All islands in the Caribbean share a similar colonial history which has caused creolization of languages, communities and culture. These creole language function as symbols of identity to those that are mainly of African and indigenous decent. This research paper written by Diana Ursulin Mopsus of the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, entitled, “The Attitudes Toward Caribbean Creoles of European Descended Communities in Martinique and St. Croix” has the Caribbean as its target audience. The
The Caribbean region extends from Barbados in the East, Trinidad and Tobago in the South, to the Bahamas in the North and Cuba in the West (Edwards, 2013, Unit 10 ). A rich cultural heritage is one of the regions most prized possessions, dear to the heart of its people. Merriam-Webster(2013) defines culture as “the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time” Diverse cultural components of music, dance, the arts, literature, languages, and religious practices do
Many people will think of Caribbean Islands as a nice place for a getaway vacation. But historical background of Caribbean is somewhat different. Caribbean has a long history of colonization and slavery for many generations. As new colonization was established, new cultures and languages were introduced. People tends to only focus on the bright side of the Columbus¡¯s great discover of the new land and colonization of the European countries and can easily forget about the destruction and the damages
the Continental United States originally, I imagined the differentiation of context regarding cultural perspectives and values would be very existent in correlation to what I had known as a Virgin Islands native. The culture and lifestyle of the Caribbean influenced the set of values I maintain, as during my raising they were the only ones implemented by my parents and supported by my environment. The purpose of this paper is to explicate how our cultures have influenced us as individuals regarding
( Farlex, Inc 2013). Caribbean music has its own unique history, is very diverse with each island having its own unique genre of music. With so many different types of music out there and different performing artists these artists are looking for ways to make money by becoming popular. Music in the Caribbean was first developed by the Neo Indians around 1600 the Neo Indians died taken their culture and music. Music then reemerged when the African slaves came to the Caribbean. The type of music the
The Caribbean The inhabited islands clustered in the Caribbean Sea are an interesting study in cultural and social identity. Colonized by european powers from the Fifteenth Century, the Caribbean islands have become mixtures of cultures from Europe, Africa, and India, as well as from the original inhabitants of the islands. As a result, describing and defining the Caribbean is a much more difficult task than it appears on the surface. The norms and ideas of identity and history that exist on one
“The meeting of Africans, Europeans, and the indigenous people in the Caribbean is arguably one of the most interesting and important aspects of world history. It was in this region that one could perceive the worst aspects of inhumanity juxtaposed with a story of survival and triumph of the human spirit. Caribbean history unfolds like a drama and is a continuing saga of wars of various types, conquest of different sorts, and above all, resistance” (Toney, 2011). In a time of exploration, discovery
Misconceptions of the Caribbean never seem to change and more erroneous information seems to be added on as time passes. Peoples knowledge about the Caribbean is derived from false assumptions without accuracy and facts. That often leads to stereotyping. When people hear the word “Caribbean” they automatically think of it as a place for vacationing and relaxation. The Caribbean isn’t just about reggae music, Bob Marley or the exotic food. There is much more to the Caribbean than just the surface
Slavery in the Caribbean Caribbean Slavery gave planters and elite in the Caribbean the right to abuse a human by requiring ridiculously long hours of work on the fields and not providing enough nutrition. The article by Kiple and Kiple reviews the state of malnutrition among the slaves and the findings are atrocious. Slaves were lacking basic nutrients such as calcium, fats, and various vitamins. Kiple and Kiple, regardless of these facts, state that according to 18 and 19th century standards
IMPACT OF SPANISH COLONIZATION ON THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF TRINIDAD AND WIDER CARIBBEAN Pre- History before the European’s Three (3) major Amerindian indigenous people lived in the Caribbean before the European discovered many of the Caribbean islands. These groups were the Island Caribs and Galibi who resided in the Windward Islands, the Taino who resided in The Bahamas, Leeward Islands and Greater Antilles, the Ciboney who resided in Western Cuba. Trinidad was inhabited by both Carib speaking and
During the period of 1640-1690 the expansion of the Caribbean “economy, was made possible by the expansion of the European colonisation over the Atlantic. However Africans were captured for slave trade to sustain the development of sugar industry, through slave labour to produce sugarcane.” (Grouchier & Walton, 1629: 418-420). The scramble for Africa brought about gender inequality within the African society, the European invasion in the Atlantic introduced some political conflicts regarding the
the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea. From Puerto Rico to Jamaica, this exotic paradise south of the United States, that has been bloodied by battle, has since become a vacation hotspot open to tourists from across the globe. Meanwhile, many American Corporations have been actively depleting many of the natural resources found in these areas which has created a vast dependence in these monopolies’ productivity. The presence these of foreign entities in the Caribbean has resulted in a staggering
"The Caribbean" The Caribbean, a region usually exoticized and depicted as tropical and similar in its environmental ways, cannot be characterized as homogenous. Each individual island has their own diverse historical background when it comes to how and when they became colonized, which European country had the strongest influence on them, and the unique individual cultures that were integrated into one. The three authors Sidney W. Mintz, Antonio Benitez-Rojo, and Michelle Cliff, all and address
Attempting to analytically appreciate the religious inclinations of the populaces of the Caribbean, it is undeniable that the region must be consumed as a whole. With interconnecting origins, environs, and social formations, it was interesting to consider the emergence of Caribbean religious affiliations collectively. Through the process of socialization, displaced persons culturally survived the misfortune of slavery and the pressures to dismantle their embryonic religious autonomist groupings.
Colonialism in the Caribbean Although Michelle Cliff, Antonio Benitez- Rojo, and Sidney Mintz all discuss the Caribbean in their writings they all have very distinct perspectives. In his writing, The Caribbean as a Socio-cultural Area, Sidney Mintz discusses the Caribbean from a historical standpoint in which he characterizes it as a socially united, rather than a culturally united one. Antonio Benitez- Rojo tries to explain the distinct cultures of the Caribbean with a combination of historical
Slavery and the Caribbean Europeans came into contact with the Caribbean after Columbus's momentous journeys in 1492, 1496 and 1498. The desire for expansion and trade led to the settlement of the colonies. The indigenous peoples, according to our sources mostly peaceful Tainos and warlike Caribs, proved to be unsuitable for slave labour in the newly formed plantations, and they were quickly and brutally decimated. The descendants of this once thriving community can now only be found in Guiana
Martinique is a Caribbean island, which also happens to be a department of France. Due to the different people that are living there, and their cultural and social backgrounds, it makes Martinique a very unique place to live. Much of Martinique’s social policy and culture is influenced by France and their structures, mainly because unlike many other European colonizers, France never gave up or lost its hold on Martinique (Revauger). What are unique to Martinique as their own island, however, are
chosen as my target group is Caribbean Immigrants of the United States. I have chosen this target group because I am from the Caribbean. Although I am not an immigrant I know many people who are immigrants and I am the daughter of one. Caribbean immigrants are a very diverse set of people who have migrated to the United States from the Greater or Lesser Antilles. There is close to 40 million people who live in the Caribbean. If you ask someone from the Caribbean, “why did they move from their
From the time the Caribbean and the European civilizations have been documented there has always been a tendency to distort their history because of the contemporary image of a relaxed island lifestyle and a paradise for tourism. The history of each Caribbean nation is unimaginable due to the display of greed by the European nations; they recognized the Caribbean as an essential conquest because it was a terrific source of economic expansion. Determined purely by financial gain, they began to perform
The Caribbean is a region known not only for its sun, sand and sea, but its festivals. Also known as ‘Caribbean Carnival’, these festivals have spread to the diaspora. Oxford Dictionaries define carnival as, “a period of public revelry at a regular time each year, typically during the week before Lent in Roman Catholic countries, involving processions, music, dancing, and the use of masquerade.” The term and concept of ‘carnival’ originated in Italy, however, with the influence of African culture