What is the Caribbean???

Photo taken from Caribbeanislandcruises.com



In trying to describe the Caribbean, there are numerous misconceptions and stereotypes which are associated with the idea of the Caribbean. Persons usually think of the Caribbean as a relatively laid back, beach loving, hula skirt wearing people, which is far from the truth. The same occurs with many misconceptions with the cultural groups and dialects, which often associates a random language when persons try to speak Jamaican and associate slangs to groups such as "Yea Mon" to Rastafarian sects.


The fact is that there is no one true definition that relates to defining the Caribbean, as most definitions tend to leave out one grouping of persons. Thus, it can be said that there is no one true identity to the Caribbean due to its similar yet diverse histories and cultural associations.


Fanonian perspectives can apply as seen in his publication "Black Faces, White Masks" in regard to Blacks, where black men and women are made to feel inferior to whites through the process of Colonialization. Even though Blacks in the French colonies hugely outnumbered whites, they never felt a sense of inferiority to the natives. Fanon continuously builds on this concept of inferiority that has been built into the minds of Black men and women. He points out, very clearly, that while there are almost 13 million Blacks in South Africa as compared to 2 million whites it has never been the case that a considerable number of Blacks challenged this state of affairs and considered themselves superior to the White minority. This relates to society where the Caribbean is seen as get away locations for the past colonial nations, which attach and push these stereotypes of the region in their ads and movies, which further deteriorate the Caribbean identity.