r/AskTheCaribbean

My hot take: I don't like what the CCP has done to Suriname simply because the Surinamese governments allowed it to happen. They already have most Surinamese businesses, restaurants and stores in their hands and now they are demanding Manderin in police stations. I mean what were the Surinamese governments thinking? Haven't they looked what's happening in Africa?

Ps. For those who think I'm speaking about the Chinese Caribbean people: I don't have no problem with them but the mainlanders if you know what I mean.

I want to learn more about the history of Caribbean countries, what's the best place to learn this online about specific countries? The textbooks I've read offer broad information but not enough on individual islands that I am curious about.

Jamaica has JIS where we can learn the history of Jamaica (eg emancipation), the political structure, etc... do you guys have that?

https://jis.gov.jm

These islands are very close in proximity to each other and share very much in common with each other historically, linguistically, culturally etc. Why weren't these countries ever united once like the central america countries (Guatemala, Nicaragua, El salvador, Honduras and Costa Rica were a union of central American countries in the past). Although they broke up, they still have some dreams of reuniting. Do any Dominican, Cubans or Puerto Ricans feel the same way? Would you want unification under the right conditions?

On TikTok, so many faceless and anonymous troll and bot accounts say and ask some of the most craziest things they would never ask or say to people in real life.

Some of the most egregious examples I've seen over the years:

• A troll asking a Dominican host with the flag clearly in both his profile and on his wall, "Are you Brazilian or Cuban, did you swim to Miami?"
• A troll asking a Barbadian host, also with flag clearly in her profile next to the Statue of Liberty", "Oh nice. Which Jamaican country is your flag?"...then later, "Is Rihanna your inspiration and hero?"
• In a live where a Puerto Rican host is discussing her ancestry results, a troll remarking, "Oh my God. 15% indigenous, you're practically a full blooded Mexican."
• Later that day in a live about the suppression of Taino identity in Cuba by the Castro regime, that same troll remarking "I always knew Cubans were some type of Caribbean flavor of Mexican"
• In a live discussion about the ICE raids in New York, a troll just kept repeating "I want to call ICE on Flatbush and Washington Heights while eating griot and mangu". When a Puerto Rican replied "Go back to Europe YT", the troll started to repeat, "Repeal the Jones Act! No more automatic citizenship for PR!"
• In a Haitian live about 2 Nigerian in Haiti posing as Haitian nationals, a troll remarking, "Haitians are 1% Taino and 2% French, they look absolutely nothing like West Africans"

Has anyone else seen or witnessed this kind of crazy and unhinged behavior by trolls on TikTok?

I'll be visiting both islands this year and would like to know how I go about changing my currency? Is it best to take cash or will my card be accepted everywhere. I have a feeling that things will be easier in Guadeloupe, so my question is more about Dominica I guess.

Feel free to share.

I'm a Jamaican learning Haitian Creole, and it made me think about how many of us in the region don't really learn each other's languages. A few years ago I found out about Papiamento. I didn't even realize we had a Portuguese-based Creole before then. I know language is a polarizing topic and I was curious about people's thoughts.

Chinese and Indian indentured servants were the main migrants to Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, etc., after the British banned slavery. Have these 2 groups historically gotten along? Considering they both came from Asia, did they feel any kinship?

A half Lebanese half Morrocan friend of mine said she felt Puerto Ricans and Cubans were very similar to Mediterranean countries culturally. For example friendly/hospitable, extroverted, strong sense of family etc. Also Arabs do very well at integrating in LATAM.

When people think of the Mediterranean they think of Spain, Italy, Southern France, Greece, Malta, etc Contrary to popular beliefs Mediterranean countries also include countries like Lebanon, Parts of Syria, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Turkey.

All these countries have shared history, climate, cuisine and culturally similarities. I'm curious if Carribean people especially Latin American Carribean people feel the same way or see similarities between their culture and Mediterranean culture.

Edit: Why the downvotes? 😭

I have been to a few islands in the Caribbean (st Thomas, St. John, Puerto Rico, and Aruba). I love the Virgin island especially St John. Puerto Rico was ok and I was very disappointed in Aruba. I am actually at the Aruba airport currently about to head back to the states with my family. It was so windy where we couldn’t enjoy the beach. Yes, the water is beautiful and the people were very friendly but the wind basically ruined the trip. Also, the landscape is fugly-it’s a damn desert! I knew it was flat but that didn’t help. I think St. John and st Thomas are beautiful due to the mountains and the various coves/harbors.
With that said, we are planning our trip for next year and wanted advice on islands to visit? We have a 4 year old (5 next year) and need a 3 bedroom place. Either a house/villa or a condo at a resort. My parents are wanting to go to Dominican Republic and I do not want to go there. I would like to go to Antigua. Soo, what are some suggestions on islands to visit? We go for 5 full days and generally spend 3 days at the place/beach we are staying at. Take 1 day to do a boat tour. And 1 day hop in the car to visit another beach or adventure on the island.
And thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

U guys there are websites online claiming that u can move to the Caribbean via investment visa plans and I was wondering about them except when I consulted some people in my circle they recommended against it bc they said the Caribbean are not a safe place to move to and that a lot of tourists that go there have bad experiences of being robbed etc

I wanted to know more in detail about what to expect if I were considering moving to the Caribbean and I was hoping u guys could help me get to know better about it or where to find out more about it

Want to see if there is a sub in créole for Haïti, Martinique, Guadeloupe, La Guyane, St. Lucia, Dominica, etc. If not, want to see if anyone is down to create one.

Made this post a few days ago in créole but I didn't realize we can't speak other languages here. I normally see posts & comments in Spanish, not sure why its a problem si nou pale kreyòl.

What countries/regions are not considered part of the Carribean but feel like they should be? For me I'd say Southern Florida and Yucatán.

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​Tell me, which island is really leading the way when it comes to style per your opinion? I’d need to see something! 🌴🥥

​I’ve been thinking a lot about Tropical Femininity and how we represent ourselves to the world. Sometimes outsiders have a better view of our collective image than we do, and I truly believe that putting our best, most polished foot forward opens doors for all of us.

So, let’s settle it: Which island girls are consistently giving the most fashionable and attractive imagery?

I myself want to say, haiti, I love how they added boning to the traditional wear. So the madras looks a lot more structured and heavy, and I love quality pieces that are tropical and flowy, at the same time, while still looking luxurious.

Also, during some barbecue events, I saw some beautiful, colorful dresses on the women in St. Kitts and Nevis.

Mannnnn.....You got these all these ngas, usually American, out here buying pics of hose and getting scammed left and right. Hell they ain't even know if that hoe even has a shower and they ready to buy pictures. Any y'all hose in the Carribean (not NYC, Miami, Toronto, but in the actual Caribbean) paying y'all rent, paying for school from that?

What surprises me most is that Catholicism is the majority religion in Aruba, even though the Netherlands was a Protestant country of Calvinist tradition throughout its history as a sovereign and independent nation from the Spanish Monarchy after the Eighty Years' War.

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"I’ve always found it fascinating that the Bahamas is one of the few English-speaking nations in the Caribbean where baseball is so popular. Are there any other countries in the region with a similar English-speaking background that have a significant baseball scene? Or is the rest of the West Indies strictly all about cricket?"