My perception of West Indians in the United States
August 20, 2008
I feel that people are unaware of all the congregations of West Indians in the United States. Most people know about the Liberty Ave/ Richmond Hill area… but, seriously there are West Indians everywhere, some in larger groups and some in small but modest groups. For instance, my uncle lives in Iowa and there are a few West Indians that are there, they all know each other (because we all know how West Indians get when they find their own kind- it’s as if they have West Indian radar and can sniff your blood anywhere). I live in NYC, Queens to be exact. I don’t live near Richmond Hill, more closer to Queens Village. There’s a load of West Indians in those parts of Queens. I’ve noticed it’s most working upper middle class with houses and cars, professional, steady jobs and seem like nice hard working people. You can see the same description in Manhattan, Bronx, Manhattan and such. I think other WI’s aren’t aware that there are so many communities that are predominantly West Indian.
I have noticed though that you usually meet the African decent WI’s in Brooklyn and Manhattan while the Indian descents tend to reside in Queens and the Bronx. Why is that? I work in Manhattan and have met many WI’s in this area that are African decent and are such loving people, and them too- they just kinda know your West Indian and they talk to you a certain way as if they knew you for years. It’s nice to come to a strange community and be lovingly accepted by people from the countries your parents and ancestors are from. They have a wealth of information about how and why they migrated and what problems and issues they have faced or still face because of their cultural background and living in certain areas.
It seems that people that aren’t West Indian are more familiar with Jamaicans and are a little confused when they hear a slight dialect difference in a Trinidadian and Guyanese accent. It’s all English just spoken slightly different. I find it very peculiar how when some one asks me where I’m from, of course I’ll say NY (because I was born and raised here), continue on to ask where my parents are from and are totally flabbergasted of the fact I don’t have a west Indian accent at all. I don’t see how your accent defines who you are and then because I look predominantly Indian, they just assume I’m from Richmond Hill, which isn’t true. I guess because people only feel that West Indians congregate in the same places. They are all over! Think about how much family you have spread out all through out the Caribbean islands, South America, Central America, North America, and Europe- I know I do.
The cool thing about West Indian culture is that no matter where they go, where they migrate to or where they congregate, they still treat you the same open armed loving way, like you belong with them. Some people, its been years since they saw the land they were born and raised in and seeing your brown face makes them smile a bit and remember their youth. Maybe that’s why there are loving, maybe you remind them of their younger days or things that they miss that aren’t in the States they live in. One thing that always occurs at family gatherings are story telling. Older aunts and uncles always talk about the things they used to do when they were our age, where they used to be in their countries and remember simple things like the guava trees they used to steal the fruit off before they returned home from school.
I’m sure this sense of community and belonging occurs in most nationalities. I love to hear the stories and the way things could have been for me if my parents hadn’t migrated, it gives me a sense of gratitude because some eras of time it was much harder to live in West Indian countries due to hate crimes between different skin colors and other serious crimes- which are all silly. The way I see it we’re all eating from the same plate, some of us may use a spoon and fork and some may use their bare hands. Either way, we’re still eating the same food cooked with love.
Pady
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couldn’t have thought it better myself…
Great Work again GreenFairy
Thanks Mr. Shayan.