IslandMix - Soca, Reggae, Zouk and Caribbean Entertainment

I am livin in North Carolina, but I am definately a Caribbean Jewel..Anyway, from the first time I came up here to hick town all they say is where is the caribbean and what is it like. Don't you think tis a shame that we in the Caribbean learn more about their culture, than they learn bout we. All they does say is what is reggae cause all they really know is country music and hip hop!! And to even ask them bout calypso..... lord have mercy that is like speaking Dutch to a French Man. They always say their country is so developed and they are in the information age, but if dey in de information age why in the hell deh don't know about other cultures. Can someone please help me justify my thoughts, because if it was not for school I would have been back home long time. Another thing is you know caribbean students are serious about their school work wherever we go, but it seems like being serious about your school work is a threat to these folks. Now tell me when did wanting to be successful to represent your country become a crime. When i first came up here I got depressed, but thanks to a few other Caribbean folks, and my soca and reggae from home my life became a little easier. Now justify that for me!!!

ignorance is an intriguing thing....you'd be suprised that even living in a city as diverse as New York, you come across people who have no idea where Trinidad is. So if its like that here, I can only imagine what u experience in the south.

Unfortunately people in the US are not always exposed to the Caribbean or its culture, not always to the fault of the average Joe. The American education system teaches selective history & current events. Growing up in the States, let's not even get into the fact that I didn't learn Caribbean history. Outside of your token Martin Luther Kings and Malcolm X's, I didn't learn much African-American history and its the history of THIS country.

As much as the ignorant questions can be disturbing, annoying and offensive, many times we have to try to educate those around us.

And as for being a threat. I'm not sure I feel its soley because you are Caribbean. Not saying that its right, but figure your this "foreigner" (mind u just about everyone in this place is technically a foreigner) who came in, with a "funny" accent, and different culture. Instead of trying to understand u and your motivation, people tend to be fearful of anything they don't know or understand.

Well this is a subject I would generally have alot to say about, but what it really boils down to is pretty much what Soca Junkie is saying. The education system in this country is extremely limited to the borders of this country. You often even find people that have no knowledge of other States besides the one they live in. I could remember when I left Canada to go to school down south, I've met people that thought Canada was overseas! So you could imagine what happened when they heard me play SOCA!!!

What worked for me in this same situation was education. Basically, I taught people about my culture, my music, and so on. I showed them carnival videos, panorama, fete, etc. I've even taken a few of them to local Carnivals, and let them experience what a REAL fete was like...to make a long story short, Xtatik and dem have some new fans down in the country...lol

As for your dedication to your studies...I don't think that's something confined to foreigners that want to excel, I think it's generally any black people that want to better themselves. I never understood that behavior of trying to restrict a peer's self development so I wouldn't be able to comment much more on that one.

I can't say that I am surprised at all. Since the early 20th century, indeed since the 19th century, the Caribbean has been touted as an "exotic" place where people can go and enjoy the "primitive" carefree lifestyle. That view went along with another view that the mostly transplanted peoples who lived there were not known to be industrious and this is how they lived their daily lives. Look at the wording of most advertisements and cokmpare them with
the writings of European and Euro-American travellers from as far back as the 16th century. Coupled with this is of course,the fact that North American school curriculum teaches very, very little about the world outside their borders.

At this stage, with the world in unrest and with the rise in religious fundamentalism and ethnic extremism, with the spectre of globalisation and its partner, neo-colonialism, Caribbean people should give the world what we have been giving them all the time, our brains. We have always shook up the North American and European climate - names like CLR James, Claudia Jones, Edward Wilmot Blyden, Marcus Garvey, Kwame Ture show that much - let us build on what was alreay laid down. Perhaps then that stigma will be removed

when ppl hear caribbean... it's jamaica, caymans, puerto rico, cuba & VI... if yuh say trinidad, tobago antigua, barbados, dey watchin yuh so like yuh haunted. ah doh pay attention to dem, ah know where i come from & that's all that matters. and leh we not talk about calypso and baha men singing who let de dogs out, if yuh say dais a chune by anslem douglas, dem ready to watch yuh and say yuh lie. it's pure ignorance and yuh cyah study it so, or else it will drive yuh into st. ann's by de mad house

Hey sexy island girl and all Imix. I'm sorry to hear that you are not really enjoying yourself here. I have family from North Carolina, and I know that is one of the most boring of all states to move to in America. It's good that you're making the most of it though. I totally agree with you. I'm currently teaching at a highschool, and do notice that the hardest working students are the ones that are not born here, whether their born in the caribbean or elsewhere. My family being from Haiti, I know how hard it is for alot of children to get an education or if they do to make something of themselves, because life in Haiti is hard. I tell my students all the time that they don't take their education seriously because they always have education thrown in their face, whereas people who don't have it as easy form another country , will take advantage. You're also on point with your observation that Americans are clueless when it comes to other nations and people. That did bug me while in college, but my advice to you is to maybe start a Caribbean Club at your school. You can plan trips, learn more about other people, meet new people, and just have an outlet that will make you feel more at home. Take Care.

nice suggestion. help to educate others while keeping in touch with what makes you happy and feel closer to home

I empathise with your plight. But, as you are probably doing, continue to count your blessings that you have the oppurtunity to acquire an education in such a rich and diverse land as The Untied States.
Alot of Americans are insular, but then again so are people all over the world.
Look at it this way, you have the chance to become a Caribbean Ambassador, by educating everybody in North Carolina all about Rice and Peas, Rot,i Calyspo, reggae, Callalloo and all things West Indian.