Cultural Diversity in the Caribbean Region

Our rich Caribbean heritage is depicted in the Jamaican motto, 'Out of many one people'.
Over 70 per cent of our population is composed of individuals of African descent. However, the
contribution of other ethnic groups, such as the Indians and Chinese to the social and economic
development of the region cannot go unnoticed.
Culture is generally defined as everything that is socially learned and shared by a group
of people in a society. It refers to a way of life and to all the ideas, beliefs, customs, language,
art, technology and practices of a society, which have been passed on from one generation to
another. It is the way of life of a people. Culture gives a society its identity. A society cannot
exist without a culture. It should be made clear that comprehending cultural differences and
grasping the cultural basis of our behaviour is crucial for anyone in today's multicultural world.
Knowing the history of the Caribbean region goes a long way toward understanding its people.
Each island has a unique cultural identity shaped by the European colonialists the African
heritage of slaves and the enduring legacies of the native Indian tribes.
People who come from the same part of the world and share the same culture are known
as an ethnic group. If ethnic groups from different parts of the world come to live together in one
area and aspects of their different cultures are evident, we say that area has cultural diversity. The
longer these different ethnic groups live together, the more the cultures mix. As this happens, a
new culture develops. So a Caribbean culture is forming that is made up from elements of the
different ethnic cultures of its people.

The Indigenous People

The first recorded settlers of the Caribbean. We have adopted words such as hammock, canoe,
barbeque, Jamaica, maize and cassava from them. They have left the following with us:
barbequed fish and other meat, the making of cassava bread and pepper pot, and the smoking of
tobacco. The worship of many gods was a feature of the Amerindians lifestyle

Food: Based on root crops manioc, maize, sweet potato, beans squash, cassava which is baked
into bammy and cassava bread, pepper pot soup.

Methods of preservation: Barbeque and jerking of meats

Crafts: Cotton cloth and hammocks; woodworking; large canoes; hammered gold nuggets into
jewellery; wood and thatch huts.

Vocabulary: Words adopted such as canoe, hammock, tobacco

Leisure and Entertainment: A passion for song and dance is just one part of Taino culture,
while sports and even smoking were popular pastimes as well.
Religion: They also celebrated using festivals. In the afterlife, the Tainos believed in a place
known as coyaba, where they could live without droughts, hurricanes or sicknesses and the
people spent their time feasting and dancing.

Europeans
Europe's interaction with the Caribbean began in 1492 with the Spanish-sponsored
voyages of Christopher Columbus. Columbus' voyages to the Caribbean incorporated two
differing traditions of expansion. The first was influenced by his Genoese roots and his
experience in the Portuguese mercantile system. This background allowed Columbus to view his
task as mainly one of discovery to be followed by the establishment of commercial outposts and
trading centres that would tap into indigenous resources. The primary goal of this system was the
quick exploitation of the local area with minimum investment.

Birth - christening of the baby.

Marriage - exogamy, engagement, courtship. Something old, something new, something

borrowed and something blue. Throwing of the garter, bouquet. Throwing rice, honeymoon and
special wedding gown.

Dances - Quadrille, maypole, etc.

Religion - Christianity, Roman Catholic, Protestants and Judaism.

Diet - Escoveitched fish, peas and bean dishes. Jerked meat, the making of buns, cakes,
puddings, cheese, ham, bacon, wines, etc.

Asians
Indians: They arrived as indentured labourers between 1845 and 1917. At the end of the
indentureship contract, many Indians reverted to their ancestral occupations; some became
fishermen or farmers, and others became barbers, goldsmiths, ironsmiths and moneylenders.
The Indians introduced several plants and trees in Jamaica, such as the betel leaves, betel nut,
coolie plum, mango, jackfruit and tamarind. The food habits of Indians have a distinctly Indian
flavour and taste.

Chinese: The Chinese represent a small proportion of the Caribbean population; nevertheless,
their impact have been great, particularly in the area of commerce. The Chinese were brought as
indentured labourers to work on the plantations following the emancipation of the slaves. They
soon left the plantation and set up businesses, small grocery shops into large enterprises
embracing not only retailing, but also wholesaling.
Chinese celebratory dances such as the lion and dragon dances are always looked forward to by
many Jamaicans as part of our national events. Chinese industry and their disciplined approach
to work, their care and nurturing of children and the emphasis they place on education and on
family life, set examples for the Jamaican society. The tradition of the extended family in
Chinese culture parallels that in African cultures, so is respect for age, whether it be to a member
of the immediate family or to an outsider.
Marriage - endogamy and may even be arranged. Special wedding garments.
Religion - Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism.
Diet/food - roti, curried goat, rice, pak choi, spices and vegetables.

The Africans
It was brought across the Atlantic centuries ago with the monstrous evil of slavery and has been
fiercely protected ever since - preserved in songs and stories, dance, family life, rituals and
speech patterns, food and folk medicine.

Languages: Creole languages are nearly two hundred years old. In the Caribbean, they came
about during the first slavery era. The Creole found in the region is a 'patois' language that is a
varied combination of African and European syntax and lexicon or words. It evolved out of
necessity, as slaves had to communicate with the European plantation owners.

Culture and Customs: Old African culture and customs influenced much of the religious
worship, artistic expression, rhythmic dancing, singing and even ways of thinking in the
Caribbean. Reggae music and jerk cooking are also African-inspired gifts to the world from the
Caribbean.

Music and Dance: Music has been central to Caribbean culture since the days of slavery, when
it was a mode of mental survival and a form of recreation. It is characterised by a natural, easy
rhythm and multiple ethnic influences, particularly the African drum beat. Dancing everywhere
in the Caribbean is an energetic melding of lower-carriage movement, shuffle-stepping and
swaying hips.

Birth - ceremonial cutting of the 'navel string'. Mother stays in for nine days after giving birth.

Death - wake, belief in spirits and ghost.

Marriage - special wedding garments, act of giving gifts, betrothal, wedding ceremony and
ritual.

Dances - Jonkonnu, kumina, Dinki-Mini and Bruckins, etc.

Religion - Orisha, Kumina, Shango, etc.

Medicines - herbal cures, folk medicines, and bush doctor.

Promotion of ancestral heritage
While accepting that societies are always in a state of change, most people also see the
importance of recognizing, preserving and promoting the cultures from which they have come.
They understand that this heritage contributes to their sense of identity. Many members of ethnic
groups within the Caribbean preserve aspects of their culture eg. Many women of Indian descent
continue to wear the traditional sari. Indigenous groups in particular are making strident efforts
to preserve and promote their culture; established settlements in St. Vincent, Dominica and
Trinidad.

All of these groups keep their culture alive through the use of customs, art, craft, language,
music, dance and folklore. In some cases aspects of these particular cultures become fused within
the general culture. This perhaps appears most strikingly in the food eaten within the Caribbean
where it is easy to identify Amerindian, European, African and Asian influences in some of oir
favourite dishes.

Tolerance of different cultural patterns

Given the varied histories of the people who make up the Caribbean, it is not surprising that there
are many different cultural patterns within the region. This diversity of cultures is one of the
region’s most exciting features, but it also presents one of its greatest challenges. It can
sometimes be difficult for people from different cultural backgrounds to live alongside one
another. We all want to be free to enjoy and celebrate our own culture. In a healthy society,
citizens can appreciate different cultures and allow all people to follow their own cultural
traditions.

Commercialization of culture
Some aspects of Caribbean culture are becoming commercialized, particularly through the tourist
industry. For eg. People are drawn to the region because of the many festivals that celebrate
aspects of our culture such as music, dancing or food. Once in the region, tourists are often
interested in traditional artifacts. Producing and selling these artifacts provides an income for
traditional craftspeople.