SanterÃa pratice in the Americas... (life, people, speaking, cons)
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the VAST majority of people in the English speaking Caribbean have British names. French names come second due to the French influence of some of the Anglophone Caribbean.
My post referred to Afro-Caribbean people in general, not just the English-speaking nations.
However, I believe the above quote is an exaggeration, even for the English-speaking Caribbean. The French influence is very significant in certain places. It's the majority, but not the vast majority. Even so, a number of the English names in the Caribbean are not as common among African-Americans. Perhaps some of the Caribbean names are very old English.
Very much so. Keep in mind not all African Americans share the same experience or prospectives, despite the tendency of people to group either AAs or Blacks in general together as the BORG.
Among African Americans in general, this may hurt Afrocentrists but they do not really have preserved elements of various African cultures like you do in Latin America or the Caribbean, and nothing such as a well developed African based religion.
There is nothing like the orishas in the southern US, unless you count Florida which has a lot of Latin American and Caribbean immigrants.
That's not exactly true. There are aspects of Orisha beliefs among the gullah/geechee in the Carolinas.
Remember that, like you said, not all African-Americans share the same experiences or perspective.
That's not exactly true. There are aspects of Orisha beliefs among the gullah/geechee in the Carolinas.
Remember that, like you said, not all African-Americans share the same experiences or perspective.
True. But even with the Gullah of the Carolinas and Georgia (you're correct) and with the Lousiana Voodoo, this still isn't the majority of African Americans.
It definitely exists, and I acknowledge that, but certainly NOT to the scale in the Caribbean or Latin America, where the African based religions where well preserved and a lot more widespread.
It seems that people are generalizing about African American culture. Are there not regional/state differences. Also what I totally don't get about even the term African American is that is seems to suddenly lump in all people that may be considered "black", but maybe from totally different heritages. It is the entire melting pot situation ... which is odd. It almost seems to high light the idea that being a certain skin colour makes you a certain way ex you eat, think, believe or do things a certain way ... which is not true. It seems contradictory.
I actually really liked when Raven Symone comments on this topic...
Self included the ongoing need for people to actually have to label themselves and not be taken for who they are as a person is annoying and exhausting.
There are definitely regional differences in terms of religion, accent, and culture.
Example there are a lot of African American Catholics in Lousiana and Maryland. You'll find some African American Catholic in large cities. African American Catholics are extremely rate in the deep South, where most African Americans will be Baptist or Methodist. Of course cities with a lot of Black immigrants will be even more diverse in terms of religion. There will be Muslims, all types of Christians, practitioners of African based religions, those who converted to Buddhism, or whatever other religion.
The posters who point out there exists greater African based religions in Lousiana and among the Gullah people of the Carolina and the Georgia are correct. Among other African Americans it was essentially wiped out and not well preserved like in the Caribbean or much of Latin America.
True. But even with the Gullah of the Carolinas and Georgia (you're correct) and with the Lousiana Voodoo, this still isn't the majority of African Americans.
It definitely exists, and I acknowledge that, but certainly NOT to the scale in the Caribbean or Latin America, where the African based religions where well preserved and a lot more widespread.
Just to be clear, no one has ever stated nor implied that this is the majority of African-Americans. It's not the majority of Afro-Caribbeans or Afro-Latinos either.
All I am stating is that your statement about there being nothing like the orishas in the southern U.S is incorrect. There are small pockets of adherents among African-Americans.
The Caribbean and Latin America are different, particularly the significantly Catholic nations/areas. As we discussed earlier, Catholicism allowed for better preservation.
but the bottom line is no one here seems to be able to give me a specific nation or country these practices allegedly originate from.
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Are you suggesting that all culture among American blacks originated in the UK?
Then why in the Africa thread are you talking about some commonality you feel with other blacks. You do know that skin color alone doesn't connect people if there aren't other factors involved. I don't know for example if you identify with a Masai.
And Agbor is usually arguing with the Afrocentrists so to call him one is interesting.
Overall I agree, with the exception the last names. There certainly is overlap with British/Irish names but Afro-Caribbean also bear plenty French, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, East Indian, Chinese and other surnames.
Relatively few blacks have Indian or Chinese last names. Even in the USVI few have Danish names.
Trinidad is unique with the diversity of last names. Go to the rest of the former British colonies and the last names will have a similar range as one would find among black Americans. Do recall that many blacks from Louisana also have last names. In NYC "Baptiste" can be either Caribbean or American.
Just to be clear, no one has ever stated nor implied that this is the majority of African-Americans..
In fact the conversation even moved beyond the DIRECT manifestations of African religion to influences of African traditions highly adapted to other religions.
It is agreed that virtually no American blacks openly engage in African religions. Voodoo as practiced outside of Haiti is often more witchcraft than a religion, and obeah has long ceased being a religion in the Caribbean. Its always "I gun obeah you"!
There are many things that we do in daily practice that have African root origins. Things so mundane that we don't even know, as we are too busy looking for drums and alien deities and languages when we seek Africa.
Even when a Caribbean person talks about a "big big" woman meaning one who is quite hefty that is Africa right there. Even when I type it this shows as an error because to repeat a word isn't standard English, but its frequently done for emphasis among Africans.
So we say that its the mundane things that sometimes indicate African religion, including the intonation of the pastor in black American evangelical churches. The churches that were created by blacks so left more space for blacks to decide how worship will be conducted.
This is not true of Catholic, Anglican and other blacks where the European form of worship was maintained. It is to be noted that the Catholic and Anglican churches have lost much ground in the Caribbean however. As the colonial era gradually fades so are those churches, this being most true of the Anglican church.
Relatively few blacks have Indian or Chinese last names. Even in the USVI few have Danish names.
Trinidad is unique with the diversity of last names. Go to the rest of the former British colonies and the last names will have a similar range as one would find among black Americans. Do recall that many blacks from Louisana also have last names. In NYC "Baptiste" can be either Caribbean or American.
I am speaking about Afro-Caribbean people regardless of language, not just the formerly British Caribbean. Either way, if you combine the French, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, East Indian, Chinese names in the English-speaking Caribbean, there will still be a sizeable population with non-English names.
As for the USVI, there is a sizeable population with non-English last names. Not sure why you only mention the Danish. Plenty French and Spanish surnames here because of people from the DR, Dominica, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, Haiti etc.
Louisiana is unique and not the norm among African-Americans.
Trinidad is unique with the diversity of last names. Go to the rest of the former British colonies and the last names will have a similar range as one would find among black Americans. Do recall that many blacks from Louisana also have last names. In NYC "Baptiste" can be either Caribbean or American.
Meant to add that when it comes to Trinidad that the majority of the African descendents in Trinidad have origins in the French or formerly French (Kreyol) islands of the Caribbean. That is, of course, due to the Spanish allowing any Catholics to come in via the cedula de poblacion. So the French came from other islands with their African slaves. The plethora of French names are a direct result of the same nations that were colonized by the French or by both the French and British -Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Grenada, Martinique, Guadeloupe etc. So when it comes to a number of islands, there is not exactly the same range of last names. Only Louisiana may have greater similarities but not the AA population on a whole.
Many people "over-Anglicize" the English-speaking Caribbean islands. With the exception of Louisiana, the AA population does not share the French Creole heritage of many Caribbean islands, which is visible in names and cultural traditions.
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