Welcome to Simply Uniquee Culture!
"Jamaican is not an ethnicity, it is a nationality and it is a culture.
Jamaica is the name of a nation/country and its people came/come from different parts of the world." ~ Site Author Chong Laoshi
Below I have shared questions that I have been personally asked over the years...
Jamaica is the name of a nation/country and its people came/come from different parts of the world." ~ Site Author Chong Laoshi
Below I have shared questions that I have been personally asked over the years...
Welcome to the Diversity of the Caribbean/West Indies!
Who is the "Face" of the Caribbean/West Indies?
This is a question far too difficult to answer. It encompasses the same difficulty as this question, "Who is the Face of the USA?".
Both regions have a similar history. Both regions started with a Native American (The original people of North/South/Central America) demographic. Both regions were "discovered" by Europeans. Both regions suffered from a form of slavery/indentureship. Yes, the historical details and events are different, but the overall concepts of Europeans wanting ownership of these regions was the same (such as cotton plantations in the USA and sugar plantations in the Caribbean/West Indies).
At a point in history, both areas were a part of the so called, "New World".
Alongside the Native Tainos, Kalinagos (Called the "Caribs" by Columbus), Ciboney, Lucayans, Igneris, and other native ethnic groups, the people of the Caribbean/West Indies have ancestors from Africa (mostly West/Central Africa), Europe (mostly Spain, Portugal, France, the Netherlands, England, Ireland, Scotland, & Germany), Asia (China & India), and the Middle East (Syria & Lebanon)! Over many years, all of these cultures blended together to create the cultures of today.
This resulted in today's Caribbean/West Indian people ranging from being 100% one ethnicity, to being a mix of two or more!
What do "these" Jamaicans/Caribbeans/West Indians look like?
The majority of Jamaicans "look Black". Of those that "appear Black", some are of 95-100% African descent. Some might have a grandfather or great-grandfather who is East Indian, Chinese, 1/2 European descent & 1/2 African descent etc.
Like myself, some of those that "appear Black" can actually have Chinese, Indian, or Portuguese last names!
On the contrary, a Jamaican or other West Indian who actually does appear to be Chinese or East Indian, may not even have a Chinese or East Indian last name! But Why? Their grandfather could have been of European or another descent, so instead they have their other grandfather's surname! To some, this might sound very confusing, but in parts of the Caribbean, this is very common!
One's name does not always have to "match" one's face.
How did "all this" happen?
Besides the original Native Tainos, Kalinagos, Garifuna, Ciboney, Lucayans, Igneris, and other native ethnic groups, people were brought to the Caribbean/West Indies to be made slaves (mainly West/Central Africans), people came as slave traders/masters (mainly European men), people came as the "new form of slavery" known as indentured servants (mainly East Indians & Chinese), some were former Panama Canal laborers (various ethnicities), some came to escape religious persecution (some Portuguese Jews & Syrian Jews), some came in search of work, or for other reasons to seek a better life.
It is stated in many sources of Caribbean history, that during slavery the majority of the Europeans who came to the Caribbean were men. Thus, many European men mixed (both with and without consent) with the slaves (Africans & Natives). However, NOT all Caribbean people of European descent are the descendants of these masters. When slavery was abolished in the Caribbean, more Europeans moved to the Caribbean for a better life.
All of these forms of immigration to the Caribbean, are very similar to the reason of past and present waves of immigration to the USA. From the 1800s to early 1900s, the Caribbean was a very popular destination to start a new life.
Do West Indians label themselves as "African-Jamaican" or "Indian-Trinidadian"?
No. Whether you're Black, White, Asian, or Mixed, you are just simply Jamaican or Trinidadian (Trini). Interracial dating and marriage is common across the West Indies. Furthermore, the term "interracial dating" is not even used. The Jamaican national motto highlights the diversity, "Out of Many, One People". This means that the Jamaican people are a blend of many ethnicities, but in the end we are One Jamaican People!
Guyana: "One People, One Nation, One Destiny" Trinidad & Tobago: "Together We Aspire Together We Achieve"
I always wondered why you guys eat curry, dumplings, and other stuff. "all of this mixing"?
Yes. Whether it be in music, food, clothing, government, art, folklore, religion, or in another form, all of these people have contributed to the Caribbean/West Indian culture.
Please always remember that one's name does not always have to "match" one's face.
This is a question far too difficult to answer. It encompasses the same difficulty as this question, "Who is the Face of the USA?".
Both regions have a similar history. Both regions started with a Native American (The original people of North/South/Central America) demographic. Both regions were "discovered" by Europeans. Both regions suffered from a form of slavery/indentureship. Yes, the historical details and events are different, but the overall concepts of Europeans wanting ownership of these regions was the same (such as cotton plantations in the USA and sugar plantations in the Caribbean/West Indies).
At a point in history, both areas were a part of the so called, "New World".
Alongside the Native Tainos, Kalinagos (Called the "Caribs" by Columbus), Ciboney, Lucayans, Igneris, and other native ethnic groups, the people of the Caribbean/West Indies have ancestors from Africa (mostly West/Central Africa), Europe (mostly Spain, Portugal, France, the Netherlands, England, Ireland, Scotland, & Germany), Asia (China & India), and the Middle East (Syria & Lebanon)! Over many years, all of these cultures blended together to create the cultures of today.
This resulted in today's Caribbean/West Indian people ranging from being 100% one ethnicity, to being a mix of two or more!
What do "these" Jamaicans/Caribbeans/West Indians look like?
The majority of Jamaicans "look Black". Of those that "appear Black", some are of 95-100% African descent. Some might have a grandfather or great-grandfather who is East Indian, Chinese, 1/2 European descent & 1/2 African descent etc.
Like myself, some of those that "appear Black" can actually have Chinese, Indian, or Portuguese last names!
On the contrary, a Jamaican or other West Indian who actually does appear to be Chinese or East Indian, may not even have a Chinese or East Indian last name! But Why? Their grandfather could have been of European or another descent, so instead they have their other grandfather's surname! To some, this might sound very confusing, but in parts of the Caribbean, this is very common!
One's name does not always have to "match" one's face.
How did "all this" happen?
Besides the original Native Tainos, Kalinagos, Garifuna, Ciboney, Lucayans, Igneris, and other native ethnic groups, people were brought to the Caribbean/West Indies to be made slaves (mainly West/Central Africans), people came as slave traders/masters (mainly European men), people came as the "new form of slavery" known as indentured servants (mainly East Indians & Chinese), some were former Panama Canal laborers (various ethnicities), some came to escape religious persecution (some Portuguese Jews & Syrian Jews), some came in search of work, or for other reasons to seek a better life.
It is stated in many sources of Caribbean history, that during slavery the majority of the Europeans who came to the Caribbean were men. Thus, many European men mixed (both with and without consent) with the slaves (Africans & Natives). However, NOT all Caribbean people of European descent are the descendants of these masters. When slavery was abolished in the Caribbean, more Europeans moved to the Caribbean for a better life.
All of these forms of immigration to the Caribbean, are very similar to the reason of past and present waves of immigration to the USA. From the 1800s to early 1900s, the Caribbean was a very popular destination to start a new life.
Do West Indians label themselves as "African-Jamaican" or "Indian-Trinidadian"?
No. Whether you're Black, White, Asian, or Mixed, you are just simply Jamaican or Trinidadian (Trini). Interracial dating and marriage is common across the West Indies. Furthermore, the term "interracial dating" is not even used. The Jamaican national motto highlights the diversity, "Out of Many, One People". This means that the Jamaican people are a blend of many ethnicities, but in the end we are One Jamaican People!
Guyana: "One People, One Nation, One Destiny" Trinidad & Tobago: "Together We Aspire Together We Achieve"
I always wondered why you guys eat curry, dumplings, and other stuff. "all of this mixing"?
Yes. Whether it be in music, food, clothing, government, art, folklore, religion, or in another form, all of these people have contributed to the Caribbean/West Indian culture.
Please always remember that one's name does not always have to "match" one's face.
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Taino Descent |
Kalinago Descent |
African Descent |
Jewish Descent |
Spanish Descent |
Syrian Descent |
Northern European Descent |
French Descent |
Portuguese Descent |
East Indian Descent |
Chinese Descent
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My Caribbean Celebrities PPTs via Youtube
*These PPTs do not represent all celebrities of Caribbean descent, simply a few."
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Page Written & Compiled By Chong Laoshi #thechonglaoshi
