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There are some tensions in Trinidad, but it's significantly different than what you would find in the U.S. The most tensions arise from politics, which is more limited to specific times. Overall, the place can definitely be considered positive in terms of so-called "race" relations. However again, the dynamics are different from places like the U.S., so that it is not really comparable.
Can't speak about Barbados as I've never been there, but I believe there is a thread about some white Bajans here somewhere.
Guyana I heard has a bit more tension among it's racial and ethnic groups than Trinidad does.
I was just reading that the Dominican Republic has annulled Dominican citizenship for all Haitians living there since 1929!
It doesnt matter if you were born there in 1930, raised a family, have grand kids, and never learned Haitian Creole, now all are Haitians and foreigners.
If the West Indies is a model for race relations, the Dominican Republic sure isn't.
Haiti won't recognize them either. In addition Haiti doesn't have the jus soli policy in place where people born on soil of that nation to foreign parents are not considered citizens in the nation that they are born in.
I'm not sure how race relations really are in the West Indies; and while I agree that it's good that people get along, I reject this notion that blending/merging cultures is a good thing. All that does is lead to cultural nihilism.
One thing that I've noticed about Indians from Guyana and Trinidad is that they don't have the sense of being Indian/Hindu that Indians in other parts of the diaspora have and aren't as business savvy and education orientated either. The Indian community in Guyana in particular is a joke. I think this is partly due to not experiencing the Indian Independence movement and being brought to those places over a hundred years ago as indentured servants.
I've also noticed that a large proportion of them are Christian, which baffles the heck out of me. Why on earth would you trade in a 5,000+ year old heritage to become a pariah in another culture?
Many people in India are already Christian once different European groups began conquesting the various areas of the Indian subcontinent. Also the Indian diaspora is huge, scattered out all across the globe since the earliest of times and civilizations.
I know many Indians that are Jews, many that are Muslim, and many that are Hindu, and even Indians that practice Jainism and other unique religions and Indian tribes and ethnic groups.
I was having this conversation with some friends this weekend while attending some events for T&T's anniversary. At most West Indian events, you'll see a medley of different races. Some people are all black. Some are all Indian. Some are all Chinese. Many are black and Indian. Many are black and Chinese. Many are Chinese and Indian. Many are black, Chinese, Indian with perhaps a sprinkle of Portugese. At the end of the day, when "Trini 2 De Bone" starts playing, all you see is a united front of Trinis displaying the Red, Black and White. Out of many people, you have one nation. Roti is not seen as an "Indian" food. Soca is not seen as "black" music. It's "Trini" food and music.
I've always found it interesting that many Americans tend to put "West Indian" and "black" together. But I've never seen it that way. One reason I've always been so proud to claim West Indian heritage is because the term is all-encompassing. I think it's hard for Americans to really get the concept of so many different people sharing the same culture, traditions, speech, etc.
What do you think?
Do you know that in T&T some of the clubs in the 90s (maybe even today) used to encourage certain groups in and others out based on the music. Basically enforcing and ensuring that on nights when they wanted the whites and light skinned the others went elsewhere.
We arent a model of racial tolerance any more than any where else is. How can we be when so many in Tdad and Guyana vote race and not issues.
You being of Bajan descent should know the wealth and power disparity between the whites and blacks in Barbados. A lot of white Bajans stick to themselves and rarely do business with those out of their social circles.
Indeed Bdos in the 80s was quite racist and sadly some black Bajans were quite happy to enforce this.
two examples. My sister went to a club, with a Guyanese person of Indian descent. He was allowed in. The BLACK female security guard refused her in.
I went to a bar for a drink. The people there told me that it was private. I didnt quite hear them so asked for clarification. Upon hearing my NON Bajan accent I was invited in. When I asked why would I not have been allwoeed in if I was local I heard some racist nonsense about black Bajans harrassing the tourists. This in a country whcih was largely run by blacks at the time! I promptly left w/o buying anything.
Because blacks are the dominant group in most countries they do not need to take issue when acts like this happen. A black Bajan woman told me that she just didnt go to those white owned places where they didnt want her. It wasnt an issue for her because in a country where blacks occupy the bulk of the top roles (though do not own most of the assets) why should it be?
Ditto for the clubs in T&T in the 90s where they had nights informally known as "gollywog" nights when they played soca, vs other nights when mainly rock was played. Another night for the Indians too.
In many cases places that are the very mixed can have more conflict. Think about it, if you solve one problem or issue, humans will just find more problems and issues to argue about.
One thing that I've noticed about Indians from Guyana and Trinidad is that they don't have the sense of being Indian/Hindu that Indians in other parts of the diaspora have and aren't as business savvy and education orientated either.?
Yes of cours it is fair to compare people who arrive as engineers, and doctors, with those who were peasant farmers and cattle herders before migration to the USA.
The people who arrive from India are among the MOST educated immigrants into the USA (alongside Nigerians). Those from Guyana much less so (only about 20% are college educated, and a fair % of the rural population with minimal secondary school education). So how can you determine their respective attitudes when their social and human capital is vastly different?
It will be more fair to compare Indian immigrants to the USA with Nigerians, and Indo Guyanese immigrants with Indo Trinidadians.
But to compare some one who was a cane cutter prior to migration with some one who is a doctor is hilarious. Obviously the latter will have more social capital to succeed in the USA and to position their kids to do the same.
The Indo Caribbean migrants resemble more the Asian Indians who migrate to the Middle East than they do those who migrate to the USA.
Large numbers of Indo Caribbean people were traditionally quite obsessed with India, and ardent fans of Bollywood, due to the fact that it allowed them ties to India. So to suggest that they had no interest in India in a pre cyber era is nonsense. Younger Indo Caribbean people are often less interested once they encounter those direct from India, and the scorn that some direct their way.
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