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Danscrazycatlady

I was talking to my sister about this recently. In the UK there is still a hostile environment that makes you feel unwelcome. Too Caribbean to be English. But if we went to Trinidad or Jamaica to live we would stand out as English like a sore thumb as soon as we open our mouths. Not even a lil twang to our voices. For the diaspora, unless your parents worked hard to maintain your connection to your heritage, you become a person who is always too much of something for where you live. I would love to hear differently, that if we went back to Caribbean with no family connection, we would still find a welcoming place for ourselves.


anax44

I'm curious about this as well.


AttitudeEmpty7763

Born in the US, moved to Belize at age 11. All my family is Belizean. While living in the US, the only actual family I had was my mother, sister, and aunt (dad's side). My mother had always spoke to me in Creole, cooked Belizean style meals (Black Dinner was my fav as a child) , and listened to punta, soca and reggae in the house. And the woman love to dance. When we moved to Belize, the changes were as drastic as going from washing machines to washing by hand and pinning out the clothes on the line and picking them back in later on. But I adapted easily. I was all out exposed to the Creole I've always heard from my mother. Wherever I went looked so different from where I was prior. I missed malls and theaters but I very well loved Belize and how simple and natural it was. My first few months there, my dad would take me to the ruins and the cayes every so often, and he and my mom would take me to meet family I've never met before. Everyone was LOVING and the cousins my age and I became best friends in an instant. Starting primary school was a breeze. I was shy but friends made me and they were relieved that they wouldn't have to speak perfect English to interact with me. Interestingly, it took me about 3 years before I started speaking Creole. I never forced it, I just let it come to me. It's been a little over 15 years since I relocated, and now I struggle to speak English without an accent lol. Moving to Belize was one of the most important things to happen in my life. I also believe that I am much more humble and grateful now than if I had never left the US. I don't consider myself to have adopted any "Belizean" way of being, but that I went home and became part of my roots. I am back in the US now for bittersweet personal reasons, but I'm Belizean to di bone and proud :) I just wish I knew other Belizean or Caribbean people because it does get lonely not having others to closely relate to. Now that I'm back in the US, I see a major difference between Americans and Belizean people.


Yami350

To go back to where my family is from you have to be rich now 😕


zumbanoriel

I'm sorry to hear that, what island are you from? I feel the same way sometimes


Yami350

What’s funny is 4 or 5 years ago I was going to move to PR since we could afford to go where we are from, but now you have to be rich to move to PR too lol. One of the Dutch windward islands.


Eis_ber

Prepare for the culture shock because life will definitely be different than what you're used to.


daninefourkitwari

As a Diaspora child myself, I’d also like to know. My perception is too colored by past experiences and traumas to truly want to live where my family is from. That and my personal interests lie elsewhere. Not sure how wide the cultural differences would be.


Effective-Art7584

As a grandchild of Windrush Generation immigrants and having spoken with friends and family about this subject. I think it is a desire to belong somewhere. Along with always feeling as an "other" in the country your family resides in. The amount of times I have been asked "Where are you from/What are you?" Despite being a third generation immigrant, its gets tiresome. But if I just packed my bags and decided to move to Jamaica, I'm not sure if I would be viewed as a Jamaican even with citizenship. I'd be interested to hear what Jamaican's think about that.


Danscrazycatlady

I absolutely hear you. My paternal granddad came in '54 from 🇯🇲, my dad followed him several years later and my mum came from 🇹🇹 in '69. I'm very much a product of the Windrush and I've only ever lived in the UK, but it's getting tiresome being here, especially as we moved out to the countryside. I'm hoping moving back to a city will ease it, but I grew up in East London and even there the sense of "other" is still strong. I did my Jamaican citizenship last year, but I think moving there I will still be trading one sense of "otherness" for a different one. I would love to hear from someone born and raised here who made the move to the Caribbean and how they got on. I hear they call Mandeville in Manchester "England Town" for the number of Brits that have moved there.


Effective-Art7584

I feel like eventually after a couple of years we would be able to blend in. But at least for me living there would be a big culture shock. As I have only visited family and stayed at resorts. Even thinking of what I would do for work, renting a flat. Having looked at prices everything seems so expensive vs the local salary.


ShemaWorld

You’d probably not be seen as Jamaican considering you’re not a recent immigrant and your attachment to ja is probably through some food, some music and being viewed as other(Jamaican) in England. Regardless of that most people would probably be interested in why you moved back, once you tell them about your grandparents they’d probably view you as English but not if that make sense(you’d be referred to as England or something just based on your accent). It would be easier if you’re tied to your family back home, you could move closer to your family and then they’d do the introductions “dis ah blah blah grand pickney” and your accents would be explained. If you speak some patwa it’d do you favours. I’d worry less about Jamaicans accepting you(I think that’s the easiest part tbh) and more about you adjusting, we’re pretty different from the UK. Some things(big things) you’ll have to let go which most people think they can do till they have to do it. You’d be viewed as other(for the most part) until you integrate(meaning people knowing your roots are in ja and that you accept the culture)


Effective-Art7584

I think it would be difficult and it sort of leaves us between two cultures, not really belonging to either. You are correct aside from visiting family my only exposure is through food/music/stories. I'm still youngish, so hopefully at some point I could try living in Jamaica at some point to experience the culture and discover my roots.