Thus, it is imperative that demographic diversity of the Caribbean be not undervalued as it is essential in maintaining a common Caribbean space and building bridges to alleviating misconstrued social constructions and racioethnic tensions.

Reference:

Rose, Miranda. 2008. "Caribbean Culture Too Diverse To Be Labelled –
Prof Nettleford - Stabroek News". Stabroek News.
http://www.stabroeknews.com/2008/archives/09/05/caribbean-
culture-too-diverse-to-be-labelled-%E2%80%93-prof-nettleford/.

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Learning Objective Two:                                                                         Relics Of Demographic Diversity 

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Learning Objective Two:                                                                         Relics Of Demographic Diversity 

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The racial-ethnic composition of most businesses that lined the streets in the residency of Petit Bourg/San Juan is Chinese and East Indian owned, despite the substantial presence of an African population.

This social phenomenon stems from the disenfranchisement and marginalisation of Africans during slavery and post emancipation that through psychological conditioning generated a colonial mentality of inferiority.  Moreover, the use of low wages and the sale of land in fixed acres made it difficult for the freed Africans to survive independently and fuelled their semi-permanent resumption as a labor source for the Europeans making it insurmountable for the African individuals to possess entrepreneurial success.

Though exceptions exist, a distorted negative perception was evolved by the Africans of themselves but also, was projected by Non-African communities and has percolated throughout generations establishing the former suitable for the role of consumers or employees but rarely ever the head of their own businesses.

Furthermore, in today’s Caribbean African communities it is evident that there is a breakdown in familial relationships as well as loss of the community as an extended family that has been replaced by an individualistic perspective that arose from decades of acculturation during colonialism. In contrast though the Asian immigrant labour force were subjected to similar slave like conditions on the on sugar estates for a variable period of time, unlike the enslaved Africans, their traditional beliefs and practices were not suppressed and through its retention is mirrored within society. For example, (Lee 2016) states that in Chinese communities, people from the same village are seen as your extended family and unite to form local associations that provide capital to help their members start businesses due to Chinese emphasis on the importance of family.

The degree of ethnocultural retention and cultural loss has influenced the occupational roles of the plural society.

References:

Lee, Kien. 2016. "Chapter 27. Cultural Competence In A Multicultural
World | Section 10.

Understanding Culture, Social Organization, And Leadership To                Enhance Engagement | Main Section | Community Tool Box".
Ctb.Ku.Edu. http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of contents/culture/cultural-
competence/understand-culture-social-organization/main.

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Google Map of Petit Bourg San Juan 1-04-2017

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Learning Objective One:                                                                                                                                                                            The Historical Nature of Diversity 

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Learning Objective One:                                                                                                                                                                            The Historical Nature of Diversity 

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Caribbean racial and ethnic heterogeneity is undoubtedly the resultant of the multitude of external and internal immigration waves to the various insular shores.

Though the emigration of the Indigenous Amerindians from the northeastern region of Venezuela throughout the archipelago to escape overcrowding, tribal warfare and  to acquire immense space, richer soil and mineral resources; the subsequent  arrival and colonization of the various isles by European voyagers for the expansion and perpetuation of sovereign imperialism through evangelism, exploitation of gold and acquisition of land and to  reap rewards and procure prestige for themselves;  the forced movement of Africans  to compensate the loss of Indigenous labour to drive and sustain the plantation economy, which was eventually perturbed   by international treaties to inhibit sale of such parties, the emancipation act and condemnation of Apprenticeship; the contracted emigration of Chinese, Maderians, East Indians, poor Whites to offset the abandonment of sugar estates by enslaved Africans and salvage sugar production in primarily British colonies did contribute to diversification.

Additionally, it was the departure of freed slaves and the contracted labour from their original destination sites, to inhabit other Windward and Leeward Isles in search of higher wages, greater accessibility and affordability of land, to follow family members and to express their specific cultural traditions more freely that resulted in the islands being populated by varying proportions of all races and influenced by their accompanying traditions.

Moreover, through inter-racial breeding between the colonizer and those who were colonized via consensual or forced sexual unions  conceived mixed individuals that produced a racial colour spectrum, ethnic hybridisation,  and an obscure the heritage of many Caribbean descendants.

Reference:
Potter, Robert, David Barker, Dennis Conway, and Thomas Klak. 2014. "The Contemporary Caribbean". Google Books. https://books.google.tt/books? id=aAIwCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA48&dq=the+history+of+demographic+diversity+in+the+caribbean&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=the%20history%20of%20demographic%20diversity%20in%20the%20caribbean&f=false.

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Learning Objective Three:                                                      Challenges Of Demographic Diversity 

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Learning Objective Three:                                                      Challenges Of Demographic Diversity 

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The existence of a multiracial identity as a legitimate form of self-identification is challenged by a socio-political climate. Even though the Caribbean is one of a melange of ancestral lineages, yet, in territories like Suriname, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, the societal stages are governed predominantly by the schismatic relationship between the racially pure African and East Indian fractions. Such a case is most evident during electoral season where the promises of competing parties are overshadowed by their perceived specific ethnocultural affiliation, which according to (Hernandez-Ramdwar 1997) resort to constructions of “pure” identities to support an “us” versus “them” agenda.  Thus, multiracial persons whose ancestral lineages, whether ambiguous or known, assume a racially pure identification to which their outward appearance bears greatest resemblance to attain the social privileges that comes with being in alignment with the elected party.

Furthermore, the erasure of a mixed census is exacerbated when hybridization of orthodox views and morals to complement the diverse ancestry of an individual is marked by intra personal conflict and rejection from the respective communities that results in an atmosphere of loneliness, uncertainty and unacceptance. Consequently, the multiracial person conforms to the pure racial identity that they are frequently surrounded by that provides a sense of belonging and congruence to which they formerly without as well as, stated in (Singh 2014) to promote a less complicated lifestyle that facilitates acquisition of a job, scholarship or lifetime partner.

Multiracial identity should be recognized and appreciated as a means to unite the divided racial classes and should not be a factor governed so simply by a political standpoint or personal issues. Moreover, it should not be marginalized due to perceived societal perceptions of effortless attainment of a higher economic and social status due to the “exoticness” associated with one who harbours a diverse ancestry.

References

"Biracial: Problems And Issues | PIT Journal Submission Site". 2013.    Pitjournal.Unc.Edu.           http://pitjournal.unc.edu/fall2013/proposal/biracial-problems-and-issues.

Hernandez-Ramdwar, Camille. 1997. "Volume 13 « Latin American And Caribbean Studies | Allegheny College - Meadville, PA". Sites.Allegheny.Edu. http://sites.allegheny.edu/latinamericanstudies/latin-american-issues/volume-13/.

Singh, Amolak. 2014. "Mixed Results: The Challenges Of Being Multiracial Go Well Beyond A

Checkmark". Threesixty Journalism. http://threesixtyjournalism.org/mixedrace.

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Learning Objective Four:                                                    Self Evaluation 

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Learning Objective Four:                                                    Self Evaluation 

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Caribbean Civilisation, if anything, has lifted the veil that obscured my vision concocted through the misinformation, lack of revisionism of our regional history by many educators within the schooling systems, and has consequently provided the analytical tools for with a deeper level of inspection can occur.  It is baffling to know that even in the contemporary 21st century, social behaviour between individuals of different races, classes and gender; the operations of social institutions such as education and social issues such as homophobia, bleaching, acceptance and assimilation of  American and European identities are still strongly rooted in the practices and ideas established during colonialism.

An African proverb relays, “Until the lion learns to write the story will always glorify the hunter”. This is applicable to the Caribbean society as the information departed onto society is from the perspective of the Imperialists and as such, there is a need for deeper understanding and awareness – for which I have been exposed to throughout the course- to increase awareness in our geographical environments and social groups and stimulate intellectual input and expertise from a Caribbean perspective. Thus, a greater appreciation can evolved for the racioethnic diversities that constitute the Caribbean identity by eradicating colonial prejudices.

It was a golden experience to be exposed to a rich history and taught to go beyond the shallow surface, to challenge the norms, to become critical thinkers and to apply the material to our lifestyle on a comprehensive level.