Out of Many, One People: What makes a Jamaican, a Jamaican?
Being a Jamaican is more than just the colour of our skin. Being a Jamaican is a shared experience, a culture passed down from generation to generation. Being a Jamaican is a blend of all the people who came and those who were brought here by force, mixed all together to create our own unique reality. One does not have to be black of African descent to be a Jamaican, that is not the "Jamaicanness" criteria. One Jamaican cannot tell another Jamaican that they are not Jamaican or not Jamaican enough, you do not have that right, who died and made you boss of all Jamaicans. Especially when we all live on this rock, sharing its burdens, hardship, couple gas riots and nightly merriments. Not to mention some hurricanes over the many centuries and decades. I cannot imagine when I was going to school with my classmates who were either Black, White, Chinese, Indians or mix up-mix up, hanging out at various parties and fetes, teen jam or on the football field, telling them they are not