What's In a Name? Culture Much?

"A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots."- Marcus Garvey.

Summer is hunkering down, and the weather is becoming cool and misty. I have spent the last few months reading books, travelling, and enriching my mind. It has been extremely warming to my soul, the amount of goodness that has been bestowed upon me- both personally, and professionally.

In the midst of all this fabulousness, I have noticed the lack of knowledge regarding what all Caribbean people know- but others outside of our culture appear to struggle with: Race, Nationality and Ethnicity.

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What is Race?

Race is a social construct based primarily on color. It is a division of people based on physical characteristics.

Example: I am a Black woman based off of my brown skin.

What is Nationality?

Nationality refers to a group of people who share the same history, traditions, and language, and who usually live together in a particular country.

Example: I am an American because I was born in the United States of America.

What is Ethnicity?

Ethnicity is a myriad of things which can include a person’s identification with a specific group of people, based on one or more shared traits. These traits may include ancestry, culture, language, religion, customs, and nationality.

Example: I am a Black woman, who is also Jamaican & Haitian Latino. (We shall discuss the difference between Hispanic and Latino in a different piece.)

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Prissy's Picks:

"Surviving Race, Ethnicity, and Nationality: A Challenge for the 21st Century"- By: Jorge J. E. Gracia

"Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples"- By: Linda Tuhiwai Smith

"Black in Latin America"-Henry Louis Gates Jr.

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#Race #Ethnicity #Nationality #Latino #Caribbean