I was born in St Vincent and the Grenadines and when it comes to thinking of myself on an 'international' level I would always affirm I am a Caribbean Woman.

There are some whose search for an identity takes them back to 'Africa' for me
that search ends where the Caribbean Sea ends. I am complete in claiming my Caribbeaness. I love the fact that 'Amerindian', White, Chinese, Indian, or of African ancestry we have all mixed and mingled well. Yes there are some countries where some races have a little tension but you know what we are blest. We have not had to face apartheid or segregation, yes post-slavery there were some aspects of it and some might say that in some instances they still exist.  I am not trying to debate history, just telling you how happy I am to be a Caribbean Woman.

I listen to people who say that we are always accepting Eurocentric ideals and so we need to look to the motherland, this perplexes me a bit because like so many other Caribbean women my ancestral line is not a clear link between St Vincent and the Grenadines and Africa. Who is to determine what I identify with but me? I have a thirst for exploration and when I think of Africa there is no sense of 'loss' or a longing...it is one of the continents, and I, I am an island girl. 

The other question I ask is this aren't those same people who claim to deny Eurocentric ideals actually victims themselves? Let me explain...History tells us that long before the Europeans came to these islands there were people living here; and we refer to them commonly as "The Arawaks and the Caribs". History also tells us that Christopher Columbus discovered the West Indies in fact most of the islands are recognized by their 'European names'.  In short Columbus denied the fact that these islands were inhabited and to me most people who seek the "mother land" are simply denying the fact that their "mother land" might just be right where they were born, of course this can be circular and they too can claim that they have a mixed legacy.

At the end of the day one thing holds firm though, identity is a matter that should be determined by 'self'.

I am a Caribbean Woman!


Back to Africa, Miss Mattie?
You no know wha you dah seh?
You haf fe come from somewhe fus
Before you go back deh!

Me know say dat you great great great
Granma was African,
But Mattie, doan you great great great
Granpa was Englishman?

Den you great granmader fader
By you fader side was Jew?
An you granpa by you mader side
Was Frenchie parlez-vous?

But de balance a you family,
You whole generation,
Oonoo all barn dung a Bun Grung-
Oonoo all is Jamaican!

Den is weh you gwine, Miss Mattie?
Oh, you view de countenance,
An between you an de Africans
Is great resemblance!

Ascorden to dat, all dem blue-yeye
White American
Who-fa great granpa was Englishman
Mus go back a Englan!

What a debil of a bump-an-bore,
Rig-jig an palam-pam
Ef de whole worl start fe go back
Whe dem great granpa come from!

Ef a hard time you dah run from
Tek you chance! But Mattie, do
Sure a whe you come from so you got
Somewhe fe come back to!

Go a foreign, seek you fortune,
But no tell nobody say
You dah go fe seek you homelan,
For a right deh so you deh!http://showme.physics.drexel.edu/thury/Poems.html