These articles mostly concerned [Castro]'s cracking down on terrorism and crime committed against tourists in Cuba. In reaction to incidents of hotel bombings, and in one case, the murder of an Italian tourist, Castro's government had passed a series of strict new laws to deter crimes that would further injure the country's leading source of foreign currency - tourism. One evening in Santago de Cuba, I was discussing the race issue with a few Cuban friends, among whom was a loyal Castro supporter who had fought for four years in Angola with the Cuban army. He argued that what was happening in his country wasn't so much a problem of racism as it was an honest attempt on Castro's part to protect the country's main source of revenue, tourism, upon which the U.S. embargo had made Cuba dependent. Although the once-again blatant debasing of my friend's civil rights incensed me, I did understand his point. Most of the tourists now coming to Cuba are from predominately white European countries, or they are upper-class whites from Latin America. Most of the tourists now coming to Cuba are from predominately white European countries, or they are upper-class whites from Latin America. Most of these white tourists come to Cuba with racism ingrained in them from their own cultures. In fact, it is unofficially acknowledged that a large percentage of the foreign currency in Cuba comes from sex tourism, which generally comprises white men drawn to Cuba by the lure of "exotic" mulatto women.
The fall season is always a kickoff for months of celebrations. From Rosh Hashanah to Columbus Day to Veteran's Day and of course Thanksgiving fall becomes a season of celebrations. And Caribbean folk in their usual creative manner fit their traditions and celebrations right into the thick of things. "Ethnic Brides is all about acknowledging the rich heritage of our African and cosmopolitan background, of mixing traditional with contemporary to make one's wedding memorable, exciting and rich in heritage," says Jacqui Scott, who hosted the event. Especially thought provoking was the poem "Dat bumpy Head Gal", inspired by her real-life experience where she was criticized by some members of the Jamaican public for wearing her "chiney bump" hairstyle on television.
Recipients of the fellowships, funded by the International Development Research Center in Canada, are Lester Wilkinson of Trinidad and Tobago; Margaret Brito of Barbados; and Jamaicans Diana Thorburn, Lisa Ann Taylor and Charles Edwards. The cultural studies initiative is the UWI's response to the perceived need to address the issue of Caribbean development and an acknowledgment that leadership in the region can only be as good as the critical analytical performance of those responsible for developmental planning. Ms. Brito is in the second year of an M.Phil. program at the UWI's Cave Hill Campus in Barbados. Her research will examine the economic potential of Barbados' cultural manifestations such as its popular music, dancer, theater and religion.
At a recent conference in Martinique, entitled "36 hours for the Caribbean", that focused on better means of cooperation between French West Indian departments and their independent neighbors, Martiniquan lawyer Alain Manville spoke about "Law, judicial practices and human traffic in the Caribbean." "France wishes to maintain her Caribbean departments in a state of indifference towards their natural environment," said Mr. Manville. "For Nearly 10 years one has witnessed a complicity between the Prefecture of Martinique and the French embassy of St. Lucia to deny visas to nationals from St. Lucia and Dominica and when these visas are accorded, the time taken is exorbitant and stay periods are reduced to a minimum," says Mr. Manville.
"It is a new day," [Phillip J. Brutus] told Caribbean Today. "No longer will Haitian Americans be taken for granted. We are demanding our place at the table." "We need to get Haitians involved in the process," Joseph "Billy" Louis, a spokesperson for the group, told Caribbean Today. "We need numbers in order to be taken seriously." Damian P. Gregory is a freelance writer for Caribbean Today. Caribbean Today's special focus on Haiti begins with Nick Carter's call for the nation to "re-invent" itself on page 9 and continues on page 29 with highlights of events there and in the U.S. marking Haiti's 200th Independence.
In 1996, the colleges and universities of America yielded thousands of graduates, 27% of them black, and of those, 12% were of Caribbean descent. These young Caribbean graduates are a unique entity. They represent a conglomerate of knowledge that could be utilized in America or in the Caribbean. Each year, a new group of Caribbean graduates faces an interesting dilemma: to build a life in the country that has educated them or to build a life in the country that holds their heritage, culture, and traditions. Should a young man from Jamaica who has come to the U.S. to become a doctor not go back to Jamaica at the end of his schooling armed with and American degree and better his own country? Should the young woman from Belize with a B.S. in biology from Cornell not return to Belize and put her knowledge to work for the betterment of her country?
Dominicans fete late, and even after three nights of nonstop music there must be upwards of 4,000 people waiting to hear the last band. As Haiti's most famous kompa group - Tabou Combo - takes the stage, exhaustion is dispelled by their relaxed "C'est Tambou", an invitation to a dancing-at-dawn session which continues long after the sun has climbed into the sky. The Haitians in the press box break into spontaneous dance, some straying on-stage; couples slip into each others' arms, moving in effortless elegance, and Dominica's minister of tourism, Norris Prevost, inquires whether this is not the best party I've ever seen. Haiti's Magnum Band with St. Lucian Luther Francois on sax blasted away the wee-hours fatigue with flowing funk and konpa over vodou rhythms and soaring lyrical soukous guitar. It was nearly 7:30 a.m. when Guadeloupe's Taxi Creole ended a tight, driving set which drew on zouk, salsa, merengue, beguine, reggae, jazz and funk.
Mayor [Rudolph Giuliani] proclaimed Monday, August 4, "Jamaica Independence Day" in the city. He presented Jamaica's consul general to New York - Fay Baxter-Collins - and Jamaica's permanent representative to the United Nations - Ambassador Patricia Durrant - with a written proclamation of "Jamaica Independence Day".
Friday, Oct. 29 was Kweyol Day, a celebration of island identity and culture. While the official language of the Commonwealth of Dominica is English, 80 percent of the population speak Kweyol, a legacy of early French settlement. Kweyol language and folk culture, after being sidelined, dismissed or denigrated during the British colonial period, has played an important role in forging the identity of independent Dominica since 1978. People's irritation with a late start was quickly dissolved. After the Stars, the Vodou rhythms of Haiti's seminal roots music band Boukman Eksperyans reverberated through Festival City. Named after the Vodou priest who presided over the ceremony that ignited Haiti's slave rebellion, Boukman Eksperyans has been at the forefront of taking the Vodou beat into the arena of world music. Tabou Combo, the most famous and long-lived Haitian Konpa band, seemed reluctant to leave the stage, but from 5 a.m., Festival City was overrun by WCK, [Dominica]'s marathon bouyon band, with whom I was still chipping at breakfast time. Not even a large pot of extra-strong Dominican coffee could revive me, and I retired battered and rambling in Kweyol, to recover in Trinidad.
The reception to the idea was favorable. In 1994, further discussions were held with Mexico, Columbia and Venezuela and with Argentina and Chile. The response was positive and to further support the idea, the ambassadors of the Latin American countries who were accredited to Jamaica, and Spain's ambassador, formed the Group of Latin America and the Caribbean as a forum for exchanging ideas and considering financial participation by their governments. In 1994, the Latin American-Caribbean Centre was created to facilitate economic, trade, research and cultural ties between the Caribbean and Latin America. The center's fundamental objective is to build strong commercial, cultural and academic ties between the Caribbean and Latin American regions and among the Caribbean countries. According to Ms. Insanally, "Economic development is one of the principal objectives of LACC. Expanding trade, investment, and tourism between the Caribbean and Latin American countries will generate income and employment, as well as stimulate technological modernization and international competitiveness. Academic and cultural development are important ends in themselves, and they also stimulate business relationships, and vice versa."
