THE EDITOR, Sir:
I JOKINGLY told a group of persons in a restaurant in the US recently that I was from the subcontinent of Jamaica. One of them insisted that Jamaica was a tiny island in the Caribbean. Well, I said, the fact that you know that only serves to prove my point. Do you know how many persons cannot find Afghanistan, North Korea, or Iraq on the map, yet you know that Jamaica is in the Caribbean?
I then proceeded to tell them of our international successes in boxing, cricket, athletics and football (or soccer as they say). I was sure to outline that our bobsled teams sometimes performed better than some of the European and North American teams. I made sure they knew that Jamaica was represented in France 1998, when real subcontinents like Australia, India and Canada were not. Yes, I also told them that we even had a victory over the economic powerhouse Japan.
I pointed out that every bookstore and music shop I had visited in the US had a dedicated section for Jamaican Reggae music, and one would be sure to find at least one Bob Marley album in even the remotest of US supermarkets. I told them no other nation could call something 'jerk' and make it an international culinary hit, but we did.
I made sure they knew that we have had three Miss World beauty queens and that our supermodels strut their stuff on the finest catwalks in the world. As they were Christians, I mentioned that at least 5 per cent of the ministers on the eastern section of the US were Jamaicans. Then I wrapped up the historical tour by telling them of our intellectual contribution to the world, letting it slip in the process that General Colin Powell was of Jamaican lineage.
When you look at the world map you may see Jamaica as a tiny Caribbean island, I concluded, but when I look at world affairs, I see Jamaica as a subcontinent and if we had the resources of a subcontinent, we would be a superpower.
At the risk of sounding like a bigot, I believe Jamaicans are among the brightest, best looking, most talented, resourceful and ambitious people of the world. Instead of beating upon ourselves so much, I wish there was some way we could communicate, and get all our people to imbibe and live out this fact. Happy New Year!
I am etc.,
STANLEY REDWOOD
stanley_redwood@yahoo.com
Middle Quarters
St. Elizabeth
Via Go-Jamaica
