Introduction
Caribbean countries are those countries that underwent centuries of exploitation through slavery and indentureship. The whole Caribbean region entails; State members of CARICOM, Spanish-speaking Cuba and the Dominica Republican, The semiautonomous states of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, The British Overseas territories, The US Territories, The US Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and territory of the US Virgin Islands.( Wharton, F.1997).
The territories of the Republic of France
The region has several cultural differences due to the existence of different ethnic groups for example, English, Dutch and French. (Wharton, F. 1997). Colonization of the region not only led to psychological, environmental, social and economic damage but also to racism, mineral exploitation, oppressive ideologies, environmental degradation, diseases and poverty. .Gluttony and reckless led to many villages burning down and valuables stolen. This paper describes how the legacy of colonialism contributes to some of the economic issues facing Caribbean countries today. (Wharton, F. 1997).
Economic Practice and Legacy
The key factor that enhanced the colonization of Caribbean countries was the natural resources. Therefore, Europe, United States and other colonizers developed a want to posses and control the resources. They put in place colonial economies practice that controlled natural resources. This included discovering and taking advantage of the richest natural resources for instance minerals and agricultural products. . The resources were then exported. This meant that the profits gained from the exports boosted the economic and social growth of the colonizers. Crop production and mineral mining required extensive labor. The Caribbean’s were made slaves in their own countries by providing cheap labor. The Caribbean’s worked for long hours and the working conditions were not conducive. This led to migration of people to areas of high production to provide service. The ready and cheap labor provided high profits to the colonizers. .
It is regrettable that the effects of colonization are still evident in these countries, for example, economic instability. Up to today, poverty, illiteracy, crime, poor health care systems, dirty water, debts and unemployment are part and parcel of the Caribbean people. (Toney, J. 2000). One can be blinded by the Caribbean people’s achievements and think that colonization has stopped. For example, the Caribbean dominance in sports and athletics; also, they have innovatory leaders, scholars and philosophers who have made greater contribution to the knowledge world like Arthur Lewis.the Caribbean countries spend a lot of time, money and labor to train the athletes, professionals and scientists.(Toney, J. 2000).
This people are lured with better working conditions and high salaries in the developed countries. Instead of the colonial governments encouraging and supporting the poor countries to achieve the best, they take away the already baked resources for their benefit. (Toney, J. 2000). This leaves the poor countries with visionless leaders who cannot manage the resources available. To control these, the Caribbean people must have the spirit of patriotism and remain in their country for a better tomorrow. Also, the Caribbean government must give recognition to peoples achievement so us to boost their morale. For the Caribbean countries to develop, its people must join their efforts and provide service in countries that have the natural resources instead of migrating to developed countries. (Toney, J. 2000).
Colonization of the Caribbean countries led to lack of sense belonging and identity. Despite the different symbols like the flag, motto and currency been available, nationhood notion is not clearly pronounced. Been patriotic by either supporting the national team or attending the state function can only be acts. (Wharton, F.1997).It’s therefore, important for the Caribbean citizens to have a clear understanding of their history and culture. This will help restore their countries.
Colonial governments borrowed money to support their rapid urbanizing. This later led to the lending countries been much poor than they were. Material assistance and financial aid increase was the only solution to the problem. (Wharton, F.1997). This did not solve the debts and needs of the Caribbean people and resulted to more debts. The only way to curb the debt issue to for the Caribbean regions to refute financial aids and look for ways of repaying the current debt.
Colonization brought with it disunity among the Caribbean leaders. There was some indifference among the leaders. (Wharton, F.1997). Trinidad and Tobago prime minister couldn’t agree with the Jamaica leader. Each Caribbean country had its own currency and stock exchange hence some of the countries currencies were of high value than others. This led to disunity among the Caribbean countries. Introducing a currency that will be used by the entire Caribbean countries will increase its value. There are those countries in Caribbean which are larger and more developed than others for instance Jamaica. The only way to be free from their colonizers is for the wealthier countries to extend a hand and help the smaller countries.
United States, one of the colonizers of the Caribbean countries, has more interest in Cuba and not the entire Caribbean. This may lead to misunderstanding among the leaders and disunity. Tackling the issue in a strategic and peaceful manner needs wise leaders.
The world is the global village and Caribbean is part of the world. Therefore, it should unite with other developing countries and developed countries and ignore their differences that were brought about by the colonialists. (Wharton, F.1997). Te regional unity will provides a platform for airing out critical issues and coming up with a concrete solution concerning the economy of each country.
Conclusion
Caribbean comprises of many countries which were colonized by several colonial regions. (Toney, J. 2000). This led to differences in ethnicity hence varied in culture. Colonization not only took away the Caribbean citizens of their resources but also their sense of belonging. When the colonizers were enjoying the richest resources, the Caribbean’s were languishing in poverty and dying of curable diseases. They became slaves in their own land.
Despite gaining their independence later on, the Caribbean’s status had not changed entirely. This is because the developed countries still look for the richest resources found in the developing countries hence for their in good. (Toney, J. 2000).
For the situation to get nay better, the Caribbean people need to unite, know and understand there part in the development of the society. The implementation of a currency that will be used be the whole Caribbean will increase its currency value. Looking for ways of sustain the Caribbean people instead of relying on financial aid will ease their debt. (Toney, J. 2000).
What role does Race play when it comes to a sense of identity for Caribbean people?
Introduction
Race refers to a classification of people into various categories depending on their origins. . Race can be given a variety of interpretations thereby giving it substantial significance for different reasons. Race can adopt a new dimension over time, whereby a group of people from distinct races may find striking similarities within themselves. Consequently, they can come together and form a common identity. . Therefore, race is a social representation that adopts various forms with the changing fortunes of time. The concept of race determines a community’s culture and identity. The Caribbean is composed of people from every corner of the globe. These includes the Asian Indians, Rastafarians, Aboriginal Indians among other people of diverse origin .This paper seeks to establish the role of race when it comes to the sense of identity of the Caribbean people.
Race and Caribbean sense of Identity
It is pertinent to note that the social composition of the Caribbean people is as a result of diverse races. (Seejattan, V. 1994). This diversity is a key factor towards the construction of a Caribbean identity. The people of the Caribbean practice constant construction of historical and racial realities. As a result of this, their identity is an exceptional subject of changes over time. The Caribbean people form part of a diverse culture, which makes up their identity. .
The Caribbean people share a lot of historical experiences, which is the basis of their identity as a region. Historical events that represent the early settlers in the Caribbean include slavery, new languages, and adaptation to foreign environments. (Seejattan, V. 1994). A majority of the English speakers of the Caribbean region are immigrants from various corners of the globe. They came from places such as Africa, India, Syria, and other parts of the world. Most of these areas practiced slave trade, which influenced social institutions in the respective countries. Colonialism is one of the key factors, which led to people’s migration to the Caribbean region. .Despite all the efforts to identify with certain races, it is essential to realize that race is only a social creation without any biological significance whatsoever. Race is mainly determined by the difference in skin color among other factors. Skin color results into classification into various social ranks .
The European hegemony and slavery created a plantation system that emphasized racism among the Caribbean. In a majority of the British Caribbean communities, people’s identity is strongly linked to skin color. People from Africa and Asia may acquire achieved status despite the fact identity on the basis of skin color reigns supreme. Climbing the social ladder among the Blacks was as a result of one’s ability to adapt to the culture of the Europeans. Consequently, the Caribbean community’s identity largely depends on behavioral diversity. (Seejattan, V. 1994).
Race is a vital component in the construction of the Caribbean identity. For instance, among the Anglophone Caribbean, there is an interest in the culture of Caribbean of African origin. (Seejattan, V. 1994).The racial orientation traces its roots to colonial system whereby all people were given various ranks. The Creole community in turn imposed the notion of white racial significance to the Blacks and Asian laborers. The blacks were discriminated against by colonial planters. They were not involved in making political decisions in the Caribbean society. This is mainly because the white elite did not want to give the blacks a political base, considering the fact that the Blacks comprised the highest population in many islands. (Seejattan, V. 1994).
The Creole elite denied the blacks their cultural heritage and emphasized white superiority. A large section of the Anglophone Caribbean has blackness as the symbol of nationhood. . Political independence gain has, however, forced the Creole hierarchy to treat the blacks as an essential component in governance. It is extremely clear that the colonial masters had paid close attention to the supposed superiority of the white culture. Therefore, this idea had to be discouraged in order to include the cultural identity of the black masses. .
When African countries started gaining their independence, it triggered an interest in the culture of the black members of the Caribbean community. (Premdas, R.1996). This break up from the white colonial powers encouraged the people of the Caribbean to reclaim their African identity. The Afro-Caribbean people gained immense confidence and made them anxious for their own identity. Today, the Afro Caribbean culture is appreciated and practiced in the form of music, religion, dress and even dances. .
The Dominican sense of identity is modeled in contrast to that of the Republic of Haiti. This is mainly because Dominican Republic is extraordinarily close to Haiti and has fresh memories of the racist occupation of Haiti. (Premdas, R.1996).The Dominican Republic consequently adopted a Catholic and Spanish definition. Blacks and various racial groups were accommodated into the Hispanic Caribbean. This signifies the presence of an assimilation program, which encouraged the enhancement of racism.
Race does not, however, play a vital role in creating a sense of identity among the Hispanophone Caribbean community. Their identity is mainly based on aspects of Spanish culture such as religion and language instead. Just like the Anglophone Caribbean, the Hispanic Caribbean retained some of the culture from their motherland. Racial divisions among the Hispanic Caribbean were less severe compared to the Commonwealth Caribbean. (Premdas, R.1996).
Therefore, the hundreds of years of colonialism left a considerable population of the Caribbean with similar thoughts on various ideologies. . People with similar characteristics were subjected to a similar treatment, which resulted in uniting them. The decision by the ruling elite to treat whites as superior to blacks on the basis of color gave the subjects a passion to seek their own identity. (Premdas, R 1996).
Conclusion
The Caribbean sense of identity largely depends on skin color among other factors. The Blacks for instance were not allowed to participate in politics since it was feared they could gain a political base to air their views. (Premdas, R.1996). The Caribbean community with its origin in Asia was also subjected to racism. Apparently, the whites promoted the notion that they were superior to other people on the basis of their skin color. Consequently, this brought the subjects closer to each other hence creating a sense of identity for them. The end of colonialism in Africa and other parts of the world gave the people of the Caribbean a sense of hope for their own identities. Such events gave the Caribbean people immense self awareness and a sense of worthiness .
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