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The Region having a Common History IS a Disgusting Generalisation

Virgin Islander Daniel F. Davies is the President of the Law Society at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill. Photo: Provided
By Daniel F. Davies

The statement that the region has a common history is indeed a disgusting generalisation (disgusting meaning totally inaccurate and belittling). It is disgusting for a couple of reasons which will be expounded upon later in this article.

Before I begin, I do accept that we have common elements in our history, I would be a fool not to realise that. It is true that the Europeans (English, Dutch, French, Spanish, Danish [we must not forget our friends in the USVI]) caused much havoc and committed atrocities that would make Satan himself cringe, and make the antagonists in series like Lord of the Rings seem like small fry. It is also true that much of the world, including China and India was also affected by this thing called Colonialism. Simply put, it is my argument that the historical development, the historical symbols and cultural aspects are indeed quite unique.

Colonialism is often said to be the common link between the region and it is often said that is the cause of us having a common history. It is of no doubt that Colonialism played a very strong influence in our histories; however, it ought to be remembered that it played a part in the history of many people around the world. It affected the history of North and South America and resulted in entire peoples being wiped out, slavery and minorities being heavily discriminated against. It affected India and resulted in slavery, disparity between natives and millions losing their lives. It affected the whole of Africa and continues to affect much of that content. It even affected China, have you ever wondered how Britain managed to be in control of Hong Kong until 1991 or have you ever heard of the “Poppy Wars” in which “Poppies” were used to make opium which Britain tried to get (in very simple terms) the Chinese population addicted and even fought and won a war against China about this dispute? It has just been demonstrated that much of the world has been affected by colonialism and therefore much of the world has a common link as it pertains to that, but I don’t often hear that we share a common history with India, Argentina, Mauritius etc.

Although colonialism is a common trait throughout the Caribbean, there is a clear distinction in how the different nations in the region experienced it. On the point of colonialism the naysayers will probably say “they (India, China etc) didn’t have slavery.” I beg to differ, “nuff” slavery went on “inna” India and “nuff people dead.” I would also go further to say that our brothers and sisters in The Bahamas didn’t have much sugarcane or cotton (The Bahamas cotton industry declined after a few decades due to what I would call a “natural blessing”) and the same is true for the Turks and Caicos, Anguilla and the Cayman Islands, nor did Belize for that matter. In Belize they were more concentrated on wood cutting. There is no way that any reasonable person could possibly claim that the history and colonial experience of The Bahamas is really anything like that of Barbados. By that very token a Sugarcane economy is quite different to a Wood Cutting economy.

If one compares the populations of Belize and Barbados both are within 50K of each other around the same, so let’s look at the size next; Barbados is 166 Square miles and Belize is 8, 867 Square Miles, thus comparatively speaking Barbados has a much higher population density, from this we can get that woodcutting slavery was not as concentrated as sugarcane plantation slavery although abhorrent all the same. Guyana and Trinidad both had “indentured servants” which in my view was basically the same as slavery, the same was also true to a very limited extent in Jamaica. None of the other islands had this or if they did clearly not to the extent of Guyana and Trinidad. Just from the few examples I have given, it is clear that our histories are quite unique and to say that we all have a common history is to dismiss said uniqueness.

I want to ask the naysayers the following questions:
Have you ever heard of Kittitian Maroons, if not what country is the term maroon associated with the most? Did Anguilla have a revolution? Did St. Vincent hang a slave master for killing a slave over a mango, if not which country did? Do Garifuna exist in any part of the Caribbean except for Belize? Did Antigua have a copper mine, if not which country did? Did Puerto Rico or Barbados change ownership seven times?

Let me highlight a few distinctions in terms of culture. In Belize they bake their “Johnny Cakes” instead of frying. Belizeans are also very vocal people who are not afraid to protest. In the Virgin Islands people are loud online. Sometimes in Barbados you cannot tell if a person is angry and ready to fight or is laughing and having a good time. In Jamaica you always know when a fight is about to break out. In St. Kitts and Nevis they eat or used to eat monkeys, something that was frowned upon by many in other parts of the region. In Grenada they eat manacoo and iguanas. The music that Jamaicans came up with to express political discontent was Reggae, in Trinidad it was Calypso and in the Virgin Islands it was Fungi all having unique lyrics and unique tunes. Imagine how offended a Trinidadian would be if it was said that Jamaica invented Calypso or Steel Pan and how annoyed a Jamaican would be if it was said that Reggae was invented in Guyana. In St. Lucia the laws are based on something called a “Civil Code” as opposed to the “Common Law” (Civil codes are also in use in Haiti, Suriname).

The notion that we have a common history is a bad generalisation for it in a certain sense belittles the region. A common trait in European history is constant bloodshed, when they weren’t killing people from other parts of the world they were killing themselves, indeed Europe is a continent whose lands were for a great number of years soaked in blood. Yet I do not hear it being said that Europe has a common history too often. Syria, Jordan, Turkey were all a part of the Ottoman Empire, but yet I do not hear it being said that they share a common history. Each country in Europe, the Middle East, South-East Asia are seen as unique. People even forget that Pakistan was in fact nothing more than a partition of India. Why is it that each country in the Caribbean cannot be seen as unique? Perhaps the bloggers can answer that for me.

We must celebrate our differences and uniqueness. If we continue to move on the concept that we are one people with one history and one culture which is the offshoot of the generalization that we have a common history then we are moving on based on a lie for each nation in this region be it Cuba, Haiti, the Virgin Islands, USVI, Antigua and Barbuda etc., is unique and distinct from each other. In order to move on as a region we must accept and respect each other’s culture and history, for only then can we truly be on the same page. Operating under the “we have a common history” gives rise to a presumption and as with all presumptions, they can be rebutted. (That presumption being we are all on the same page when in fact we are not, as evidenced by the bacchanal between Trinidad and Jamaica within CARICOM.) When we all in fact are on the same page we can finally move on.

10 Responses to “The Region having a Common History IS a Disgusting Generalisation”

  • ------- (07/04/2013, 07:52) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    This notion is in your head.
  • Boo (07/04/2013, 08:00) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    Yeh bossman, is just you labouring under this false impression that this generalisation actually exists as a generalisation and is something holding back the region.
  • ccc (07/04/2013, 12:20) Like (1) Dislike (2) Reply
    boy you need to read more than law read history
  • bb (07/04/2013, 21:11) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    This one here is definitely worse.

  • Reality check (08/04/2013, 08:04) Like (1) Dislike (2) Reply
    young man GO SIT DUNG with your foolishness!!
  • Well meh boy (08/04/2013, 11:54) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    The thing with these bloggers is that they could never say anything useful or conducive to developing the topic all dem usefull for is complaining lol
  • shame.... (09/04/2013, 13:09) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    I enjoyed reading this piece, however, it will probably go over the head of most these commenters...


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