Cultural exchange

CULTURAL EXCHANGE? 

Beyond English people going to Asia, Africa, Australia or even the Caribbean to explore beautiful and wonderful cultures. Do you think they will ever understand the cultures that are on their doorstep? That is, those of us who are of the 'other', that live here in the UK. Now don't assume I am racist (because I couldn't be)....just follow my lead here. 

Whilst studying my 'Social Research' degree I was fascinated with group dynamics. How we interact and how we exclude or include others. The way we as human's work is amazing. I love us, and I especially love the current evolution which is taking place (if you can not see or feel that we as a human race are evolving I challenge you to turn off your TV, check your social media and whatsapp once a day, actually just get off your mobile phone. Oh and eat a healthier, lighter diet, excluding fizzy drinks and fatty takeaways). 

Back to the point, we as human's are evolving and with this I wonder if the time in nearing for Europeans and my fellow English man and woman, to open their hearts and minds to the realities of who Caribbean people really are. It's not that I personally seek their approval, but my son and his friends need a cultural understanding from English people, that is of a higher 'frequency'. I sigh. I hope that time comes soon.

And it might if we ALL remember that no man is bigger than the next. White people looking down at black people. Black people, Asian's and Hispanics looking at white people in disbelief. You see whilst white people, Europeans have their 'I'm greater than you all' mask on, many do not realise that they look very very childish and immature. And whilst we 'the other' do (like what I am doing now), and focus on what European's are or are not doing we waste valuable energy that could be used to hoist up our 'collective' outward facing group confidence and self belief. 

To be honest, we as Caribbean's only allow a few 'others' (that is white people) into our cultural group. Just because you see us 'integrating' does not mean we share our true self. 

Maybe I should not share this but we give 'others' the worst of us and keep the best for ourselves! Our loyalty, our passion, our pride, our enterprising nature, our work ethic, our genuinity, our resilience, our inner knowing, our creativity, our kindness.... I could go on.

We are sort of ...just a little bit, selfish. But because we give the world so much entertainment via our music, sports and acting skills, that we could never be called selfish.  

As we all evolve, I wonder if European's will realise that the mask that we wear, is to protect, what's great within our culture and our humanness. 

We Caribbean's complain about many a things, including institutional racism. But we know our gifts, regardless of what the newspapers say.  So I will end by writing that, English people will start to see the truth's of Caribbean culture, when WE Caribbean's feel safe to let them as a collective group in and thus, school teachers expectations of our children will rise, the media will refrain from writing about us as murders, pimps, drug dealers, baby mamma's and hoes. I could go on...you know how the story goes. 

When we Caribbean's feel safe, secure and far from threats and acts of direct and indirect violence, we will open up, like a beautiful bud, or a moth coming out of it's cocoon. We will shine. We will rise and we will share our most powerful gifts with the world. 

Food for thought right...

by Elen B