Caribbean Currents: What does it mean to be from the West Indies? – The Philadelphia Tribune

I recently had a conversation with someone that I met for the first time, and because of his accent, I asked him which island he is from. He responded by stating that he is from Dominica but, he said, I am a proud West Indian. Many of us can identify with this statement because when asked where we are from many of us will say one of three things: We will say the specific name of the island we are from, or we will say we are from the Caribbean, or we will say that we are from the West Indies (if we want to sound more exotic).

What does it mean when people from the Caribbean region say that they are from the West Indies, or they are West Indian? Lets now pinpoint the geographical location. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, there are three major divisions that makes up the West Indies: the Greater Antilles, which includes the islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic) and Puerto Rico; the Lesser Antilles, which includes the Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados and Grenada; and the island groups of the North American continental shelf and the South American shelf the North American shelf including the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the South American shelf including Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curaao and Bonaire. (Bermuda, although it is not a part of the West Indies, is historically and culturally linked with the other islands. It is often included in definitions of the Caribbean region.)

Why are the West Indies called the West Indies? This is a snippet I learned in my adult years: When Christopher Columbus arrived in this region of the Americas, he thought he had reached the Indies (Asia) on his voyage to find another route there. Later on, when Europeans realized that it was not the East Indies (Asia) that he had reached, they named it the West Indies to distinguish it from the East Indies.

Since all of the people of the Caribbean wholeheartedly claim the West Indian label, we asked some people in the area what it means to them to be West Indian. Melanie Hylton of New Jersey said that being West Indian is not just in name. It is a culture, it is unity, it is all of us as a people, she said. Just like here in the United States, we are made up of a melting pot of people who came from all parts of the world, but we came together in the West Indies and formed similar cultures on each island with just a little extra spice that makes each one unique.

Another person said to be West Indian is to be fun, energetic and colorful. In addition to that, I say to be West Indian also means to exude warmth like the sunshine and serenity like the blue waters, and to exude energy and be full of life like the lush flora and fauna of each island.

Bee Laine said that to be West Indian means she has a sense of belonging. My biological family provides a lot of support for me, she said. In a broader sense I know that I am embraced by others who share a similar culture. I am Jamaican, but when I am with other West Indian or Caribbean people, I am secure in my value system. The English-speaking West Indian people all experienced colonialism (the good and the bad). We all have the British foundation whether we like to admit or not this is part of the blend that makes all ah wi one!

Some of the most interesting statements came from young Caribbean-Americans. They said they do not feel that being West Indian or Caribbean means that you were born in the islands. They said that it is the way you are brought up. When you are raised by Caribbean parents, you grow up with a great appreciation for the culture and the history and love for the people. They become a part of you.

At the end of the day, it is our experience of life in the Caribbean and common African ancestry/roots that make us one with each other. That is true anywhere we are in the world. When one hurts, we all hurt, and when it comes down to the nitty and the gritty, we will be there for each other.

Read the rest here:

Caribbean Currents: What does it mean to be from the West Indies? - The Philadelphia Tribune