The women speak
Today Panama celebrates 100 years of independence from Columbia. All Woman spoke briefly with three Panamanian
women in Jamaica and explored their takes on both countries ú what brought them here, maintaining links with their homelands and what independence means to them.
Elda Azan:
Coming to Jamaica:
I came to Jamaica in 1970 to study English. I went to St Peter and Paul’s at 17 and later Alpha. After I graduated I started working at Scotiabank as a secretary. I worked at the bank for a year and a half and then I got married in 1975 to a Jamaican, Richard Azan.
Employment:
My husband had taken over his fathers business and so we went to live in Christiana to run it. We stayed there for a few years and then in the late 1970’s when people were migrating we went to Panama for eight years. Richard did not love Panama so we came back here and started business ú Ralaica Trading. We are both directors of the company which sells clothing, fabrics and haberdashery. Two of my three daughters work with me.
Comparing cultures:
The cultures are similar but I think families are closer in Panama. My grandmother just died at 109 recently but prior to that we used to always go back to celebrate her birthday.
On Panamanian Independence:
I remember the school parades on those days. All the schools parade on the third and the fourth of November.
On family:
I met my husband while he was a student at St Georges High school and I was at Alpha Commercial. We used to take the same bus. I used to live with a family in Paddington Terrace and he used to live with his grandmother on Sandhurst. So one morning I offered to hold his books and I remember scanning the covers for his name.
Eventually we started going out but we could not understand each other. My English was poor and he did not know Spanish. But after hanging out with the large group of Panamanians that were here at the time he eventually learnt the language. At that time it was cheaper for us to come to Jamaica to learn English. There is not such a large number of Panamanians here now. Two of my daughters were born in Panama but the first was born in Jamaica
Azan with one of her three daughters
Ana Solis Ortega Treasure
Coming to Jamaica;
When I came to Jamaica from Panama it was as a principal civil engineer at the National Water Commission in 1993. My brother was here from before. He came to study English for a summer and at the end of the time he asked our parents if he could stay.
Employment:
I started at the Pan American Health Organisation in March 2002. This has been my dream job. All my professional career was tailored so I could be PAHO staff. My BA and Masters thesis were supervised by PAHO staff. I said by the time I got to forty I should be at PAHO but I did it a little earlier. I am grateful for the four years at NWC and the five at Metropolitan Parks and Markets (MPM). (She left as the Managing Director). MPM made me streetwise and that was a real university education.
I am now the First female President of the Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association. I was elected unopposed and I am the first non-English speaking Caribbean person to hold the post. I have always felt at home in the Caribbean.
Comparing cultures:
The culture in the Caribbean part of Panama is similar to Jamaica ú we have the Kumina dances and a patois that is a mix of Jamaican patois and French creole. Panama has a lot of rainforest but Jamaica has a greenery beyond words. I love to go to the Bog Walk Gorge and see the greens. Panama though has a lot of indigenous groups that Jamaica does not have. We still have Amerindians and so on.
On Panamian Independence:
Independence has always been very fascinating. There is the parade which starts from 8am sometimes and goes until nine in the night. If you are an A student you would march with a ribbon that showed that you belonged to the honour group. I studied real hard to make sure that I could march in the parade as part of the honour group.
On family:
There are three of us and all of us are in Jamaica now. My parents come and visit roughly every three months. My son Jose is nine years old. I recently started fostering a Jamaican child. His name is Jerome ú He is 8 now. I have had him for about seven months. It is fun but the struggle is to get him to the standard that he should be at for his age.
My parents have been married for forty years and they still act like newly weds. I love that about them. I have kept both my parents name as well as my married name. The tradition is that you drop your mothers name when you get married but out of respect for her I kept it. I still keep my married name too even though I am divorced.
Marie Solis Ortega on:
Coming to Jamaica:
I have been here for almost 8 years. I used to come here before on holidays. This time it was supposed to be a holiday too but I just stayed. Luckily at the time Jamaica Broilers was expanding into the Latin American market but they were having problems with the language so I began helping them as an interpreter.
I was on leave from my job as a production assistant of a morning television programme in Panama. I kept asking for more leave and eventually just made up my mind to stay.
Employment:
I was at Jamaica Broilers for three years then I got a job at the Panamanian Embassy. That was four years ago.
Comparing cultures:
In Latin culture you move from your parents home to your husband’s house. But here I saw that it was different. I was living with my sister (Ana) then I moved out on my own.
I still have my Latin roots. I love to cook traditional Panamanian food ú for example we have this special rice and chicken that I have learnt to make using Jamaican ingredients.
On Panamanian Independence:
I am going back for the celebrations. From the 3rd to the 5th will be all celebrations. We will have the high schools marching in bands. There will be concerts with local and international artistes. There will be the national ballet. The Fourth is the Day of the Flag.
On family:
I have one brother and one sister. Both of them are here in Jamaica. My brother came first to study English at 15 years old and asked our parents to stay. Now my parents visit us here fairly often. The relationships between both countries make it easier for Panamanians to come here and feel at home. The people are similar and friendly. I fell in love with a Jamaican ú we are now engaged.
On Jamaican influence:
Jamaica has had a big influence on our lives and even before the canal was built in the 1800’s there were ties. We have a strong Jamaican population there. Their dialect is a mix of patois and English. There is even a Rastafarian community high in the mountains. Their way of living is unusual in Panama.
