A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.

— Marcus Garvey

OVER the years, a lot has been said and written about Jamaica’s cultural identity. Jamaica’s motto “Out of Many One People” aptly describes the melting pot development of the Jamaican society. The composition of the Jamaican society is predominantly made up of people of African descent. However, there are also white Jamaicans, Indo-Jamaicans, Chinese Jamaicans, as well as Jamaicans of lighter skin tone who have intermixed with other ethnic groups to produce a culturally rich and diverse people.

Jamaica has a common heritage with many other Caribbean islands. This common heritage has been interwoven by the experiences of the transatlantic slave trade, exploitation, colonialisation, and emancipation from slavery. Our proximity to North America, mainly the United States of America, has played a significant role in impacting Jamaica’s cultural identity. In fact, there are many who are of the opinion that Jamaica no longer has a true authentic culture due to the cross-fertilisation of both cultures.

Jamaicans have always had an obsession with most things ‘foreign’. Jamaicans have become accustomed to a way of life which largely has been void of the historical trappings of our African ancestry, and this has been replaced with a developed Eurocentric taste. For the most part, the media should take some responsibility for the reshaping of the Jamaican culture. Africa is often portrayed as war-torn, and a famine- and disease-ridden continent. The media has had to take responsibility for misinforming and poorly educating its audience (the world), much to the disservice of its mandate to teach as it ignored the positive side of Africa.

Despite a slowdown in the global economic recovery, Africa continues to be one of the fastest-growing regions in the world today. According to the African Development Bank (ADB), the economic boom in Africa is not only confined to the continent’s natural resources, but incorporates less traditional areas, such as retail commerce, transportation, telecommunications, and manufacturing, which are all areas expected to grow by leaps and bounds. An ADB report projects that, by 2030, consumer spending will increase from US$680 billion in 2008 to US$2.2 trillion. This is indeed remarkable news and augurs well for the future of the continent.

A working definition of culture is of utmost importance in any discussion regarding cultural identity. The term culture means different things to different people. However, there are some basic tenets that must be incorporated in the definition of culture, such as reference to the arts, beliefs, customs, food, dress, institutions and other entities of human thought. I dare say that culture is very much a dynamic process and is ever-evolving.

Despite efforts by our Caricom leaders to integrate the Caribbean Community, the Caribbean as a region is no way closer to full integration today in 2015 than it was when the original Treaty of Chaguaramas was signed on July 4, 1973.

The Jamaican culture refers to human activities within different aspects of everyday life that relate to Jamaican traditions. Most Jamaicans easily identify more with our North American neighbours in the United States of America and Canada than their neighbours in the Caribbean region. The distance, cost of travel, and other cultural nuances associated with movement throughout the Caribbean region makes it less attractive for Caribbean peoples to visit each other in their respective islands. Additionally, there is a perception among many Jamaicans that they are not welcome in other Caribbean territories. This perception has become the reality for a significant number of Jamaicans and was reinforced recently by the Shanique Myrie versus Barbados case.

Jamaican Shanique Myrie was denied entry into Barbados, she subsequently sued for being assault — the term finger-rape became part of our lingua, taken from an Observer headline — and the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) awarded her costs against the Barbadian Government. The perception many have of Jamaicans tends to be one clothed in negativity. Oftentimes Jamaicans are described as overly aggressive. Aggression has a different connotation than assertiveness. The fact is most Jamaicans are assertive, and this is probably a direct result of our forefathers’ history of slavery and the inhumane conditions they experienced during the Middle Passage. There is no way a people could have endured such harsh conditions, packed together like sardines abroad ships, and emerge from that experience without some level of assertiveness, and yes, aggression.

The Jamaican cultural identity continues to evolve. Our values and attitudes are no longer being shaped and defined by ourselves. Instead, the Jamaican cultural identity has become a cultural hybrid mirroring closely the happenings of those who now have control of the purse strings to which the Jamaican state needs access.

This can be seen in the proliferation of fast-food eateries on the Jamaican landscape. This has resulted in the Jamaican populace sharing some of the same issues associated with some of the issues our rich neighbours to the North now face. More and more Jamaicans are now overweight, obese even, as they turn to unhealthy processed and prepackaged foods instead of cooking a healthy meal.

In an age of globalisation and advances in technology, governments no longer have full control over what their population is fed. Social media, for example, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, have all added to the cultural penetration which has swept and continues to impact the Jamaican cultural landscape. Our young men, for the most part, now wear their pants below their waist exposing their undergarments. This once-alien cultural practice has taken hold especially of our young men. Tight-fitting clothing for males is another example of this cultural invasion. In a bygone era in Jamaica male clothing, especially pants, was loose fitting; however, the genie has been let out the box and, in some instances, there is blur of what constitutes male versus female clothing.

The cultural penetration sweeping Jamaica, and indeed the rest of the Caribbean, is so pervasive and powerful that in many instances international lending agencies are able to influence legislative laws in the parliament of sovereign states in exchange for providing funding for them to satisfy their balance of payment problems.

On the other hand, our closeness to North America has had and continues to have some positive spin-off on the Jamaican culture and life in general. Jamaica’s track and field programme has benefited tremendously over the years from our athletes competing against US athletes. Our athletes are now respected and in demand.

Another positive impact on the Jamaican culture comes in the form of economics. Remittances or foreign exchange inflows now account for approximately 15 per cent of Jamaica’s Gross Domestic Product. Thirdly, more and more Jamaicans are now doing their tertiary level studies in the United States. Upon their return home they oftentimes bring with them expertise and qualifications to help in nation-building.

The Jamaican culture has evolved into a world-class brand that is envied and admired globally. Our distinct dialect — patois — has been used repeatedly in US pop culture, mainly Hollywood movie and TV shows. In 2013 there was even a controversial Volkswagen advertisement which included Jamaican patois. This speaks volumes of the importance and acceptance that the global community attaches to the Jamaican culture and brand. It would be remiss if during the discourse we did not mention reggae. The history of reggae music lives right here in Jamaica. Reggae music is now known in almost every country on the planet due largely to the efforts of cultural icon Bob Marley.

We must and should strengthen our local institutions in an effort to counter this cultural invasion. We need to refocus more on our national symbols to reclaim and reaffirm our cultural identity. This can be done, in part, by exposing our students to the importance of retaining our culture as well as the significance of respecting our national symbols. Ensuring that civics becomes a compulsory subject at the secondary level of the education system would be one such way of maintaining our cultural integrity.

We may have different religions, different languages, different skin colour, but we all belong to one human race.

— Kofi Annan

Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and/or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com www.wayaine.blogspot.com