..reality check.. does other west indians really despises Jamaicans?..

[X]

Re: ..reality check.. does other west indians really despises Jamaicans?..

Yup ..interesting comments.

Before mi figet.. Bajanyardie.. Thanks for you comments... note thought that you misquoted.. I never said "Fame".. I said "Reputation".. BIG diffrence. Maybe subcounciously YOU think being Jamaica is akin to FAME, but not this Jamaican.
Another thing.. So u grew up in Barbados and then went to UWI.. And based off your time at the university, you formulated that All Jamaicans are close minded, unaware and all the lot. Hmmm,? Interesting.. You contribute to my experience that UWI has become (as Mutty Perkins put it) an Intelectual Ghetto..
You post is very close minded.. Still itsyour sad opinion.
I have met arrogant, srewed up "other" islanders, Yet still I dont feel ALL are the same. Sadly our mainstream mediums of exchanging information about each other has done a sloppy job. And our relationships pay for this.

About the music.. You are wrong.. Check say a Precilla's on CSping Road any night of the week.. Soca till a Trini would say "What happen to Reggae?".. Check a .. (cant remember the name of the place..) This hotel in New Kingston that has a club downstairs.. Soso Latin music.. Jamaican embrace other cultures.. more so than many others. Dont blame the people because the music is so great and accepting. Jamaicans by their reputation may have promoted soca overseas just as much or even more than any other Caribbean nation.

Friendlieness. We dish out what we get.. Maybe you werent the most friendly person to be around hence why you seemedly got cold responses (or none).. Maybe the area you was exposed to was just that way.. I mean I move to Canada, greeting people on the streets , and as I enter elevators.. Nobody responds.. Then I realize it was just the area I was in...This was a busy - get-it -done - NYC kinda area.. I move to a less city like area, and the people take time out to meet and greet. Its not necessacarily a NATION thing.. Just your experience..
Jamaica has 2.5M at home and twice that abroad.. You wanna tell me your stint at UWI has made you and expert on all these "FAMOUS" people???!

We all have baises.. wheter we accept this fact or not.. To be objective, we need to acknowlede these baises, and be willing to break them.. Its not easy.
I have been willing to learn more about our fellow west indian brothers and sisters. To see each person in THEIR perspective.. not how the media protrays them.. question is, are you?

[Tigrrr]

Re: ..reality check.. does other west indians really despises Jamaicans?..

Xks,

Your post is interesting to me because the stigma of a group of people based on a person's "own" experiences is something most of us encounter.

For example, I "personally" will never date another Nigerian based on my own experiences. However I am astute enough to know that the traits of the few I have encountered can not be a blanket viewpoint of all Nigerians (even when my experiences hit the stereotype nail on the head.)

Likewise, if a White American has only had negative experiences with Black Americans, or a Bajan has only had negative experiences with Jamaicans - it becomes difficult to seperate your personal experience from your hope that no group of people are inherently bad.

My suggestion would be for a person to broaden their experiences to gain a fairer perspective. If you have only experienced Nigerians in America, try meeting some Nigerians in different socioeconomic levels in Nigeria. If you have only experienced Black Americans in the judicial system, try meeting Black Americans in the business sector. If you have only experienced Jamaicans at resorts or at university, try meeting Jamaican farmers, or teachers, or nurses.

Seen

[CeaBee]

Re: ..reality check.. does other west indians really despises Jamaicans?..

Zeen, Tigrr and XKS

[REGGAEMAN]

Re: ..reality check.. does other west indians really despises Jamaicans?..

very interesting indeed.

[Lynntt]

Re: ..reality check.. does other west indians really despises Jamaicans?..

Originally posted by bajanyardie:
[qb] Just look at some of the comments on this board- they are so typical. 'Dem jealous a we cos we have fame and reputation' and rae, rae,rae... When I used to get this in JA, I used to just bite my lips and hold strain cos if mi did leggo pon dem bout why mi coulda neva jealous of JA as a Barbadian and why it should be the other way around, it woulda come off as cruel. Cos de things Jamaicans tell other West Indians they should be jealous of are essentially superficial- the cultural/athletic accomplishments of others, not the social/political accomplishments of the society on the whole like... say, Barbados.[/qb]

This is EXACTLY what my friends say - especially the Bajans and Trinis. You hit the nail on the head. I have a lot of friends who are from all over the Caribbean, and I have to admit that they are, to a person, prejudiced concerning Jamaicans. I never hear one of my Trini friends make disparaging remarks about St. Lucians, or my Bajan friends tell me to be careful or I might get robbed in Tobago.

The older generation is even worse. One of my best friends is from St. Vincent; her parents are always asking why I 'bother' going to Jamaica on vacation when I could have a much better time on a nice, clean, pretty, orderly island. They told both of their daughters that they could date anybody they wanted, except for Jamaican men.

This topic really interests me. The Caribbean presence here in Atlanta is very strong, but it always seems like Jamaica vs. the rest of the Caribbean in a lot of ways.

[Lynntt]

Re: ..reality check.. does other west indians really despises Jamaicans?..

Originally posted by Juss plain ole B_P:
[qb] ...the animosity between islands might ultimately limit them from reaching potential greatness as a unified, politically aware, region. [/qb]

True!

[X]

Re: ..reality check.. does other west indians really despises Jamaicans?..

hmmm? So the answer is YES there is serious resentment for Jamaicans by other Caribbean nationals.
Not unlike the resentment the house slave had for the field slave?.. Yuh know house slave: " Listen dont come cause no trouble with Massa now.. Massa been good to us, he only kill slaves that try to escape"

Lets see, so what is it that is resented? What has Jamaicans existence done to take away from the quality of life for our fellow West Indians???

Let eliminate Jamaica from the picture.. No spot of land 90 miles south o Cuba.. just sea..

So no Marcus Garvey (to insipire civil rights leaders ), No Bob MArley, No Colin Powel, No Donald Quarrie, No Merlene Ottey, no Dallas family, No Malvo, no yarrdie posse.. no Donovon Bailey, no Ben Johnson, no Harry Belafonte, no reggae musis, no dancehall, no Jamaica..

So does this now make the existense of other Caribbean nationals easier??! So now the world's a better place huh? We all now living in lala land huh? No crime, no diseases, no wars.. People walk naked without seeing their nakedness, the world is one big park by a bubbly brook.

See my point is, these nations are not nssisarily the object of Jamaicns' decent, we are more concerned about making better for ourselves and familes whereever we live.. Yet we have SOME of our Caribbean brothers and sisters spending an unusually amount of time hypocraticly tearing us down??

There is a story about a hen who lost her sight, and was accustomed to scratching up the earth in search of food, although blind she continued to scratch away diligently. Another sharp sighted hen spared her tender feet and never moved from the side of the blind hen. As soon as the blind hen dug something up, the sharp sighted hen quickly devoured it. Thats how it is with Jamaica being the blind hen, and nay sayers from the other nations being the sighted hen.

We going thru the rough times.. used by the US Govt in the 70s to keep communism out of the Caribbean, now that the (politican and tribal) beast that was created has gotten outta hand, and blood is flowing in the streets, the people who benefitted are pointing and critisizing.

Maybe we need to undo the work done to divide us, stop seeking out diferences, and instead focus on uniting, maybe then we'll have real power.

[KeishavKB]

Re: ..reality check.. does other west indians really despises Jamaicans?..

Mi wi read page two afta mi seh dis....

As a Jamaican living in the UK, I often hear people say 'Jamaicans don't take bull**** from nobody'.
This may mean we are confrontational and pick fights even when it's not necessary or or it could mean that we are ready to stand up for our rights. People take it different ways.

I have been told that I don't 'act like a Jamaican' and when I ask what a Jamaican acts like, I get given quite a few unflattering examples. (I got taught that I should represent my country well so people don't say anything bad about where I come from.)

I hear other Jamaicans blame other Jamaicans. It's always the 'Kingstonians' and the 'Montegonians' that give Jamaicans a bad name. Plus some Jamaicans go abroad and live up to the negative stereotype.

One other thing I notice is how many non-Jamaicans know enough patois to tell people bout them parts. And the real Jamaicans forget the twang when they are ready to tell people bout their mothers.

[Yvonne N.]

Re: ..reality check.. does other west indians really despises Jamaicans?..

You have spoken from your heart and it sounds as if it's without malice..good for you!

What you have said is also very true. We are egocentric, terribly egocentric.

However, if and when we listen to the other person's point of view and become more tolerant, we are among some of the world's most wonderful people.

[KeishavKB]

Re: ..reality check.. does other west indians really despises Jamaicans?..

Bajanyardie... very interesting comments.

Jamaicans don't notice the insularity until they go away and 'go mek foreign tun dem head' and then go home.

[Tigrrr]

Re: ..reality check.. does other west indians really despises Jamaicans?..

Xks

The field negro yelling at the house negro did not bring about emancipation of either. Didn't matter who was doing the yelling.

Everywhere Black people reside where we are either the majority or a significant minority we need to take ownership of the negative behaviors that lead to stereotypes and stigmas and heal our own wounds. How many decades have we cried foul and pointed fingers and waited for others to fix things for us? What would motivate someone to come clean summadi else's house?

No doubt, the world powers have screwed the Caribbean. I am no history buff, but it appears the screwing was selective, depending on when and how a Superpower was kicked out.

Haiti - Toussaint. Cuba - Castro. Jamaica - maybe it was Garvey although he preceded independance. Maybe the ills started after independance. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

My point is, Jamaica must find a way to heal itself and to promote the positive, beautiful, wonderful things about Jamaicans that make this site so popular.

I would be a billionaire if I knew how. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[CeaBee]

Re: ..reality check.. does other west indians really despises Jamaicans?..

so we are arrogant condescending (sp), insular, unfriendly people prone to criminal behaviour ...ok now mi guess mi know why dem noh like us

[Tigrrr]

Re: ..reality check.. does other west indians really despises Jamaicans?..

coolbeans, don't lose your cool. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I truly wonder, what nation or race of people don't get stereotyped by the worst of their group?

White people in America at least are divided into several groups - trailer trash, dumb blondes, WASPs, new money (Trump), old money (Rockefeller), Guiedos (sp), mafia/Cicileans, jews, etc.

But most of us are stereotyped by the few people who are nothing like us.

[CeaBee]

Re: ..reality check.. does other west indians really despises Jamaicans?..

Tanks Miss Tigrr fi di words of wisdom...makes me realize that you're one of those intelligent, friendly, African Americans I been hearing so much about [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[bajanyardie]

Re: ..reality check.. does other west indians really despises Jamaicans?..

So Xks, how long should I live in Jamaica to be considered an 'expert'? Tho I didn't know this was what I was aspiring to...

I gave my studied opinion and note, I NEVER said ALL Jamaicans, I could not say that cos it wouldn't be true. I have whole heap of Jamaican friends and family who do not fit those characteristics at all and then again, some who do fit some and not others of those traits I described. Don't try to twist my words.

I said Jamaicans TEND to be that way... lemme explicate what I meant for you dawlin...as in Jamaicans moreso than other nationalities show these traits... and I stick to that view.

About the music... I am not wrong. Priscilla's and Mingles (downstairs of the Courtleigh) do not make the rule. I know of what I speak, even though admittedly JA is opening up a lot more to music from the rest of the Caribbean, especially since ZIP fm come on the scene 2,3 years ago. Which was such a joy for me, because other than that to hear music from my side of the Caribbean, I had to wait til Carnival season or listen out for Kurt Riley on Friday evenings for a mere half hour. When you compare that to the amount of dancehall, reggae, rocksteady, lovers' rock that plays constantly in the rest of the Caribbean, it is NOT a comparable level of acceptance.

As for the friendliness, your little dig about my not being friendly ent have no merit. I was raised right and I say 'good morning/afternoon/night' FIRST. It is not a matter of Jamaicans dishing out what they get and then again it is. It isn't what they get from ME as someone raised in the Eastern Caribbean, unfortunately it is what they get from their own fellow Jamaicans. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/70361-embarassed.gif[/img]

Yet I know it was not always so, cos I found when I greeted older people (probably 60+) they always responded... they looked shocked like dem couldn't remember when last, but they responded. As do people from the country. Kingstonians hard... and my JA friends from country used to complain about this more than me.

I ent basing my opinions offa the press or media. I am a journalist and I know better than to believe everything the press says, cos it is our job to report what is often bad, but not the good. The press will tell u about how many murders there are in JA. They won't tell u Kingston is still the greatest, most vibrant and fascinating city in the C'bean and how big hearted Jamaicans are or how sweet the country is outside of Kgn.

I know you trying to pigeon-hole me down as one of dem small-minded people, but baby, it ent even close. I talk the truth. You asked why other West Indians resent Jamaicans, I offered some reasons and now you ent like it. If you asked me why other West Indians ent like Bajans, I could tell u that too- they/we TEND to be just as arrogant in our own different way and blasted snobbish.

You say you have met people from other islands who were screwed up etc, etc but you didn't write them all off. Well, I'm basing my opinions not on a few individuals but on living amongst Jamaicans for several years and you know what... I still ent write off JA. I would go back and live there now... question is... would you? Cos Jamaicans TEND (see that word again) to be among the swiftest to leave their island for somewhere, anywhere else... if that ent self-indictment what is?


again... dis long, but it ent a simple answer to de question...