1. Location & Definition of the Caribbean Region and its Diaspora Flashcards
1
Q
Geographical definition of the caribbean is (2)
A
1) All the areas washed by the Caribbean Sea - excludes some territories like Barbados and Bermuda
2) Located between 0° and 23.5° N Latitude - this excludes some territories like Bahamas
2
Q
why “washed by the caribbean sea” cant define the caribbean
A
it excludes some territories like Barbados and Bermuda
3
Q
why “Located between 0° and 23.5° N Latitude” cant define the caribbean
A
this excludes some territories like Bahamas
4
Q
Geological definition of the caribbean is
A
all the territories found on the Caribbean plate, which experience common geological phenomena (earthquakes, volcanic activity) - excludes territories like Barbados, Bahamas, Guyana and much of Cuba.
5
Q
Historical definition of the caribbean
A
all the islands and territories colonised by European powers, resulting in a legacy of slavery, Asian immigration/indentureship.
- encompasses all historical practices; chattel slavery, encomienda
- includes territories excluded by geographical and geological definitions
6
Q
Political definition of the caribbean
A
Political definitions of the Caribbean refer to the
socio-economic and other groupings found in the region
The Caribbean has three main political systems namely:
1) independent states
2) associated states
3) colonial dependences/dependent territories
7
Q
Diasporic definition of the caribbean
A
Individuals who have migrated from the Caribbean and established communities within their host countries.
-examples in: London, Toronto, New York
8
Q
Usually, people’s location can be given with reference to some physical or geographical feature, such as water that surrounds them or a mountain range that separates them from another people. But sometimes
A
the society, culture or history of a people produce
a better definition of their location.
9
Q
Having knowledge of the Caribbean’s location fosters a
A
a better understanding of the diversity that co-exists with our shared Caribbean experiences
10
Q
There is no one way to define the Caribbean, however, the Caribbean is generally referred to as a
A
melting pot
11
Q
the “melting pot” concept refers to the
A
combination of a variety of cultures, people and experiences in the Caribbean region
12
Q
There are five ways by which we can define the Caribbean, these are
A
1) GEOGRAPHICAL CARIBBEAN
2) GEOLOGICAL CARIBBEAN
3) HISTORICAL CARIBBEAN
4) POLITICAL CARIBBEAN
5) CARIBBEAN DIASPORA
13
Q
islands that are not in the caribbean basin but are still caribbean islands
A
1) Belize is not in the Caribbean Basin, but is a large land mass in Central America and it is very much Caribbean.
2) Barbados and Bahamas are located in the Atlantic Ocean and not the Caribbean Sea and
3) Guyana’s coast also borders the Atlantic Ocean.
4) Bermuda is also found in the Atlantic Ocean.
14
Q
A ‘plate ‘is a
A
subterranean feature that is a part of the Earth’s crust and on which land and oceans are found
15
Q
While the Caribbean Plate is a significant entity on which to build our conception of the Caribbean region, it does not include
A
1) Barbados,
2) Bahamas,
3) Guyana
4) much of Cuba.
16
Q
the major distinguishing factor that delimits the Caribbean region from Latin America In defining the Caribbean using historical criteria
A
the European influence looms larger than that of the indigenous peoples even though they were brought here later as indentured labourers.
17
Q
independent states are
A
former colonies of metropole countries which are now self-governing.
These are also known as sovereign states
These islands have chosen to govern their countries completely different from that of their colonial masters, namely democracy and communism,
18
Q
examples of independent states (15)
A
1) Antigua and Barbuda
2) Bahamas
3) Barbados
4) Belize,
5) Bermuda,
6) Cuba
7) Dominica
8) Dominican
9) Grenada
10) Haiti
11) Jamaica
12) St Kitts and Nevis
13) St Lucia
14) St Vincent and the Grenadines
15) Trinidad and Tobago
19
Q
associated states are
A
countries that are not independent but enjoy all the rights and privileges of the country that governs it
20
Q
eg of associated states
A
the former British colonies in the Eastern Caribbean (Antigua, Grenada, Dominica, St Vincent, St Lucia and St Christopher- Nevis-Anguilla) that from 1967 enjoyed a semi-independent political status: their defence and external affairs were handled by Britain, while they maintained control over their own constitution.
Over time the associated states became independent
21
Q
The name West Indies comes from
A
a misunderstanding on the part of Columbus and others of his time
‘The Indies’ was a term long used by Europeans to describe the islands to the east of India (mainly what is present-day Indonesia)
When it was realized that Columbus had stumbled on islands that were not the sought-for spice islands of the East, a distinction was drawn by simply putting ‘east’ or ‘west’ before the term ‘the Indies’.
Thus, the East Indies and West Indies came into being and have been a source of confusion ever since
Today there is no country or group of countries one can identify as the East Indies; the term has fallen into disuse.
However, the West Indies remains very much in use, as an alternative for the Caribbean when referring specifically to the islands rather than the mainland territories of Guyana and Belize
22
Q
An archipelago is
A
a chain of islands that is usually closely related at a subterranean level.
23
Q
eg of archipelagos
A
1) the Lesser Antilles forms a chain of small islands that exhibit similar volcanic features.
2) The Greater Antilles is an older archipelago of much larger islands.
3) The Bahamas is also an archipelago
24
Q
water bodies include
A
lakes and inland seas as well as gulfs and oceans.
25
Water bodies found in the Caribbean its environs are (3)
the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean
26
An isthmus is a
narrow neck of land separating two water bodies,
and thus the Pacific Ocean is also considered to be part of the ‘environs’ of the Caribbean
27
It is possible to identify subregions in the caribbean because
the region is so large.
The Greater Antilles are the larger islands, Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, while
the Lesser Antilles subregion is further subdivided into the Windward and Leeward Islands.
28
Colonial dependent states are
countries who are governed by another countries but do not enjoy the rights and privileges enjoyed by the associated states
29
eg of colonial dependent states (4)
Turks and Caicos Islands,
Bermuda,
Cayman Islands and
British Virgin Islands.
30
The word ‘diaspora’ is
Greek in origin and means ‘to scatter.’
31
In Caribbean Studies, the Diasporic Caribbean refers to
to a group of people who reside in another geographical location for instance people of Caribbean ancestry who reside in European metropolitan counties, North America, Canada among others who share an emotional connection to their homeland
32
Migration refers to
the movement of people from one region to another
33
The nomadic Amerindians often referred to as the ‘Indigenous Peoples’ migrated from
Asia to settle in North, Central and South America
34
Being nomads, means they
moved about in groups or tribes searching for food, and pasture lands for their herds in the face of harsh winters
35
When the world experienced the last Ice Age, where large sections of the earth including land, seas and oceans were covered with ice. The mongoloid peoples of East Central Asia migrated from
their homeland across the Bering Strait (narrow land bridge) which connects Siberia with Alaska in North America.
36
Greater Antilles include (4)
1) Cuba,
2) Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic),
3) Jamaica
4) Puerto Rico
37
Lesser Antilles include (11)
Windward islands:
1) Dominica,
2) Guadeloupe
3) Grenada
4) Martinique
5) St. Vincent
6) St. Lucia
Leeward islands:
1) Anguilla
2) Antigua and Barbuda
3) Montserrat
4) St. Kitts-Nevis
5) Virgin islands
38
Netherland Antilles include (6)
```
Aruba,
Bonaire,
Curacao (ABC"islands);
Saint Marten,
Saba,
St. Eustatius
```
39
Mainland Territories in the caribbean are (4)
Belize
Cayenne (French Guyana)
Guyana,
Suriname
40
The Spanish through the encomienda system and other means exterminated the original inhabitants. The British introduced the plantation system and with it, the
enslavement of Africans and the indentureship of the Chinese and East Indians
41
why is Guyana considered to be Caribbean although it borders the Atlantic Ocean rather than the Caribbean Basin
because the social and cultural experiences of its people are similar to those of the people of the islands in the Caribbean Sea
42
label the water bodies – the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of
| Mexico, the Pacific Ocean in the caribbean
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43
label the Greater Antilles and the Lesser Antilles
chegg
44
label the isthmus of Panama
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45
The lands of the Caribbean are said to be formed from
earth movements called Plate Tectonics
46
How was the Caribbean Islands formed?
In the Caribbean about 140 million years ago the smaller Caribbean plate moved under the North American plate to be re-melted in the earth's mantle causing volcanic activities and consequently the formation of the Greater and Lesser Antilles.
The islands in this Caribbean chain are believed to be the tops of submerged mountains linked to the Andean mountain range in Central America,
There is a rich variety of landscape features in the Caribbean as a result of the structure of the islands and mainland’s.
All the mainland territories of the region have high mountain ranges, large rivers and vast areas of lowland.
47
With the exception of Cuba, all the continental islands of the Greater Antilles are
mountainous
Cuba has wide elevated plains (plateaus) over 1000m in altitude
48
caribbean islands with volcanoes
St Vincent and Montserrat
49
Volcanic islands have
a good water supply and deep fertile soils
50
describe the Limestone islands in the caribbean (3)
The Limestone islands are built up from the skeletal remains of coral polyps in the warm Caribbean Sea
These islands are flat with no large rivers and very few lakes.
Soils on limestone rock lack depth and are mostly infertile
51
caribbean limestone islands
Barbados
Bahamas
Barbados are raised high above sea level
Bahamas are just at sea level
52
The American Mediterranean Sea is
the combined water bodies of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
53
The American Mediterranean Sea includes
Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica and Puerto Rico, which separate the American Mediterranean from the Atlantic Ocean
54
The four sub-regions of the Caribbean
The Lesser Antilles
The Greater Antilles
The Mainland Territories
Other territories (Cayman Islands, The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands)
55
The Lesser Antilles is made up what type of islands?
the three smaller islands groups: the Windward Islands, the Leeward Islands and the Leeward Antilles.
56
The Lesser Antilles is a double arc of islands that stretch from
the Virgin Islands to Trinidad
57
The Greater Antilles refers to
the four largest islands in the Caribbean
Cuba,
Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic),
Jamaica
Puerto Rico
58
The Leeward Islands is called leeward because
they are away from the wind
59
The Windward Islands are formed from
volcanic rock in the north–south chain of the southern section of the Lesser Antilles
60
Figure 4.4 Map of the Windward Islands
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61
Countries such as Mexico, Honduras, Panama or Nicaragua may be perceived by West Indian peoples as
belonging to the Latin American mainland, and not the Caribbean at all, even though they may have a coast on the Caribbean Sea, and this perception may be shared by the peoples of those countries themselves.
62
in recent times international agreements such as the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) and regional organisations such as the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) include what countries as part of the ‘Wider Caribbean’ region?
Mexico, Honduras, Panama and Nicaragua
63
why is Mexico, Honduras, Panama or Nicaragua considered to be part of the wider caribbean
when outsiders view the region, or when we who are inside the Caribbean need to assume a broad or holistic view, perhaps in trade and economic cooperation initiatives, we adopt something closely resembling a geographic conception of the region.
64
Seismic activity refers to
Earth movements that impact and influence the surface of the Earth.
65
Earthquakes, volcanic activity and mountain building are examples of
seismic or tectonic activities that occur along plate margins as they move and interact with other plates.
66
Physical geography can only define and locate a space in terms of neutral expanses of landforms and water bodies, or geologically in terms of the Caribbean Plate. Thus trying to delimit
Caribbean society and culture using physical geography criteria results in obvious anomalies
67
From the geographic and geologic conceptions of the Caribbean a picture emerges of a ‘Wider Caribbean’ region that is built on
the natural, physical features of the Earth’s crust.
68
this view of the wider Caribbean is akin to that of
contemporary global and regional organizations, and even that of the tourist.
69
people in the Caribbean islands are somewhat reluctant to embrace only geography in defining the Caribbean.
They feel that geography is important but not as important as
history
70
Defining and locating ‘space’ only according to geography and geology does not
acknowledge the importance of human activities and relationships in demarcating a region
71
although Barbados, Guyana and The Bahamas are located in the Atlantic Ocean (therefore not geographically a part of the caribbean) the historical processes that shaped these territories were similar/identical – to those experienced on the islands of the Caribbean Sea. These historical processes include:
occupation of the area by the indigenous people;
European exploration and settlement;
genocide and war waged against the indigenes;
African slavery in all and Indian indentureship in some;
colonialism;
socioeconomic developments related to the plantation;
independence, and the forging of a free society based on these experiences
72
what is the only part of Central America that is normally included in the Caribbean region.
Belize
73
The study of history involves
describing and analysing significant events, trends and processes over time, but it also examines how such phenomena are experienced differently in different locales and contexts
74
Although the entire sweep of Central and South America underwent the historical experiences mentioned above, the Caribbean reflects
the legacy of a particular combination of European nations who were intruders into the original Spanish Main.
While the European heritage of the majority of Latin American countries is rooted in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal), that of the countries of the Caribbean encompasses the varied legacies of Britain, France, Holland and (to a lesser extent) Denmark overlaid on an earlier Spanish foundation.
75
when talking about the historical process we are defining regions according to the
legacy of Europeans.
76
in defining the Caribbean using historical criteria, the European influence looms larger than that of
the indigenous peoples,, enslaved and indentured labourers.
77
Latin America and the Caribbean are divided by differences in
the culture of their colonial masters rather than by their shared history.
78
Governance, trade and migration under colonialism occurred in the Caribbean as if
geographical proximity did not exist and only the colonial ties were important.
79
the West Indies the historical and cultural ties which people acknowledge as more important than geography in defining their region are aligned mainly along what?
along the differences wrought by the European legacy – one of the most evident and immediate being language
80
the most evident and immediate European legacy was
language
81
CARICOM stands for
Caribbean Community and Common Market
82
CARICOM has caused what to weaken?
cultural and linguistic ties between some Caribbean territories and their metropoles have weakened
83
The metropole or metropolitan country is
the country which dominates or has dominated a territory politically and/or culturally (often the former colonial power)
84
what represents the best possible guide in defining the Caribbean
history
85
what is the best reason that delimits the Caribbean from its Latin American counterparts
The legacies of the British, French, Spanish, Dutch and Danes in the relatively small area of the Caribbean, compared to the overwhelming presence of the Spanish and Portuguese in Central and South America
86
The term Caribbean is an
elusive or abstract concept and there is no one specific definition that can be applied to it.
The definition can be from the political, geographical, geological, historical or diasporic perspectives.
87
The Caribbean is located:
a) Southeast of the Gulf of Mexico
(b) Southeast of North American mainland
(c) East of Central America
(d) North of South America
88
what is the Largest island by size and population
Cuba
89
Puerto Rico is a Associated state of
the United States
90
the Lesser Antilles is an arc of
islands that are located between the Greater Antilles (starting just off Puerto Rico) and the continent of South America
91
Lesser Antilles is formed mainly from
volcanic eruptions
92
Caribbean countries in the Atlantic Ocean are
Barbados and the Bahamas
93
Archipelago located in the Atlantic is
The Bahamas
94
The most easternmost island in the Caribbean is
Barbados
95
Countries that make up the Lucayan Archipelago
The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos
96
Smallest inhabited island in the Caribbean
Sint Marteen
97
Country with the largest natural asphalt in the Caribbean
Trinidad
98
Largest English-speaking Island
Jamaica
99
Largest Spanish speaking Island
Cuba
100
Largest French speaking country
Haiti
101
Country with the largest barrier reef in the Caribbean
Belize (largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere)
102
The island of Montserrat was formed as a result of
the geological feature called plate tectonics.
The destructive plate boundary between the North American Plate and the Caribbean Plate in a west-south-westerly direction led to the emergence of the volcanic island Montserrat, which is an island of the Antilles Island Arc.
103
The historical Caribbean refers to the countries that have shared experiences of
European colonisation, slavery, indentureship and the plantation system.
104
The four leading colonial powers in the Caribbean were
Spain, Holland, France and Britain
Other colonial powers that claimed various territories in the region at different times were Denmark, Sweden and Portugal.
105
Colonisation is
the settlement of a group of people who seek to take control of territories.
It usually involves large-scale immigration of people to a ‘new’ location and the expansion of their civilisation and culture into this area
106
Indentureship is
a system where a labourer was contracted to work for a stipulated period of time, in exchange for passage and subsistence.
At the end of this term he was given land, cash and also had the option to return to his homeland.
The first group of indentured East Indians (over 230 Indians) arrived in Guyana on May 5th, 1838, after the abolishment of slavery in the British Caribbean.
107
Encomienda system is
a system under which natives of conquered lands were given to an explorer or conquistador by the Spanish Crown.
The objective was to guarantee economic and political order in the areas conquered by the Spanish.
It was a system designed to control and regulate all aspects of American Indian life.
108
what is the reason that the languages, cultural practices, religions and economic activities of Caribbean territories and states reflect those of their colonial powers
Countries that experienced colonisation were influenced by their colonisers’ cultural traits
109
Caribbean territories colonised by the colonial power of Spain
The Spanish empire initially claimed all of the Caribbean and most of Latin America.
The influence of Spanish culture is most strongly felt in Cuba, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico
110
Caribbean territories colonised by the colonial power of Britain
Anguilla, Antigua, Barbados, Bermuda, St Kitts, The Bahamas, British Guiana, British Honduras, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent, Tortola, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, the Virgin Islands
111
Caribbean territories colonised by the colonial power of France
Dominica, Guadeloupe and Martinique, Haiti, St Barthélemy, St Kitts, St Lucia, St Martin (northern half), St Vincent
112
Caribbean territories colonised by the colonial power of Holland
The Netherland Antilles (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St Eustatius, and St Martin (southern half)), Tortola
113
Caribbean territories colonised by the colonial power of United States (US colonisation came later than European)
Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Cuba
114
geographical definition is The most important definition of the Caribbean because
it serves the practical function of locating the Caribbean
115
The Dutch, Spanish, English and French colonized the Caribbean between the 1500s and 1800s and because of this
the Caribbean countries developed different identifies, customs, beliefs and practices:
116
Dutch Caribbean Countries
Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, and Suriname
117
Plantation systems led to
the decimation of the indigenous people by the mid 1500s, the introduction of African slaves (mid 1500s- early 1800s) and the arrival of Asians in the post emancipation period (Chinese and Indians)
118
The historical definition is important because it will
allow countries such as Guyana, Belize, Suriname and the Bahamas to be defined as Caribbean due to their similar historical experiences with other Caribbean countries
119
The historical experiences of the Caribbean will explain why
the region is now not collectively called the “West Indies” as it was in the past.
120
The term “West Indies” is almost used extensively to refer to
the British and former British possessions in the Caribbean
121
Colonial dependencies are
countries that are not independent and enjoy the rights and privileges of the country that governs them.
They are:
- the territories of Great Britain – Montserrat, British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos;
- the territories of the Netherlands – Netherland Antilles; -the territories of the United States – Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands; and
- the territories of France – Guadeloupe, Saint Martin, Martinique, St Barthélemy
122
Politically, Martinique, Guadeloupe and French Guiana are not Caribbean countries although they are located in the Caribbean.
This is because
in the 1950s they became Overseas Departments of France.
The effect of this is that they are extensions of France in the Caribbean.
123
what can be considered the British West Indies.
The British Virgins Islands, The Cayman Islands, Montserrat and Turks and Caicos islands are British Colonies. They can be considered the British West Indies.
124
The Independent English Caribbean Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia are
commonwealth Countries and can be referred to as the Anglo-phone Caribbean because they are independent
125
The Independent Spanish Caribbean are
Cuba and the Dominican Republic
126
The Diasporic definition could suggest that the Caribbean is
all over the world
127
The Commonwealth Caribbean refers those
former colonies of Britain that have a shared history of colonialism, slavery, indentureship and independence.
Also called the Anglophone Caribbean, these countries are part of the global group of countries called the Commonwealth of Nations, which is largely made up of territories of the former British Empire.
128
A republic is a
form of governance where the head of state is not a monarch but a president.
129
both communism and socialism are theories of governance and society.
They advocate
public ownership of the means of production, which means that the state owns and runs agriculture and industry, as well as all public services.
130
difference between socialism and communism
Socialism emphasises distribution of resources based on one’s abilities and deeds, while communism is based on distribution according to needs
131
The official name of Guyana (formerly British Guiana) is
the Co-operative Republic of Guyana
132
the Co-operative Republic of Guyana constitution is based on
a socialist transformation of the institutions of the country.
The principle of cooperativism through which this will be accomplished envisages members of the society eventually owning and sharing in the means of production.
This socialist/communist orientation has in the past incurred the disapproval of the United States, leading to intrigues and political interference in order to destabilise the regimes of both countries
133
Haiti was the first country in the Caribbean to achieve independence through revolution in 1804, and has been described since then as
the Black Republic
134
Haiti's form of government
Its form of government has ranged over its long history from revolutionary empire through dictatorship and American protection to (recently) a fragile democracy
135
Some countries have preferred to retain stronger ties with the metropolitan country.
For example, Barbados, although independent and a parliamentary democracy, still has
the British sovereign as the official head of state, as do many other former British colonies.
136
the countries of the English-speaking Caribbean have long been members of
the Commonwealth
All are independent but most continue to recognise the British monarch as the head of state (represented by a Governor General).
137
the only islands in the English-speaking Caribbean that are republic are
Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and the Commonwealth of Dominica but they continue to be members of the Commonwealth
138
Commonwealth is
a worldwide group of territories that were once part of the British Empire
139
Dutch colonies are
Dutch colonies Curaçao, Bonaire, Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten
140
the five self-governing territories of the Dutch Antilles
Dutch colonies Curaçao, Bonaire, Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten
141
British and French dependencies in the Caribbean
Britain too has colonies in the Caribbean.
Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Cayman Islands and Bermuda are still colonies of Britain.
In contrast, the French Caribbean territories are not colonies at all, but an integral part of the operations of France.
Cayenne (formerly known as French Guiana), Guadeloupe, Martinique, and the smaller French islands, all belong to a département of France (the Département d’Outre-Mer: DOM or overseas department), meaning that they function as an overseas part of France. St Martin, occupying only half an island, is administered through Guadeloupe. Guadeloupe itself is an archipelago including the islands of Marie Galante, La Désirade and Iles des Saintes.
142
A département is a
unit of local government similar to a country or parish.
143
explain the political state of Puerto Rico
The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is a free state in association with the United States of America.
It is not fully independent and is described by the United States as an unincorporated territory, like the US Virgin Islands.
It has internal self-government and is a ‘free’ state in that it has a legal identity in international law
Puerto Ricans and US Virgin Islanders are citizens of the United States but they cannot vote in US elections. However, they do not pay taxes to the US government and they receive unique access and facilities denied citizens of other countries.
Foreign affairs are under the control of the United States.
144
difference between free state and colony
a ‘free’ state means that it has a legal identity in international law while a colony is considered to be part of the territory of the metropolitan country
145
The term colony describes a
territory owned and administered by a metropolitan country – historically designated the mother country.
146
colonies differ according to
how much autonomy or freedom they have in controlling their affairs
147
explain the laws in a colonial country
in a colony all the laws, regulations and procedures must be in accordance with those of the metropolitan country.
Even if it is self-governing, its laws cannot run counter to those of the colonial power.
148
to be a citizen in a colony often means that there is constant
tension and ongoing debate about continuing in a historically dependent relationship with a European country.
149
is there an advantage to being apart of the European colony?
Since many independent Caribbean countries are struggling with poverty, crime and unemployment, the protective link with Europe seems advantageous and so there is an ambivalence about seeking independence and joining CARICOM.
At the same time, citizens are well aware that conditions change and that the European metropolitan countries may be required by the European Union (EU) to abandon their colonies in order to continue with EU membership.
150
An offshore haven is a
country (often an island) where taxes are low and which provides large companies and wealthy individuals with the opportunity to safeguard their money and thus avoid paying taxes on the mainland
151
Cultural assimilation refers to
the incorporation of a group of colonised people or migrants into the dominant culture of the metropolitan or host country.
152
Acculturation refers to
the process whereby one culture profoundly influences another.
153
the present political entities in the Caribbean evolved from
their historic association with Europe and later on with the United States.
Their status, such as dependency or département, arises from different theories about colonialism
154
While Britain was prepared to teach us its customs and ways of life, helping us to develop in the image of the ‘mother country’, there was a line that kept us apart.
We see this, for example, in how
in how citizenship was granted and how colonies were graduated into dependent existence.
British citizenship was a temporary arrangement granted only until the colony was graduated to independent status.
For example, Montserratians are British citizens today but they are not Britons – and they can never become Britons; they remain Montserratians even though they have British citizenship.
But they could become independent, if they so choose.
155
example of the issue of citizenship in the Caribbean
caribbean person born in Martinique who is French, to the Puerto Rican who is a US citizen but cannot vote in US elections,
British Overseas Citizens who are regarded quite differently from British citizens
156
Ethnicity’ refers to
your membership in cultural groups such as racial, religious, language, gender and even national groups
157
all the people of the Caribbean are transplanted peoples, the exception being
the Amerindians
158
The three aspects of caribbean diaspora
- Individuals or groups from the region who have migrated to other areas outside of the Caribbean, but still consider their original country as home.
- Individuals and groups who have a connection to the region in general (natives, descendants or some other affiliation), and are influential and committed to its economic development (as opposed to assuming a specifically nationalistic approach to development focused on their home territory).
- Descendants of people from the region who have been born outside the Caribbean and yet identify themselves based on the first generation’s heritage.
