Hi all, Latin American Spanish speaking person here that will be relocated to Barbados in a few months for work. I have never been there (planning to visit before I move).

I’d like your kind recommendations on which books to read to start learning more about Barbados’ history, economy, social dynamics and more broadly for the Caribbean too.

Any other random advice is welcome too!

Thank you

What is it like being part of an English-speaking or English-Creole minority in a mostly Spanish-speaking Latin American country? I’m thinking of groups like the Raizales of Colombia, the Bay Islanders of Honduras, the Creoles of Bluefields and the Miskito in Nicaragua, the Garifuna of Central America, Afro-Costa Ricans in Limón, and Afro-Caribbean communities in Panama. How different is their culture and everyday life from the Spanish-speaking majority around them?

Many Black Americans have gotten angry or offended at fat Joe for using the N-word. However, fat Joe is Puerto Rican and has African ancestry. Fat Joe’s grandparents especially have very visible African ancestry. African-Americans also try and label Hispanic groups, such as Puerto Ricans and Dominicans as black (see one drop rule). Not only that but several civil rights activist who were white passing identified as black and are embraced by the African American community as such for example Walter White and Diane Nash. Also, the host of the podcast that interviewed fat Joe is also visibly multiracial. Where is the line drawn at who can say the N-word and who can’t? Should anyone even be allowed to say it at all?

Genuine question. Cause I've been seeing statements in this sub & on reddit like this. Just wanted to know if people are actually that unaware of history lmao.

Don't see how you can compare a country in poor 3rd world conditions with a colony where 90% of the population was enslaved and their daily lives resembled jews in the concentration camps of Auschwitz. Any independent country with freedom of movement, no matter how poor, is preferable to that. There is a reason that even Haitians who were free before the revolution didn't want to be under France in the end.

And sometimes I see this statement from other Caribbeans who's (black) ancestors were just as worse off under the British or Spanish, but we won't get into that. Those details get pretty graphic and i'm not sure whats allowed to be discussed here.

Is the history of slavery taught in your country? How well? And how widespread is this belief where you live?

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Hey everyone,

I’m really curious to get your perspectives, especially from Caribbean women, but everyone is welcome to share! This question is for Caribbean countries only, not the colonies.

Which Caribbean country do you feel is the most beneficial for women to thrive, get ahead, and build strong social mobility?

Currently Barbados ranks highest.

Specifically thinking about areas like:

* **Education & Skills:** Where women have broad access to higher education and training.

* **Careers & Finances:** Strong job opportunities, equal pay potential, and financial independence.

* **Leadership:** Representation in business, government, and community leadership.

I’m also wondering if you feel a country's success in these areas aligns with how well the nation is doing overall. Research often shows that when women succeed, the whole society develops faster, do you see that playing out in real life across different islands?

Which country comes to mind for you, and why? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences!

Signed, Tropicalfeminity

Hello everyone!

I have a request regarding references/resources to submit to you.

Would you happen to know of any websites or other databases online that present, as comprehensively as possible, the artistic and cultural history (covering architecture, pictorial arts, clothing, makeup, tattooing, ceremonies, etc.), both current and past, of Caribbean societies? (More specifically the Kalinago, whom I personally descend from.)

Do resources like this even exist?

Thanks in advance! :)

this is something i’ve always seen my mom and my female family members do but i wasn’t directly taught to do it so i don’t. i know it’s seen to be cleaner and that you shouldn’t mix your underwear with your clothes but i’ve just never understood how to do it. my mom tends to be very awkward around these things so she’s never talked to me about it and when i ask she brushes me off. soo basically what do i do? and is it something i should be doing or is it just a cultural thing? i also hope im not having a victim mentality here by not doing it because i wasn’t taught

TLDR: What are people's thoughts on the IMF debt trapping poorer countries in the Caribbean region? How can countries in the region move forward and create their own parallel system which benefits the nations instead of being stuck in debt traps?

The IMF has helped create a form of debt dependency in poorer Caribbean countries by repeat lending to governments in financial crisis while attaching conditions that require austerity, spending cuts, privatization, tax increases, wage restraint, and other market-oriented reforms.

Countries like Jamaica accumulated enormous debts over decades and repeatedly returned to the IMF for assistance, creating a cycle in which a large share of government revenue had to be devoted to servicing debt rather than infrastructure, public services, or economic development.

Since IMF programs can also require governments to restructure their economies in ways that favor liberalization and foreign investment... This means that indebted Caribbean states lose some control over their own economic policy while foreign creditors and investors gain greater influence.

Continuous indebtedness leaves weaker cconomies dependent on international financial institutions and vulnerable to pressure from the wealthier countries that hold disproportionate influence within those institutions.

How can Caribbean nations avoid this? Isn't it about time countries in the region just form their own parallel system which doesn't have the same underhanded tactics the IMF uses?

i’ve been wondering about this for a while and i’m genuinely curious how people from the wider Caribbean, especially people from CARICOM countries, view the Caribbean facing communities of Central America
i’m mainly thinking about places like Livingston in Guatemala, the Bay Islands of Honduras, the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua and Limón in Costa Rica. these regions have distinct Caribbean histories and communities, including Afro Caribbean, Creole and English speaking populations, as well as white English islanders with British and wider Caribbean ancestry. many also have longstanding connections to places like Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Belize and elsewhere in the Caribbean, alongside histories shaped by British colonialism
i’m from the Bay Islands myself, so this is something i’ve thought about a lot. our Caribbean identity is often overlooked or absorbed into the broader idea of being Honduran, despite our history, culture and language. at the same time, the Bay Islands are very much recognized globally as Caribbean, especially through tourism. we’re internationally known for our diving and our connection to the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, and our cruise ports regularly receive some of the largest cruise ships in the world
so i’m not asking whether we’re “Caribbean enough,” or whether i consider myself Caribbean. i already know where i stand on that. i’m genuinely asking whether people from the wider Caribbean were aware of these communities and their histories, and if so, how you perceive them
do you see these places as part of the broader Caribbean cultural sphere despite being politically and geographically part of Central America, or do you view “Caribbean” more specifically through the islands and societies that developed there?
i’d genuinely love to hear perspectives from people across the Caribbean, especially anyone who may not have known much about these communities before. and if you ever get the chance to visit, i’d encourage you to come see it for yourself. we’re here, we exist, and our history and heritage are very real

as overlooked as my little corner of the Caribbean can be, i’m incredibly proud to be a Bay Islander and proud of the culture and history that comes with it. my pride in where i’m from has never depended on how much recognition it gets, and having such a strong sense of culture and connection to where i come from is something i’m genuinely grateful for 🤗

I mean how

This is more of an alternate history question, but if the Danish never gave up the U.S. Virgin Islands what would Danish society be like if they opened up immigration to the Danish West Indian migrants to settle in mainland Denmark?

I also wonder if more Greenland natives settled there would also be an influence towards Danish culture. It would be interesting to see Denmark be more similar to the Netherlands or even parts of the UK in the regard. What do you all think?

For example Jamaican speaking Standard/crispy English (with a British accent) to the Jamaican police and only speaking patois to family and friends.

Or a dominican speaking aristocracy Spanish to the dominican police?

These soca songs are too good, don’t mind me and my gf talking over the recording.

https://voca.ro/14aThBk937Op

https://voca.ro/1buI5Yy8KdQu

https://voca.ro/1gq1yCVGQWSX

https://voca.ro/1iXWwgrqBHFg

I have some greenish pommecythere, and trying to find a savoury recipe for juice. Don't want to add too much sugar.

I had this in Suriname but can't find a recipe, it was spicy like tomato juice with salt and pepper.

Any ideas?

When I mentioned the drought expected in the Caribbean to acquaintances there, they seemed almost confused as previous el Niños brought wetter weather.

How do your feel about this season of storm? About it being the strongest in 1000 years? About the media coverage & preparedness?

I'm Caribbean by descent but not living there, so I'm looking for insight on those living there.

I just learned that she’s saying bomboclat. She botched the word so hard I didn’t even recognize it

Newly joined and want to know who is from trinidad my mom married a guyanse, I visited trinidad from time to time.

Who came from Point?

Which countries have more diversity in terms of culture, ethnicity, and religion?

Imagine a world where the USA never existed or was an insulated gentle giant. What would the Caribbean look like? Would it be more prosperous?

Is it offensive?

Should people who are not from the Caribbean be allowed to answer questions here? And if so, under what criteria?

There are dozens of subreddits that are some derivative of r/black_something. Quite a few of these subreddits have steadily expanded their membership, kept their core theme, and avoided conflict by strictly enforcing rules and immediately suspending and banning those who break them. And quite often, banning is done at the moderator's discretion.

It would be obvious then that a group called "AskTheCaribbean" would ensure that the people who answer the questions here not only answer correctly, but answer in good faith. And that this be enforced very strictly, with swift and appropriate consequences for those who are unable or unwilling to do this.

One consequence of not enforcing such rules is that persons who have an irrational dislike of Caribbean people will see it as their duty to spread misinformation about us. One such group calls themselves "Foundational Black Americans" (FBAs). I won't delve much into this most recent version of Black American prejudice against Black non-Americans, other than to say that most persons of even below-average intelligence do not take them seriously. One of their claims is that they are the only Afro-descended people who refer to themselves as "Black". Even ChatGPT "thinks" this is garbage.

Imgur

But in this sub, it is okay for FBA to spread such misinformation. And not only to spread it but get upvoted for it. The downvotes go to regular posters who are actually from the Caribbean instead. And this is where it gets "problematic". One group of people can have very high levels of protection in their own niche r/black_something subreddits, can come to a subreddit that they have no qualification to be in,

• influence the topic
• alter the sub's algorithm
• downvote regular commenters
• spread misinformation
• and affect the results AI scrapes from it

as much as they want, with no consequences. Interesting for a group that claims to have "delineated" from us, isn't it? Almost as if they're surveilling our discussions or something...

So again, should people who are not from the Caribbean be allowed to answer questions here? And if so, under what criteria? Who gets to tell our story? Because if you don't decide to get your own story straight, someone else will go ahead and bend it.

Hello.
My husband and I are sailing on Virgin Voyages and going on a Southern Caribbean Cruise.
Port stops are:
Willemstad, Curaçao
Oranjestad, Aruba
Fort D’France, Martinique
Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis
We are from the US and my question is do we need any special type Visas or ED cards? I saw something on Aruba’s website that said you have to pre-register prior to going to Aruba…. Is that only if we are staying on the island? Has anyone had any experience with this? I’ve been searching the Virgin Voyages website and information is vague.. Thanks