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Maybe it's because the populations of Caribbean islands are, in fact, nearly all non-white. Have you considered that explanation? In Jamaica, for example, the population is only 3% white, and in Trinidad it is less than 1% white. Why are you surprised that people think of those countries as being predominantly black?
As a matter of fact, whites make up a larger percentage of the population in Ghana and Tanzania, than in Trinidad.
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Originally Posted by jtur88
Maybe it's because the populations of Caribbean islands are, in fact, nearly all non-white. Have you considered that explanation? In Jamaica, for example, the population is only 3% white, and in Trinidad it is less than 1% white. Why are you surprised that people think of those countries as being predominantly black?
As a matter of fact, whites make up a larger percentage of the population in Ghana and Tanzania, than in Trinidad.
Yes a couple of posters have mentioned ignorance. While the stereotypical Jamaican is black, I don't think most people would be too surprised to know there are indeed white Jamaicans. Like I said, it's probably the influential Asian Jamaican community which people are less aware of. Think about it, Jamaica is actually an immigrant nation like the United States. Cuba is another example of a country which is more diverse than people give it credit for. The largest Chinese community in Latin America.
Maybe it's because the populations of Caribbean islands are, in fact, nearly all non-white. Have you considered that explanation? In Jamaica, for example, the population is only 3% white, and in Trinidad it is less than 1% white. Why are you surprised that people think of those countries as being predominantly black?
As a matter of fact, whites make up a larger percentage of the population in Ghana and Tanzania, than in Trinidad.
It's not about the percentages of whites at all.
Just the general history of the region. Who do people assume brought over all the black people? Do they assume the enslaved Africans worked the sugar plantations unsupervised? Or do they assume the people are simply native to the region?
I can understand to an extent being surprised that there are Asians in the Caribbean. But whites started the region as we know it. They are a minority but historically a very important one.
It's not about the percentages of whites at all.
Just the general history of the region. Who do people assume brought over all the black people? Do they assume the enslaved Africans worked the sugar plantations unsupervised? Or do they assume the people are simply native to the region?
I can understand to an extent being surprised that there are Asians in the Caribbean. But whites started the region as we know it. They are a minority but historically a very important one.
Exactly, I've met many people that believe that Blacks are native to the Caribbean.
And even though now whites are a very small minority now, it didn't started out that way.
Why is it so wrong to harbor the stereotype that Norwegians are white or Nigerians are black or Japanese are Asian, just because there are a tiny minority of people in those countries who are not? Your diatribe against obvious classification (which you call stereotyping) is worse than the stereotyping itself.
Where is the outrage about stereotyping judges as honest or mothers as nurturing or basketball players as tall or Mexicans as Spanish-speaking, when there are exceptions to prove stereotypes to be "wrong"?
When you think about it, there is a double standard with the so called 'obvious classifications.'
I've met plenty of people that are bothered when someone mentions that the US is a white country, simply because most of the people are white. They, the ones that are bothered by this, want the US to be known as a multicultural and multiracial country, despite the obvious.
The same could be said of many people from Caribbean countries. They want their island societies to be perceived exactly what they are -multiracial societies- rather than simply black.
But somehow, its acceptable to see the US as multiracial but peoples motives for wanting the Caribbean to be known as multiracial are psycho-analyzed in search of something else.
This is important for American countries, since most countries on this side of the Atlantic are composed of immigrants and their descendants (whether mixed or full blooded) and almost all American countries were started by whites, when you think about it. Norway was 'started' by Norwegians, who have always been white and I guess the same could be said of Nigeria, although there they have always been black. Not so in many places in the Americas, particularly in the Caribbean. And that makes a big difference.
Why does it makes a big difference?
I once read of an African American that visited South Africa. This was quite some time ago. He went to a school to teach the students about the USA, and he was greeted by many students asking him to stop pretending to be an American since everyone knows Americans are white. Where's the real American they asked him. Imagine how he must have felt, an American having his identity questioned simply due to the color of his skin.
Its the same situation that is being expressed in this thread. People want to be seen for what they are and only through education of reality can ignorance be combated.
When you think about it, there is a double standard with the so called 'obvious classifications.'
I've met plenty of people that are bothered when someone mentions that the US is a white country, simply because most of the people are white. They, the ones that are bothered by this, want the US to be known as a multicultural and multiracial country, despite the obvious.
The same could be said of many people from Caribbean countries. They want their island societies to be perceived exactly what they are -multiracial societies- rather than simply black.
But somehow, its acceptable to see the US as multiracial but peoples motives for wanting the Caribbean to be known as multiracial are psycho-analyzed in search of something else.
This is important for American countries, since most countries on this side of the Atlantic are composed of immigrants and their descendants (whether mixed or full blooded) and almost all American countries were started by whites, when you think about it. Norway was 'started' by Norwegians, who have always been white and I guess the same could be said of Nigeria, although there they have always been black. Not so in many places in the Americas, particularly in the Caribbean. And that makes a big difference.
Why does it makes a big difference?
I once read of an African American that visited South Africa. This was quite some time ago. He went to a school to teach the students about the USA, and he was greeted by many students asking him to stop pretending to be an American since everyone knows Americans are white. Where's the real American they asked him. Imagine how he must have felt, an American having his identity questioned simply due to the color of his skin.
Its the same situation that is being expressed in this thread. People want to be seen for what they are and only through education of reality can ignorance be combated.
Good post. Wanting to be recognized as diverse does not mean a person or a region is ashamed of the part of their culture that is due to African ancestry.
I think apart from the fact that people don't recognize the diversity of the Caribbean what really bugs me is that they can know so little about their own neighbours in their "backyard". Finding white Caribbean people an oddity shows very clearly they know nothing about the basics of a society that is not too dissimilar historically from theirs.
Guadeloupe island is about 9% white.
Martinique is about 5% white.
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