5 Reasons Many Jamaicans Don’t Understand Racism

[Tropicana]

In the age of racially-charged discussions and political correctness, some Black Americans may think that Jamaicans do not get racism. Many don’t.

Until it lick dem inna the face and when that happens I say serve onoo right.

Jamaicans who arrive in the US sometimes have a difficult time understanding racism. It isn’t that we are not aware of racial disparities but rather, being from a country which is predominantly black, it sometimes has to hit us in the face before we are able to recognize it.

Same thing I just said...seeit deh.

Here are some possible reasons Jamaicans don’t get racism.

1. We did not grow up seeing race.
When we played Chinese skipping or marbles with our friends, we didn’t see race. Some were probably Indian or Chinese descendants but our friends were just our friends – not people of a different race. In fact, for many of us, it wasn’t until adulthood that we began to notice what was ‘different’ about our childhood friends, and even then it didn’t matter.

Then how does one account for the preference men have for light skinned, long haired women and terms like "good hair", "bad hair" and "cool complexion"? How does one account for nonsensical concepts like browning. Why are the overwhelming majority of Miss Jamaicas light complexioned with many of them looking White in a country where the majority of people are Black? The only predominantly Black countries with worse track records are South Africa and Zambabwe pre-independence. Now that's pathetic.

2. We filter things differently.
Since we haven’t been exposed to blatant racism in our own country, we don’t readily conclude that someone’s action toward us might be racist – even if it is. For example, if we get into an elevator and people move to the side, we might think there is a problem but don’t automatically assume racism. Likewise, in a restaurant if we are not served right away, we won’t necessarily think that it is because we are black. Our social construct did not expose us to these behaviours at home which allow us to see it through different eyes.

Yes this is true.

3. Jamaicans cling to the “Out of Many One People” motto.
We believe in our motto that proudly proclaims our heritage as a mixed race people. We openly talk about our DNA makeup – who is mixed with what race and nationality. It’s a natural thing for us and being mixed does not make you any less Jamaican.

This adds up to ambivalence and a reluctance to fully embrace the concept of "blackness". The fact that Black Power books were banned for so long did not help.

Recent events have pushed the issue of race into the limelight even more. This presents the perfect opportunity for Jamaicans who have now become part of a minority in foreign lands to develop a new perspective and appreciation of the struggle for racial equality. It is also a learning moment for African Americans to understand that not all Blacks everywhere are familiar with race discrimination and oppression. We can both learn from each other and help each other fight racial inequality.

With so many Jamaicans raising children "a foreign", it is the next generation(s) that suffer. They get hit in the face with racism that they are ill-prepared to handle and the parents are too stubborn to listen to anyone who tries to make them aware of the racial dynamics at place.



Read more: http://jamaicans.com/reasons-many-jamaicans-dont-understand-racism/