Some Difficulties Of Being Jamaican

Located in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba and west of Hispaniola, lies the small island called Jamaica. It is one of the most popular Caribbean islands based on its unique and distinctive culture that has become a global brand. It is instantly recognizable over the world through its music, sports, and food which are beneficial to the economy. The result of Jamaica’s popularity is that people know something about the country which is a great conversation starter. However, there are some misconceptions on who is a Jamaican and how they should behave. Coming to America, I have heard the stories about the ridiculous perceptions of Jamaicans, but never thought I would experience it for myself. I, and many Jamaicans, have realized that there are more than a few stereotypes about us, so I chose to address the few that I have encountered. “Do you smoke Weed?”

I remember the first time I was asked this question by a friendly stranger and I could not stop myself from laughing. I had unconsciously anticipated the question based on the person’s ecstatic reaction when I told them where I was from. She had whispered the question as if she was hoping to receive some juicy information. To her disappointment, I did not smoke. I had to explain to her that many Jamaicans do not smoke weed (or ganja/marijuana/ cannabis etc.) and that it was actually illegal; however, the government recently pass the Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act in 2015, which decriminalizes possession of small amounts of marijuana, but this still does not make it acceptable to society. Smoking in general is heavily discouraged, but I understand that this idea comes from the image portrayed of us in the media. It also doesn’t help that most souvenirs found at the airport or tourist area display the cannabis logo as if it is the unofficial symbol of Jamaica.“You’re not loud or aggressive at all.” To be honest, I was not sure how to respond to this statement when it was issued to me. I was discussing social norms with a group of Americans when one stated that I wasn’t like the other Jamaicans. He further explained that all the Jamaicans he had seen and heard were boisterous and feisty. I had to pause and contemplate what he said and what I knew about our related actions.

First, I stated that ‘Aggressive’ is the wrong word used to describe us and that ‘Opinionated’ is the best fit. Jamaicans are one of the friendliest, nicest and/or most welcoming people you can find anywhere, but we are a very frank set of people. We believe in being blatantly honest and hate been called a hypocrite, so to an outsider, we may come off as ‘feisty’. In terms of being “loud”, I think this stems from being overly excited or ‘hyped-up’ in a situation. We are very proud so when it is time to represent ourselves, we will boldly let the world know that we are here, and we are ready. It is also a natural response to feeling disrespected especially when spoken to in a raised tone and not being acquiescent is often mistaken for it.“What language do Jamaicans speak?” Or “How can you speak or understand English?” This has to be the most annoying and ignorant one I, or any Jamaican, has encountered. I’m still trying to understand where this misconception came from. In this technological era where information is easily accessible, it is amazing that some people don’t know that we speak English.

English is the official language of Jamaica, so it is taught in schools at every level and is explicitly used in formal situations. Jamaican Patois or Jamaican Creole is the dialect that is widely used by the natives and is the informal language of the country. It is defined as broken English (combination of English, Spanish, Welsh, and several African languages) and is the preferred choice for our artistic expressions in music and drama. Associated with this stereotype is that we say “Mon” at the end of every sentence or we say “Irie” which is linked to another stereotype that most of us are Rastas. Only a small percentage of the people are Rastafarian and though we say “Man” not “Mon”, it is rarely used by a small percentage of people. “Why aren’t you listening to Reggae?” The university was hosting an event for international student, so I had to spend the weekend at my friend’s dorm since I lived off-campus. We were lounging in the common room when I started playing an alternative rock playlist. My Jamaican friend expressed that he hated that form of music, so I responded by raising the volume. One of his roommates, who happened to be a fan of the selection, started to sing loudly so I joined in to annoy my friend.

After we serenaded my friend, he turned to me and said he didn’t know that Jamaicans listened to other genres of music. The other two roommates expressed similar perceptions to which my friend and I rebutted. It is true that Jamaica is the birthplace of Reggae but is not the only music that is played there. We have given birth to other forms of music– the most popular one is Dancehall– but if you listen to the radio stations, you will hear every type of music. We have a wide appreciation for music because it is an important aspect in our culture. Reggae is mostly played at national events or on national holidays and is mainly appreciated by the older generation. Humans have this tendency to group races or individuals together, making judgments about them without seeking the truth.

This is the case with being a Jamaican. We are faced with many misconceptions that are wrong and small-minded. We are perceived as violent smokers who can not understand or speak English and only listen to one genre of music-Reggae. These perceptions are very harmful to us because they are not the true representation of who we are. We can easily be mistaken as ill-mannered and uncivilized or as drug dealers and addicts or as an uneducated islander. It is understandable that our media presence seems to fuel these ideas but like any country, the negative aspects are featured more for monetary gain. We, as humans, should realize that anything can be broadcasted through the media, but we should be conscious enough to not classify our fellowmen on preconceived notions.