09-18-2014, 02:30 PM
Can't say I've ever really felt outright racism in Jamaica, and I have been the only white person in several instances over the years. Once on a trip to the interior with my now husband (Jamaican), we had to stop in Bog Walk because of the early morning fog - we were on a bike & it wasn't safe to drive. We went into a local bar to wait it out. At first, he said it might not be a good idea for me to go in, because they weren't used to women in that bar, much less white women. But I insisted (I was thirsty!). I did get the "walking into a western saloon" feeling, but in no time people (all men) were welcoming and interested in what we were doing in town, where I was from, etc. On the same trip, we were in Linstead, and I needed some pain meds so was dropped off at the local pharmacy. The pharmacist was very welcoming, even offered me a glass of water and a chair on the porch. I was obviously the only white person in town (or at least on main street), and got a good many looks and a few kids came up to touch me. Gotta love kids - they're curious and dammit, they're gonna check you out!
The one time I did feel blatant racism, though, was in St. Kitts. My friend and I were island hopping back in 93 and spent 6 weeks there. We met a few locals and one night they asked if we would like to go to a dance up on Monkey Hill. I could tell as soon as we arrived at the dance hall that we were the only white people there, but didn't think much of it at first. My friend was inside dancing with one of the guys who took us up there, and I was sitting on the veranda, getting some air. A group of 4 men came up to me and asked me what the hell I was doing there and didn't I know it was a local dance and white trash were not welcome? I thought they were joking at first and kind of laughed it off, but they continued to call me dirty white trash and asking me who brought me there and then one guy went to his car and got a machete. that's when I went into the hall and found my friend and said I think we need to leave... now! She didn't believe me, and said I was over-reacting. So I went back outside and they were still harassing me, right up in my face, and now with the machete waving around. We were lucky, though - a local guy was watching from the sidelines and came over and said he was heading back down to town and would give us a ride if we wanted to leave. Needless to say, I grabbed my friend and took him up on the offer. We were harassed and called names as we drove away, and our "knight in shining armor" told us on the way to town that Monkey Hill was a very racist area and that the guys who invited us knew that, so they were basically setting us up. It was not a good experience and a real eye opener as to how racism feels.
The one time I did feel blatant racism, though, was in St. Kitts. My friend and I were island hopping back in 93 and spent 6 weeks there. We met a few locals and one night they asked if we would like to go to a dance up on Monkey Hill. I could tell as soon as we arrived at the dance hall that we were the only white people there, but didn't think much of it at first. My friend was inside dancing with one of the guys who took us up there, and I was sitting on the veranda, getting some air. A group of 4 men came up to me and asked me what the hell I was doing there and didn't I know it was a local dance and white trash were not welcome? I thought they were joking at first and kind of laughed it off, but they continued to call me dirty white trash and asking me who brought me there and then one guy went to his car and got a machete. that's when I went into the hall and found my friend and said I think we need to leave... now! She didn't believe me, and said I was over-reacting. So I went back outside and they were still harassing me, right up in my face, and now with the machete waving around. We were lucky, though - a local guy was watching from the sidelines and came over and said he was heading back down to town and would give us a ride if we wanted to leave. Needless to say, I grabbed my friend and took him up on the offer. We were harassed and called names as we drove away, and our "knight in shining armor" told us on the way to town that Monkey Hill was a very racist area and that the guys who invited us knew that, so they were basically setting us up. It was not a good experience and a real eye opener as to how racism feels.
