By Kaylean Williams
One would argue that culture is a bold manifestation of the sheer creativity the human intellectual area of the brain can effectively demonstrate. However, when the ideas, customs and social behavior of a particular people or society is regarded collectively and passed down from generation to generation clearly indicates the deeper meaning behind the word “culture”. Let us dive into the name culture a bit more by introducing the relative term ethnicity into this essay. What is Ethnicity? Ethnicity in simple terms is the variety of cultural backgrounds and descent that a specific group of people or population belongs to. We as Barbudans belong to the cultural ethnicity of Creole culture, which is the mixed-race descendant of Europeans and Africans born in the islands.
In my opinion, the problem I see today in my community is the negative response towards the division in Barbuda’s cultural ethnicity because of the Peace, Love and Happiness project. This particular project requires numerous labours from different people, from different places, possessing different skills. For example, the Mexican men are excellent as window technicians, therefore they are needed to install windows hence the reason for their residence within our community. Mind you, this is my problem viewed in my own youthful perspective concerning the growing population of Barbuda and its diverse ethnic groups. You might be wondering, ‘Ms Williams I see no negative response towards the introduction of new groups and their unique, cultural beauty being actively displayed’.
Although you as adults in a scientific view do not pay as much attention to the behaviour of others as us children, we tend to catch more than you do when it comes to the change in people’s behaviour and attitudes towards a certain situation in my view, but it is, however, very much debatable. When we as a community close in our cultural heritage feels threatened when other racial groups display their own cultures within our society, sometimes we completely ignore the cultures of the diverse ethnic groups now living in our community and go as far as bad mouthing them for using our socially interactive public places, and that ladies and gentlemen is a big problem if it continues to escalate.
I would advise the barbudanGO organisation to implement the solution of embracing and promoting the diverse cultural ethnicities in our community today by hosting cultural fairs where different cultures residing within our community showcase their talent in preparing the unique foods they eat for others to taste, introducing their music to us and just have a grand time learning about the different cultures in one place where all is invited to participate in.
The Peace, Love and Happiness project requires numerous labourers with different skills our citizens do not possess, therefore, foreign people of different races will arrive and express their own culture in which they were raised learning. As Barbudans, we need to embrace the term Cultural Globalisation a lot more kindly. Hold up! Let us back up a little, ahh big word — Cultural Globalisation. We know what culture is, but what is culture now when the term globalisation has squeezed itself right next to our culture? I’ll tell you: Cultural Globalization refers to the transmission of ideas, meanings and values around the world in such a way as to extend and intensify social relations, and it involves the spread of language, the arts, food, business ideas and technology.
We always complain about Barbuda and its need to develop, yet when new people from around the world come to actually do so, we bad mouth them and their ways of doing things we are not accustomed to.
Barbuda’s culture is more beautiful when the people come together in unity to accept and respect the cultural heritage of others. It is our obligation to treat each culture in our community with respect and positivity. Let the barbudanGo ensure that the diverse cultures being present in Barbuda are not forgotten. Thank you!
