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The Caribbean is a very diverse region with multiple cultures. It is aptly described as a 'melting pot' which involves the fusion of many ethnic groups. As these groups interact, there is sometimes great conflict and there are times of great peace and celebration. As such, the Caribbean people are not fully united. If a country does not have full unity among its people, then the region cannot possibly be fully united.It is therefore my opinion that the Caribbean is more divided than it is united due to the factors discussed. However, as people learn tolerance and learn to appreciate others' culture, the Caribbean will eventually become fully united.

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The final divisive factor which will be assessed is that of Geography. From a geographical perspective, Caribbean countries are those whose shores are washed by the Caribbean Sea. However, this definition excludes countries such as Guyana. This creates a bit of tension as countries who are geographically within the Caribbean region do not view Guyana as Caribbean at all. As such, this causes some people to regard Guyanese as not being ‘true’ Caribbean people. Therefore, Geography acts as a divisive factor.

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Language is another factor which creates division within the Caribbean. The languages spoken in the contemporary Caribbean contributes to the cultural diversity of the Caribbean. “In the region, as a whole, language is seen as a divisive force militating against efforts of integration” (Mohammed, pp. 85). The language of the Caribbean is reflective of the many foreign powers that once controlled the region, i.e. the English, Dutch, French and Spanish. During Slavery, the enslaved devised a mode of communication which is now referred to as creole or patois. In Jamaica, there is the English-based patois while a French-based patois is found in St. Lucia. Each variation has its own grammar which is vastly different from the standard. Each ethnic groups brought with them, their form of communication. For instance, during indentureship, the Indians brought the Hindi, Urdu and the Bhojpuri. These forms of language were creolised and as such, it is not uncommon to hear words such as aloo (potato) being incorporated into the creole. While this is to an extent, a unifying factor by integrating various languages, many people view their own language as being superior and as such, criticize the other languages which differ form the standard. The languages spoken across the region contributes to the social and cultural identity. As such, the conflicts resulting from the various languages is due to a general lack of unwillingness of various groups to regard the other languages spoken of being on par. This has led to multilingual countries such as Guyana, having debates on what the official language should be as the minority groups feel shortchanged and see themselves becoming encultured by the dominant groups’ culture.

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The Caribbean is united as it shares common economic problems. This prompted the establishment of CARICOM in 1973 with the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas. This has fostered integration among Caribbean countries allowing the free movement of goods, services and human capital. As such, people from one CARICOM country can travel freely without the need for a special travel permit. Due to the fact that the Caribbean Economies are small in size, having such an institution allows for the formation of economic policies which benefits all members. However, within CARICOM, the distinction is made between the Lesser Developed Countries (LDCs) and the More Developed Countries (MDCs). As such, this separation shows that the Caribbean is not in fact one. Each country has a different pace of economic growth and development. As such, the Caribbean Single Market and Economy, which is an institution of CARICOM has faced the challenge of having the “more developed countries feel that their standard of living would be reduced by a flood of people from poorer countries.” (Ottley, pp. 236). This helps to explain why the aim of creating a common currency within the CARICOM was never achieved as certain countries have a stronger currency compared to others. As such, a country such as the Bahamas would have to “carry” Haiti. Thus, in terms of the levels and stages of economic development, the Caribbean is divided.

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Sports is another unifying factor with cricket being the major contributor. In the words of C.L.R. James, “Cricket occupies a unique place in our psyche…It cannot be seen as just a game; it is too closely associated with British Rule and Colonialism.” Sport is a unifying factor and one which helps to create the Caribbean Identity as it brings players together from across the region with a common goal. In the region, while there may be the competitive nature between countries as the teams oppose each other as seen in the last CPL games, this changes on the world stage where Caribbean people are a minority. As such, Caribbean people collectively cheer and root for a Caribbean participant on the international arena, as the success contributes to the pride of not only the participating country, but the entire Caribbean region. This was the case with Usain Bolt (Jamaica). The Windies Team also consists of members from many Caribbean countries which adds to the integrative nature of Sports Additionally, Captains of the Windies came from several Caribbean countries over the years contributing to the integrative nature.

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Festivals in the Caribbean allow for unity. The most famous Carnival celebration within the Caribbean Region is the Trinidad Carnival. Carnival did not originate within the Caribbean but was modified to create a unique event which is even celebrated in the diaspora. There are several variations to the time in which Carnival is celebrated as well as the context in which they are celebrated. For instance, in Barbados, the Crop Over, was a celebration of the sugar cane harvest. In St. Vincent, the carnival is called Vincy Mas and is celebrated at the ending of June into early July and in Guyana, the carnival is known as Mashramani which celebrates the attainment of its Republican status. As such, the meaning of each celebration differs from country to country. However, it brings people together to take part in the festivities. People from all over the region visit Trinidad to engage in the celebrations and experience the culture of the country. They way in which the carnivals are celebrated are essentially the same. They are all street festivals with vivid costume revellers. The music is Caribbean styled with genres such as calypso and soca. The carnival season sees a number of shows and competitions such as chutney soca and extempo. This allows for participants to actively engage and learn about the culture of others. CARIFESTA is another Caribeban festival which allows the various art forms to be displayed and sees thousands from across the region participating. As such, the festivals for the most part, unifies the Caribbean.
Below is an article on Trinidad's Carnival featured in Stabroek News in Guyana. Article can be reached at https://www.stabroeknews.com/2019/01/20/news/regional/jamaica/jamaicans-spending-big-to-head-to-trinidad-carnival/

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The cuisine of the Caribbean was hybridized to form a unique one. During Slavery, certain foods and parts of animals such as feet and tails were not considered fit for the masters and were given to the enslaved. The ‘scraps’ such as oxtail, cow heel, and fish heads are used to prepare a number of dishes that Caribbean people in the present day. This unifies the Caribbean culture and distinguishes it from the Western culture. What is interesting note is that although certain foods are common to the region, the method of preparation may differ largely. For instance, peas and rice is a common Caribbean dish. However, the Jamaican red beans and rice is largely different from the riz et pois of Haiti or the black-eye peas and rice used mostly in the Southern Caribbean. While for the most part, the cuisine of the Caribbean is a unifying factor, it can also be a dividing factor. For instance, Guyanese say chicken curry while the Trinidadians say Curry Chicken. While the two terms are used to refer to the same dish, this difference in terminology has been the subject of much debate. However, for the most part, the food is mostly a unifying factor which surpasses racial tensions.

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Cultural Hybridization is the process by which two cultural forms are mixed to form a new culture. (Ottley, pp. 123). This process has created greater cultural diversity within the Caribbean. It is believed that cultural hybridization threatens unity in the Caribbean. However, I believe that this claim not entirely true since hybrid forms were created within the region and as such, contributes to the understanding of culture. It modifies and Creolizes the culture which was imported and enforced upon Caribbean people during slavery and colonization. It may however, also be a source of tremendous conflict.

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The issue of colourism also divides the Caribbean. This phenomenon stemmed from Slavery as the various races were forced to engage in sexual relations with the slave masters (miscegenation). This created an even more complicated ethnic and racial situation in the Caribbean. This resulted in a pigmentocracy where the lighter-skinned offspring were preferred and were allowed greater privileges, prestige and power. There were various terms used to describe the offspring of a white master and the enslaved based on how much white was in the genes of the offspring. These practices are still very mush present in the Caribbean culture in the present day as the colour continuum is still used to characterize people such that the closer the persons’ skin tone is to white, the better their chances at success as they are given better jobs with better pay and have access to the elite social circles within society which in most cases are made up of members with similar complexion. As such, the darker skinned people are regarded as inferior as the psyche remains from the days of slavery that white is better. This has caused a major problem in the present-day Caribbean of skin bleaching as dark-skinned persons attempt to gain acceptance and achieve upward social mobility by ‘becoming’ whiter. To this end, they use bleaching agents without thinking about the potential health drawbacks. As such, colourism is  a major divisive factor in the unification of Caribbean culture.

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The term plural society describes a society where there are two or more ethnic groups occupying the same space but do not mix and mingle to a great extent. As such, they only mingle as far as is necessary e.g. in the workplace but their ideas on religion, family life and child rearing may differ significantly.  This fact explains why the number of interracial marriages is quite low. In some Indian households, the man/woman may be ostracized for marrying a woman/man of African descent. The Caribbean, being a plural society, remains in conflict as each ethnic group attempts to retain various aspects of their own culture to form the popular culture of Society. As such, the social stratification system used by the British, may have ended long ago but another form exists in the contemporary Caribbean, as there is infighting among the races to occupy the peak position of the pyramid.

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The Caribbean countries all share a common set of historical experiences. These experiences led to the formation of the Caribbean society of different groups of people from all over the world. These groups included Europeans, Africans, Indians and Chinese who were uprooted from their homeland and brought to the Caribbean to provide the labour needed for the plantations. As they arrived in the Caribbean, they brought their cultural norms and practices. As such, there was evident differences in religion, culinary practices and language. The only similarities shared during this period was the fact that they were all uprooted and transported to the Caribbean and under the laws governing slavery. “Colonial policies focused on the control and cultural transformation of the different groups through conquest, settlement, the plantation system and colonial laws” (Mohammed pp. 86). This created tensions among these ethnic groups who had nothing much in common. Adding fuel to the fire, the British, during the period of indentureship, created racial tensions between the Africans and the Indians causing mistrust and animosity among the two ethnic groups as they competed for the approval of the Master. This allowed for the outnumbered Europeans to maintain their stratified system as the races were not united to dismantle this system. These feelings of mistrust and animosity are very much present in the present-day Caribbean culture. There is even the practice of ethnic politics in the contemporary Caribbean where the political parties are racially polarised as in Guyana. The Caribbean is referred to as a plural society which shows the cultural diversity of the region which resulted from these shared historical experiences.
Image 1 below shows a female slave in the British West Indies in 1826

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I am in partial agreement with the notion that all ah we is one within the Caribbean Region. The Caribbean is a place of great cultural diversity. With cultural diversity comes many differences and potential for clashes which results in conflict. However, in the region, there are areas of commonalities as well as differences.