Caribbean and Proud
All ah we is one!
by: Brenton Henry | April 24, 2020 |The Caribbean Civilisation Weekly
Caribbean Identity
Have you ever stopped to think how uniquely diverse the Caribbean is? The region which historically became home to a variety of groups from Europe, Asia, India, Africa and the Americas, is today an amalgamation of ethnicities and traditional practices that defy replication anywhere else in the world! Today, being Caribbean is seen by many as the personification of spice, blend, and variety; and, while this is true, it only superficially constructs the deeper layers of our connectedness through our societies’ history, geography and cultural practices. The demographic diversity in the Caribbean having emerged from often harsh, forced, and even brutal migration practices, has morphed to become the most potent factor shaping the Caribbean identity. It is perhaps the reason which most compels its peoples to become one, since their shared experiences, complexities and resilience will forever be unparalleled in the books of history.
We are too unique to be the same, but too alike to be different: The Caribbean Peoples — Brenton Henry
Watch the video below which chronicles some of these experiences and how they may have impacted on our Caribbean identity.
Concepts of Identity
Guibernau describes identity as “a definition of self that establishes what and where [a] person is, in both social and psychological terms” (2) and further extends that “all identities emerge within a system of social relations and representation” (2). It is this concept of identity that characterises us and our behaviours and causes others to recognise us. Perceptions of identity have been theorised in many ways. Khan views it through both objective and subjective lens. The former dimension, or the Fact of Identity speaks to characteristics imbued by race, sex, or ethnic group. The latter dimension Khan explains, can denote either an individual’s interpretation of the world or his personal understanding of himself (2). Woodward believes that identity as a whole, is an amalgamation of three sub concepts, namely social, personal and ego identity (6). She suggests that although there are situations beyond our control that help to mould our identities, individuals largely choose what things they want to shape their identities based on how important those things are to them (Woodward 6). On the matter of defining the complex identity of Caribbean people, Arero invites us to ponder the following thought evoking questions:
What criteria could one use to define a region as “Caribbean” in character — is it the geographical aspects or the cultural considerations and historical connections that one should inquire further to arrive at such distinction? If we use geographical considerations then where do we place Guyana, for instance, a country that is physically in the South American region but culturally exhibits closer affiliation and similarities with the other Caribbean islands? How do we construct, conceive or perceive the notion of Caribbean identity? Therefore what constitutes Caribbean-ness or a Caribbean persona — is it where one was born and raised or is it possible to be Caribbean without having set-foot on the Caribbean homeland? (4).
If I close my eyes and you take me to the shores of the various Caribbean isles, I’d never know which one is home. #Geographically_the_same — Brenton Henry
Certainly, Arero’s questions have interrogated some of the perspectives of Caribbean identity. His suggestion that citizens of the region have constructed their identity viz geography, culture, history and even through their affiliation with members of the diaspora is undoubtedly true. An extension of factors or institutions which have managed to shape our Caribbean identity, would also include race, education, politics, language, gender, sexual orientation and economic engagement (UWI Open Campus). There are however, three main theories which historically denote Caribbean identity: The Creole Society Theory; the Plural Society Theory and the Plantation Society Model.
The Creolisation Theory
The Creolisation Theory proposed by Brathwaite is extremely useful in discussions of Caribbean identity. As Bolland explains, the term Creole generally references individuals or cultures derived from one place but developed in another; thus, in the Caribbean context, it describes “a local product which is the result of a mixture or blending of various ingredients that originated in the Old World” (1). Bolland explains this feature of Caribbean identity, represented in the fact that Creoles, though natives of the Caribbean, were multiracial descendants of Africans, Europeans and Asians. It is this creolisation and the subsequent infusion of cultures which Bolland believes resulted in a melting pot and formation of a “new nation” (2) or Creole community which Caribbean natives have come to embrace as their unique identity. Thus, we see many aspects of our Caribbean identity as fusions of language, food, music, religious practices, dress and its multiracial peoples.
The Plural Society Theory
Mustapha notes M. G. Smith’s contextualised version of a Plural Society which suggests that societies within the region are stratified by the various races and ethnic groups within (110). These groups retain their cultural identity in their embrace of institutions such as religion, marriage and family. The societies where common institutions are embraced by the entire population are considered as homogenous; while their counterparts are considered heterogenous. These interpretations of classifications within society have significantly shaped interpretations of Caribbean identity in the past and continue to do so even today.
The Plantation Society Theory
The Plantation Society Theory views the Caribbean as a working model of past Plantation Society, identifying with very similar practices despite Emancipation and the passage of much time. Herein, the economic, socio-political and cultural interests of the wealthy minority, like days of old, is still being passively advanced by the poorer strata. Mustapha summarises the features of George Beckford’s Plantation Society Theory below:
- the prevalence of mono-crop cultivation;
- the marginalisation of the peasantry and focus on large producers;
- dependency on foreign investors to aid Caribbean development;
- little control of the price at which crops are sold on the international markets, since international forces influence prices;
- demand for foreign products at the expense of locally produced goods;
- social stratification based on factors such as race and colour (109).
Contemporary Caribbean Identity
The concept of Caribbean Identity in the 21st Century is been notably dynamic. Though many historical influences still pervade, there are strong suggestions that Caribbean identity has been impacted by the reach of globalisation. Palmer also perceives that a new trend is emerging and this is inextricably linked to the increasing and strategic dominance of the United States on the Caribbean territories (11). Initially the United States’ involvement in the Caribbean was linked to issues of racism, fiscal assistance, humanitarian intervention, military or other strategic objectives (UWI Open Campus). The sustained relations between the region and the North American powerhouse, have resulted in the acculturation of many practices within the region. Adoptions of US based ideologies are increasingly noticeable in many manifestations of popular culture, particularly with the younger generation. Thus, a modern Caribbean identity with an appetite for partaking of the dress, language, entertainment and other socialising behaviours of this slowly pervading. This also is reinforced through the influence of the predominantly US diaspora, who also inadvertently advance the agenda of their host country as they interface with the peoples of their homeland.
Personal Response
I have shared two versions of a poem I wrote on aspects of the journey we have had as a Caribbean community and which without doubt may have impacted on our present interpretations of our identity. The fact that our identity is fluid means that as contemporary citizens, we are consistently engaged in identity creation for the region. I urge you to recognise the value of your intellectual contribution to the body of Caribbean identity and be mindful of the influence you have in reconstructing this for the better. What is your view of Caribbean identity? How do you believe historical or present circumstances ground that perception? Leave a comment or a clap below.
Brenton Henry is an undergraduate student reading for the Bachelor of Psychology (BSc.) at the University of the West Indies. He is a first-year student with a zeal for improving the capacity of the Caribbean’s structures and human capital in the quest for full development of the region.
Works Cited
Arero, Hassan. Caribbean Identities — Exploring Historical and Cultural Diversity, 01. Dec. 2006 London, UK, in: Connections. A Journal for Historians and Area Specialists, 02. Mar. 2007, www.connections.clio-online.net/event/id/termine-6541. Accessed 20 Apr. 2020.
Bolland, Nigel. “Creolisation and Creole Societies: a Cultural Nationalist View of Caribbean Social History.” Caribbean Quarterly, vol. 44, no. 1/2, 1998, pp. 1–32. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40654019. Accessed 25 Apr. 2020.
Guibernau, Montserrat. The Identity of Nations. Polity Press, 2007.
Khan, Abrahim. Identity, Personhood, and Religion in Caribbean Context. Working Paper No. 6/97–98. Cambridge: Harvard University, David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, 1996.
Mustapha, Nasser. Sociology for Caribbean Students. Vol. Second edition, Ian Randle Publishers, 2013.
Palmer, Ransford. U.S.-Caribbean Relations: Their Impact on Peoples and Culture, Praeger, 1998.
UWI Open Campus. Caribbean Identity, 09. Mar. 2020. https://shared.tle.courses.open.uwi.edu/pluginfile.php/87243/mod_resource/content/1/FOUN1101%20Plenary%207.pdf Accessed 20 Apr. 2020.
Woodward, Kath. Questioning Identity: Gender, class, nation. London: Routledge.Chapter 1 pp. 1–40 Dossier, 2000.