Yea yea yea I know I said I was going to post these yesterday but I forgot amidst a haze of work, hot weather, and some intense video game sessions. Here are my belated observations:
1) Caribbean society is just as racist as any other society, including America's. Every discussion of regional integration requires acknowledging the continuous impediment that race relations within the region has had. So far I have been able to discern two major racial issues. The first is the hierarchical nature of society, whereby Whites are on top, followed by the browns, and with the blacks on the bottom. This structure is a result of hundreds of years of slavery and colonial rule. Yet, many would argue that after independence the brown middle class consciously decided to keep this structure since it greatly benefited them. As a result, the racial hierarchy that was in place in the 18th and 19th centuries remains unchanged. The second major racial issue is the conflict between "West Indians" and "East Indians." When slavery was outlawed in 1833, plantation owners took to importing indentured servants from eastern Indian. The influx was most notable in Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago where to this day the populations remain bifurcated. In these two countries, the move toward independence in the early 20th century was complicated by the mutual distrust between West Indians and East Indians. This distrust continues to this day and, with the migration of Guyanese to Barbados and other Caribbean countries, has begun to spread throughout the region. In sum, race is a huge issue in Caribbean society and politics. No discussion or analysis of regional integration in the area is complete without taking it into account.
2) No one raises their hands in class. When someone has a question they either shout it out or say "Question!" "Question!" repeatedly until the professor acknowledges them. I am the only student who raises his hand in class - a habit I don't want to abandon since I know that I will be going to school in the U.S. again and shouting out is seen as rude in our culture. At first I was taken back by this, thinking it rude, but I have gotten used to it. When I give my first presentation in class on the 19th I know I will need to be prepared to be interrupted with questions.
3) Oftentimes, when someone challenges another person's position on an issue and succeeds in making a valid point, the person being challenged says "I take your point." This has happened to me a couple of times in class, both from professors and fellow students, and it struck me as refreshingly non-egotistical. In the states I find people tie their specific positions on an issue to their integrity/identity as a person, so that when they are challenged on a viewpoint it is as if their entire reason for existence is getting questioned. I know I have been known to display this "bunker" mentality, which is why it was so surprising to see someone say "I take your point" in response to one of my intellectual ripostes.
Those are the three main observations I have made since my last reporting on culture in the Caribbean. I am sure there will be more to come in the future! I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. It was hot here and there were many moments when I wished I was in the North East enjoying a cool autumn day instead. Ok, off to go work on a presentation! I'll post again sometime this week.
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