Saturday 18 January 2014

We cannot change what we cannot confront......let's talk Race, Religion, Social Standing and S.E.A. exams!

Ok here goes, I wrote this over 6 months ago but my Husband was very concerned for me and insisted there would be backlash if I posted it. So I listened to him for 6 lllllooooonnnng months........ oh well;-)

I am a proud West Indian of East Indian decent (not sure if fully or partially and that is a whole next blog that would open with my Husband's repeated question to my mom ' Tell me who is her real father!" ). Often in the Middle East where I reside, nobody can ever place my country of birth. When I say Trinidad and Tobago they all make a reference to Dwight Yorke or Brian Lara and then they look at me puzzled...but you are not African?

In my very own home country I am often asked by strangers " so where are you from?" or "you did not grow up here right?" That question has nothing to do with my looks, but it has to do with the direct giddy joyful way I see the world and speak......and no it has nothing to do with my Canadian accent for those of you who know me! My positivity throws locals off. I can see the "is she for real?" look on their faces.

For those who are wondering what part of India do my ancestors originate, I will respond as follows
 " I am not sure but my ancestors were not the fast runners because when the English boats came to take their village to the Caribbean, they were the slowest runners so they got captured and had to come!" That explains also my inability to run...it is generational;-)

When I have said this out loud in the past, other locals of East Indian origin give me that nervous laugh and I get put in that 'not one of us" box. So go ahead also, it's ok;-) And please note I am in no way dishonoring the East Indian journey and history with my "off-humor" story but I am in fact embracing it in all the fullness of an East Indian story with some much needed humor.

Racism sucks - funny pictures - funny photos - funny images - funny pics - funny quotes - funny animals @ humor
If we are being true, many local East Indians are in complete denial about the majority of our ancestors arriving here as indentured servants on a boat. And it is because of our failure to embrace our glorious deep roots that we are now a deeply uprooted rum and roti culture with our highest caste/social members conducting crime, violence (domestic in particular), corruption and generational decay front and center like a grand conductor at a symphony. 

As an East Indian community we are also greatly divided within. We have a huge gap within our race because of religion and sexual orientation among other things . I am sure I can take bets that there is not an East Indian who will read this blog and would not know directly or indirectly (1) someone getting dis-owned by their parents because he of she decided to cross over to the other "suspect" religion i.e. the Muslim/Hindu stigma and/or (2) someone being sent away for being a homo-sexual. And then there is the pro and con Sat Maraj/Ian Alleyne issue all tied to religion, race and social standing , none of which I can even begin to understand.

We East Indians also have a class divide when it comes to mixed marriages. All hell breaks loose if we lose one of our own to another race unless of course they are fairer skinned, his or her father is a Government Minister or has parents living in St Clair in a mega house. Social standing, titles and wealth trumps all gaps for us in the East Indian community.......... or does it?

We all know a well off Syrian and a comparable East Indian will always distrust each other and will avoid doing business together at all costs. And if forced to do business together, each will sleep with his or her eye open until it comes to an end (usually not amicable). Or am I stereo-typing?

And no the East Indians are not the only community with issues. Within the African community we have the divide between the enlightened class and the CEPEP class. One unable to identify with the other literally.

Within the local Syrian community (Syrian, Lebanese, Egyptian etc. all bunched together) we have a social standing division, which I do have to tell you functions entirely different outside of the Caribbean where you will NEVER ever find a Syrian, Lebanese and Egyptian considering themselves one and the same. But I have to say they generally support their own and stay with their own here in TnT.

Did I get it all?

Ok so we have a local White, Spanish and Chinese community but really they are too small in numbers to cause too much trouble so I will keep them out like Switzerland.

Reminder please this is simply me saying out loud what is whispered by so many so do not take any of this as me being a racist. I, for all intensive purposes, am not tied to any race, class or social standing. I wander through comfortably all races, class and social standing lines. Minister whoever or Mr. Title with the big bank account both have the same value to me at a lad at YTC.

The point of this blog is to open up a discussion of how divided we are at our very core. Our greatest asset (diversity of people) we have made our greatest weakness. And sadly we are reaping the fruits of that deep rot today...just look around.

And I have a theory on how and why this is happening. Give me your thoughts ESPECIALLY those who disagree.

We are a country racially, religiously and socially segregated by the S.E.A exam ( or common entrance exam as it was known in my childhood) from the time we are about 11 years of age. Make no mistake where you go to Secondary School and the company it allows you to keep in your teens determines a lot in our country and how your adult life plays out. It is no wonder parents literally freak out during S.E.A. year with their kids since there is something way bigger at play. It is not a simple exam that results in a score since we all know right a child is way more than ONE exam result. No, here this ONE exam sets up the ultimate score card for your child i.e. it largely  determines your child's race relations and social standing relations for life.

S.E.A. exams sets the stage for many future boardrooms, titles/positions and social standing in the private/gov't sector in my humble opinion.  Think about a Bishop Anstey student vs. a Barataria Secondary School student and their respective environment and exposure to race tolerance and their set up for social standing in society. Do you not believe me? Just do a random sampling and you would be shocked at  how many Hillview alums are in this current Gov't holding board positions. And let's be frank, it is not because they are all smarter. We all know degree collection (real and fake) and education does not equal intelligence.

And yes there will always be exceptions to everything I just said but they are in a vast minority. As an outsider, I observe these stereotypes playing out. But I am also subject to correction.

If allowed I would love to run a Social Experiment plunking down the finest IB Curriculum ( no S.E.A. exam)  "foreign staffed with local staff integration over time with training" international school with a major cutting edge arts program in the middle of East POS. Let us say comparable or better than International School is West Moorings. But it will be a charter school for free. Gov't funds it but they will have virtually no say as is typical with charter schools. I would then allow the Primary and Secondary youths of the area to attend with up to 35% out of area students. Just imagine what might happen and how it will play out in our country's future down the road.

In my eyes the problems of TnT is not that we are NOT our brother's/sister's keepers. We are......... providing race, religion and social standing aligns from way back. And this is the Foundation that fuels the flame of our tribal politics and current state of affairs.

Do you agree or disagree and why? Or is all of the above simply bad stereotypes I have uniquely experienced?


2 comments:

  1. Very insightful and i agree with you totally. We all point fingers and play the blame game but our problems are deep rooted and often ignored. The system is flawed and the government needs to take a serious look at the wellbeing of the children coming up. A very good read.

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  2. Now I have another reason to dislike SEA. So...when we starting the school? LOL...and dunno why huzzy was concerned.
    The small white community is divided too.....money divides them. Who have plenty and who doh have plenty.. :)

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