Dear Editor,

Someone once described Hanalei Bay in Hawaii as Heaven on Earth — but today, the descendants of native Hawaiians can barely afford to live there. Their ancestral lands have been sold off, piece by piece, to wealthy outsiders.

Now the same script is playing out in Jamaica. In Montego Bay, the very people who built the city, who carry its history in their blood, are being priced out of owning even a modest home. If this continues, the children of St James will not inherit Montego Bay. They will be strangers in paradise.

Foreign land acquisition in Jamaica, particularly by Chinese interests, is no longer accidental or sporadic. It is a strategic, sustained effort, supported by deep pockets and an artificial inflation of land prices. The tentacles of speculative land grabbing have now reached deep into urban centres and rural areas alike. In places like Hanover, aggressive offers are being made in cash, often well above market value, forcing sales and displacing Jamaicans with little recourse. This is not simply about individuals exercising their rights to sell; this is about national sovereignty and economic survival.

Let us be clear: To blame only “our own black people” for selling land is simplistic and disingenuous. It ignores the structural and historical inequalities that make these sales feel like the only option. It is the pitfall of a single story, and it distracts from the larger machinery of foreign influence and unchecked capitalism that threatens our future.

Worse still, local entrepreneurs and small business owners are being outcompeted by foreign investors wielding “duffel bags of cash” — money whose origins are often unclear. How can our emerging class of Jamaican innovators and business people compete in such a warped marketplace?

Even the United States, the self-proclaimed cradle of capitalism is now moving decisively to limit foreign land ownership. As of March 2025:

• Twenty-seven US states are considering legislation to restrict or ban foreign ownership of land.

• Twenty-two states have already passed 38 laws since 2021.

• The US Congress is reviewing seven Bills targeting foreign control of critical property, especially by countries like China, Russia, Iran, and Venezuela.

These laws aim to protect national security, critical infrastructure, and agricultural sovereignty. If the US can recognise the danger, why can’t we?

We are calling on the Government of Jamaica to act now. Enact legislation that:

• restricts foreign ownership of land, particularly in sensitive and strategic areas.

• protects agricultural land, water rights, and mineral resources.

• prevents foreign entities from owning property near critical infrastructure and ports.

• Supports local businesses and entrepreneurs through incentives, grants, and protected zones for Jamaican ownership.

•Monitors and regulates foreign investment, with strict penalties for violations and transparency in transactions.

This is not about xenophobia. This is about economic justice, cultural preservation, and the right of Jamaicans to own the land of Jamaica. We must act now or risk becoming permanent tenants in a land we once called home.

Montego Bay needs a champion to defend the rights of our budding entrepreneurs. This class of emerging business people must step out of the shadows and face the garish light of day to claim their patrimony bold and unapologetically like men of might .

O Dave Allen

odamaxef@yahoo.com