People
Jamaica’s motto is “Out of Many - one people.” The word many indicates that different races of people make up the population. But how did they get here? History tells us that the first set of people who lived in Jamaica were Indians who migrated from South America about 600AD. These were the Tainos and Kalinagos respectively. The Tainos settled in communities near rivers while the Kalinagos lived in the hills. These Indians lived simple lives and survived on grains, root tubers, and seafood.The Europeans arrived next. The Spaniards led by Christopher Columbus in 1492, and the English in 1655. When they arrived they met the Indians. They established many communities all over the island, and enslaved the Indians. The Indians eventually died from the cruel treatment bestowed upon them, especially by the Spaniards. After the Indians died the Europeans still wanted people to build their communities so Africans were brought into the island. The Africans landed in the island to work as slaves during the period 1451 to the 1800’s. When the slave trade ended in Jamaica in 1834, workers were still needed to work on the plantations so in 1842 and 1845 respectively people from India and China came to Jamaica to work as paid labourers. In the years that followed some of the Europeans, Chinese, and Indians went back to their respective homelands. Those who stayed, along with the Africans (the largest group) who had no way to return home became known as Jamaicans.
Today people of African origin still make up the greater portion of the population; therefore, in communities across the island, people of African descent make up the bulk of the population. They comprise around 90-95% of the population. Because Africans did not inherit a significant portion of the land after slavery ended the best parts of the island belong to descendants of the European plantocracy. People from Syria and other countries came to the island and acquired “good’ land from some of the Europeans.
This historical background gave life to a class system in Jamaica. Originally it was based on skin colour. This gave the Europeans automatic entry into the top class in the society, known as the Upper Class, Indians, Chinese, and other light skinned people who came later were in the Middle Class, and the Africans belonged to the Lower Class. The class system became less rigid, and in later years education allowed people from the Lower Class to climb the social ladder. Marriage between the races also allowed people to improve their social status. With the accumulation of wealth and education by the different peoples in the island, there was further social stratification, and the advent of an “Upper Middle Class, and a Lower Middle Class.” People are also stratified based on professions. Lawyers and Doctors belong to the Upper Class; Teachers and Nurses to the Middle Classes. Wealth, however, is now the major determinant of people’s social status the richer you are, the higher your social class regardless of skin colour or the community in which you reside.
Some of the races have distinguished themselves in various aspects of life.
Many of the descendants of the Europeans are still involved in agriculture. Those who live in rural communities cultivate citrus, and sugarcane, and rear livestock. Whichever community these people live, they usually possess the most assets. The Chinese have distinguished themselves in trade. Many commercial districts are infiltrated with Chinese businesses. They trade mostly in food, and dry goods. Indian people generally possess a lot of wealth but are usually reserved in their interactions. Negro people are found in every aspect of Jamaican life. They are heavily involved in business, well represented in politics, and in the professions.
Having people of different ethnic group have led to inter-racial mating thus creating many people of double ethnicities. The most popular being the cross between Negroes and Indians commonly known as ‘Half Coolie’ or ‘Half Indian.’ It is the people who make up a community and create a psychological bond among themselves.
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