Xenophobia: The Xenophobic Attitudes in Our Community

As people of this vibrant region that’s full of breath taking nature and diverse and deep culture, we Caribbean people truly hate each other. 
 
I use to the term hate to describe the level of animosity that is used when describing one another. Us hating each other doesn’t mean we don’t like each other. We have to like each other to survive but we have to love each other’s existence. Confused? Well allow me to explain. 
 
Xenophobia: intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries.  
 
 
Xenophobic attitudes are worldwide and doesn’t stick to one society, however in the Caribbean we tend have those strong attitudes in every single one of our countries. 
Caribbean pride or unity is something that has been more prevalent over the last decade as we started to produce mainstream artists, world class athletes and other worldwide influencers. It’s a movement that encourages the region to be together as one. 
 
This type of Caribbean unity is needed in order for socio-economic institutions  such as the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to thrive. We can’t promote free movement of labour, a single market etc., if we don’t showcase that we can get a long as one. 
 
Here is the problem, we can barely see each other passing on the road. 
 
As a Seh Mahtener, I grew up in a society where this type of attitude is second nature. This 37 square miles is one of the most multi culture island in the region yet, for most of my child hood, many communities were (are) separated. 
 
In this xenophobic community of mine, we tend to place persons who are not considered “Seh Mahteners” into groups that are related to their origin: 

1. Haitians 
2. Jamaicans
3. Spanish (Dominicans, Venezuelans, Colombians, Panamanians) 
4. Dominican 
5. Other English Speaking Country People  

 
Xenophobia usually thrives when cultures clash. In this community, cultures clash ALL THE TIME. 
 
From simple debates to which island is better, to how they live, the purpose of migrating or to the simple fact that they are so many of them that live here. 
 
We have one of the biggest Dominican community, due to the fact that many men in the late 19th Century/ early 20th Century migrated to the Dominican Republic to work in the oil industry. Many of these men left families over there and when the economic declined in the country, many people who claim Seh Mahten heritage, among others migrated  for better opportunities.
 
This mass migration over the last 30+ years has annoyed the “locals” to the fact that they are the ones taking up all the social welfare, they are the ones that are always up late with their loud music and drinking. Some of these statements apply but they are usually filled with fear, hatred and simple disgust. 
The same goes for the mass migration of Haitians. Many people speak about them with distaste as they come with the idea that all of them practice witchcraft or obeah, or are a part of a super religious community or speak a language that no one understands so they are automatically talking crap about us. 
 
Many persons in the Haitian community would usually take the “lower class job” or become the street vendors due to the lack of proper documentation, or education in a way to provide for their family and that their children will be able to be educated and live the best life they can. 
 
Many of the other groups are looked down upon on as a way that they carry themselves or how they speak because it doesn’t fit in the narrative of the pride the “locals” deal with. 
However this is the gag (always wanted to say that), living in a multi-cultural society that is located on such a small mass of land, no one is truly “foreigner” or “local” anymore. Caribbean people have mixed and mingled among each other for years to raise their children in this community as branded as “Seh Mahteners” 
 
No one, is truly from here. My mother’s lineage is Antiguan, most of my classmates lineages are from the English speaking Caribbean, other Antillen (Dutch Caribbean) countries, Asian, etc. yet we still identified ourselves as Seh Mahteners. 
Why? It’s because the merge of the various cultures has become our culture and our identity.
 
Unfortunately this doesn’t stop the xenophobic attitudes within our local and  broader communities(the region). Social media has created a platform where persons who live on other islands are able to interact with one another on a regular basis. 
 
A great and current example of xenophobia throughout the entire region is the current debate over Rihanna’s new dancehall project as if it’s culture appropriation or not since she is Barbadian and not Jamaican.
Apparently a set claims that because she isn’t Jamaican she shouldn’t do it another set claims Dancehall is a regional genre another set says well if we can’t claim dancehall don’t claim soca and carnival another set saying this is just proof y’all don’t really like Jamaicans, and I Kamilah Gumbs is saying shut up because we are all sounding stupid. 
 
Yes, Dancehall is a genre originated in Jamaica. However Barbados, according to my mother who spent 4 years at the University of West Indies Cavehill Campus, is a very dancehall oriented island. Rihanna always stated how she grew up listening to the genre this becoming a part of her own cultural experience. 
 
Dancehall, alongside Reggae, Soca, Calypso, Zouk, Kompa, Boyoun, Bachata, Reggaeton etc., are all Caribbean genres that were created and specialized in different communities but has become of different individual culture experiences.  
 
Someone’s culture experience should not be an open target for your xenophobic attitude. Just because they aren’t from your island doesn’t mean they haven’t had a certain experience, just because they don’t speak like you or move like you, doesn’t mean you the other Caribbean person, the person that needs to representing Caribbean pride as a part of our socio-economic development, should not speak about your fellow brothers and sisters with words that scream xenophobia.  
 
As I mentioned that I am still living in a xenophobic society, despite of all the cultural changes. EVERY CARIBBEAN ISLAND HAS A XENOPHOBIC ATTITUDE WHETHER IT’S UPFRONT OR BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, AND WE NEED TO CHANGE THAT NARRATIVE IN ORDER FOR US TO BE UNITED AS ONE REGION AND IN ORDER FOR US TO MOVE FROM THIS STAGNANT PLACE THAT WE’VE BEEN SITTING IN FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR LOCAL AND REGIONAL SOCIETIES. WE, MEMBERS OF CARICOM, OECS, SPANISH SPEAKING NATIONS, AMERICAN OVERSEAS TERRITORIES, DUTCH CARIBBEAN, FRENCH CARIBBEAN NEEDS TO GET OUR ACT TOGETHER AND LEARN THAT OUR DIFFERENCES THAT WE ARE SO AFRAID OF, IS ONE OF THE MINOR ISSUES TO THE SIMILARITES THAT WE SUFFER WITH ECONOMICALLY AND SOCIALLY IN THIS REGION.
 
So can we, kindly, end this stupid debate, realise our flaws (because I’m just as bad as the next man) and better ourselves? 
 
Come do bettuh nuh man. 

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