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I am a native of St. Thomas Virgin Islands. I don't live there now (live in the Ft. Lauderdale area), but I am a die hard Virgin Islander at heart. In addition, I am a first generation Virgin Islander born to a father from the island of St.Kitts and a mother from the island of Nevis. My other half is from the island of Jamaica.
I pointed out all of that because I browse the internet hoping to shed light on subject matters dealing with tension filled interactions between Caribbean nationals and Caribbean nationals and visitors. In light of a recent thread about "St. Thomas' dirty little secret' and a subsequent reply by Bluwater in regards to people in the Virgin Islands from other islands, I wanted to make this thread to clear up some things and give our visitors a better idea of the inner life of our islands.
First of all, we natives generally do not pay much attention to tourists. We realize they are there to enjoy themselves and see it as such. Who we tend to have problems with are people from other islands and too busy complaining about them to be bothered with harssing tourists. LOL!!! I'm not saying I do, but that is the point of this thread - to show the tension between the locals.
My mom and dad came to the Virgin Islands during the tourism boom in the 1960s. Back in the early 40s and further back after the U.S granted all Virgin Islands natives U.S citizenship, many of natives bailed out of the impoverished islands for greener pastures in the states leaving the islands sparse in population.
When the tourist boom hit after WWII, a call was sent out to other islands for workers to work in the hotels, restaurants and homes of offhore visitors. So many came that today it is hard to find a native Virgin Islander over 25 who does not have at least one parent from elsewhere. Many came on sponsorship, only to stay for short periods of time while under sponsorship. My mother and father came during this period from their respective islands, but my mother, like so many others, was one of them who lost sponsorship after becoming pregnant with me, but refused to leave the island and hid from immigration officers by running to the British Virgin Islands and then coming back to St.Thomas when the coast was clear. When they and others came, many settled in the old part of Charlotte Amalie known as Savan. There is hardly a local person older than 30 whose parents came from "down island" who does not have some connection to Savan. Needless to say, when they came with their own way of life, what appeared to the locals as a weird way of dressing, and desire to take on what appeared to be menial jobs, the local natives looked upon these "foreigners" with scorn and thus began the tension between Virgin Islanders and the "islos" (people from other islands). Names of dresion arose for various groups. Those from Antigua were called "gyarots" (a bird that travels from island to island). Those from Dominica were called "gassos" because we used to hear the word all the time when they spoke. We just called all the rest of them "islo."
Growing up in St.Thomas in the 70s and early 80s, we natives had a habit of lording our U.S connection over the folks from other islands. We mocked them, calling out their lack of color coordination and strange accents (mostly the people from Dominica). We joked about the foods they ate and their seeming backwardness. Much of it was in jest. Some of the people from other islands played along and for others it was highly offensive and hurt, to the point where some tried to hide their true indentity. What was lost on many of us was that we ourselves were children of people from other islands.
Eventually the immigrants of the 50s, 60s and 70s moved on to live in other parts of the island (St.Thomas) leaving Savan behind. Natives and immigrants eventually learned to live together, but now both would soon together turn their attention to another group of immigrants they both could mock and jeer and even dislike and they were the Haitians and Dominican Republican natives.
The Dominicans are an interesting bunch. Back in the 1940s, many able bodied men and women from the eastern Caribbean went to the Dominican Republic in search of work in the cane fields and cane factories. Included in the migrant workers were my grandfather and his siblings. Many ended up having children with and by the locals in the areas of La Romana and San Pedro de Macoris. Those children and their children eventually began a reverse migration, taking the risky trip across the treacherous, shark infested 27-mile stretch of water known as the Mona Passage eastward to the islands their parents and grandparents came from out of the watch of patroling Coast Guard boats in the waters off Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Many of them (many women) ended up in the Virgin Islands, but in such a world, many of the women thinking they are going to a better life find themselves trapped in a life of prostitution which is supposed to pay their passage.
Today there is a noticeable Dominican presence in St.Thomas as well as other islands. Go up one street from the waterfront behind the Emille Griffith ballpark and you will find swanky Dominican clubs, many fronting for back room prostitution houses. Out in the east along the road between Ft. Mylner and Nadir/Bovoni you can find Dominican open air clubs lining the road as well as over in the Smith Bay area. It is not surprsing to come to St. Thomas and find people who speak NO english. Turn on the radio and there seems to be more spanish speaking stations than english ones. The Savan area is now filled with many of these illegal immigrants. The irony to all of this is that the locals who were once mocked, jeered and looked down upon by the natives are some of the biggest and most vocal critics of this new wave of immigrants. From complaining about the Haitians and their aggressiveness to the Dominicans and their loud nightlife, the circus just goes on and on. The face of the Virgin Islands, at least St.Thomas, is yet changing again and it is what makes us unique in the Caribbean. A virtual melting pot of cultures which brings the bad and the good.
I personally find it fascinating, but not all find it appealing. After all, I have quite a bit of family (uncles, aunts and cousins)in the Dominican Republic I nor my father and his siblings born in St. Kitts know so my heart is in this.
Just let me make this clear, your comments have been great for information that is very interesting.
I've been right there with all of your comments and everything you made, made sense........well, up to that last comment, with which I will take a very divergent view.
I don't think that cricket or soccer has a place anywhere in the world. I mean have you ever read a cricket report in an English Newspaper. Have you ever watched a "null/null soccer game. Give me a break the world would be better off without those sports. In fact, while we were in the Cold War I always thought that soccer was an Eastern Europe attempt to brainwash our kids.....we don't need no stinkin' cricket
Islander, your comments on the gradiant of color reminds me of how I tend to wonder why islanders so often refer to others by their skin color...i.e. "that white woman"....."some white man".....etc....And when tourists hear this they automatically think there's a racist tone to the island. Such isn't the case. Islanders have always designated others based on their skin.
A couple of trips back and met someone on the island who later told me that he had never met a "high" woman like me. High? Well, I had a few drinks, but that's it. No, he didn't mean that - he was referring to the color of my skin. It was a huge deal to him....and I've since learned that it's something islanders notice and pay attention to - and it could make a differencde in your experience as a black person. It reminds me of the books I've read about blacks self-segregating by skin color and the old favors given to those with light skin (passing the brown paper bag test, etc).
LOL@Promoguy.
Well when I go Jamaica for Christmas, many Jamaicans are glued to their televisions at 2 in the morning watching cricket and you won't EVER see a player from the Virgin Islands in the diverse West Indian team. The Jamaicans support their "Reggae Boys," the Haitians celebrate their soccer/football players and we all know the passion for soccer in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, England and Spain and points in between, but you won't see any Virgin Islanders as mercenary players for any teams from those countries. If it was not for Tim Duncan in the NBA, we might barely know someone in sports today. LOL!!!
Orion, if I was a VI'er I'd be embarrassed to see one of my fellow countrymen/women play on a sissy cricket team. Hope I haven't insulted any Brits who may be reading theis forum, but come on. Give me guys like below who played base ball or the great Tim Duncan.
See list below of other ball players who are from the VI's
Now name one famous cricket player from the following islands: Trinidad, Haiti,
Boxer Emile Griffin
Baseball Players from the VI's
Jerry Browne 1986-1995 982 3190 431 866 135 25 23 288 393 325 .271 .351 .351 73 45 1966-02-13 Christiansted
Joe Christopher 1959-1966 638 1667 224 434 68 17 29 173 157 277 .260 .329 .374 29 19 1935-12-13 Frederiksted
Horace Clarke 1965-1974 1272 4813 548 1230 150 23 27 304 365 362 .256 .308 .313 151 58 1940-06-02 Frederiksted
Henry Cruz 1975-1978 171 280 32 64 7 3 8 34 25 31 .229 .291 .361 1 4 1952-02-27 Christiansted
Midre Cummings 1993-2004 458 1111 136 286 60 8 22 124 94 199 .257 .319 .385 9 6 1971-10-14 St. Croix
Ellie Hendricks 1968-1979 711 1888 205 415 66 7 62 230 229 319 .220 .306 .361 1 5 1940-12-22 Charlotte Amalie
Al McBean 1961-1970 425 264 21 52 4 2 3 25 6 106 .197 .218 .261 0 0 1938-05-15 Charlotte Amalie
Jose Morales 1973-1984 733 1305 126 375 68 6 26 207 89 182 .287 .332 .408 0 4 1944-12-30 Frederiksted
Calvin Pickering 1998-2004 88 237 33 55 10 1 13 42 40 77 .232 .341 .447 1 0 1976-09-29 St. Thomas
Elmo Plaskett 1962-1963 17 35 3 7 0 0 1 5 1 8 .200 .222 .286 0 0 1938-06-27 Frederiksted
Uh, Promo...I may be mistaken, but isn't Brian Lara from T & T??? Haiti is French (formerly) and I wouldn't think they would have a cricket culture. I'm sorry, but I don't understand a bit of cricket, but I love the outfits and the pause for tea!!!
Lara who??? Come on now, how much can a guy like be making. You cannot respect a sport where there is no salary cap, signing bonuses and quite frankly isn't shown on ESPN. Oh, and ESPN Spanish or International doesn't count.
Now as to the tea thing. Of course you would like that.....you're a girl, 🙂
Promo, you are nuts, but I know that!
RL
This has been a most interesting thread, unfortunately it's showing signs of deteriorating. I've really been enlightened by the input here, particularly Orion, Bluwater, Islander and Ronnie. You folks lend a valuable perspective to things.
Uh Promo.....Sorry I'll miss the jump up. But I have to take issue with you on the soccer thing! I'll admit I don't know the first thing about cricket, and I'll admit that I didn't know the first thing about soccer until my daughter started playing Classic (trans. lots of money and lots of travel!) My financial investment in her chosen sport caused me to pay attention, and even then it took me two years to figure out what "offsides" was. (I was the dad screaming "but she is so open!!!") But team sports for young ladies are so rare, (yes boy's play too!) that soccer has become one sport that individuals can compete (one on one) within a team compitetion, and can be one of the greatest character building experiences that a child can participate in. You refer to a null/null match as being boring!?!. China v. USA women was one of the most exciting sporting events of all time. Watching a tournement match end 0-0 then go to double overtime, then penalty kicks where a girl (or boy) either makes her kick (as she is supposed to) or misses (and lets her whole team down is pretty heady stuff! Basketball you need courts, hoops, and a ball, football, equipment, a clearly marked field, an oblong ball. (don't get me wrong I love both) Soccer is the one universal sport where if you went to STJ or Suriname, or China and threw a round ball on a cleared area, kids would find it and know what to do. In fact Orion, my daughter will be playing in your area in a big tournament right after Christmas, and I hope we can meet. We stay at the Crowne Plaza on Sunrise Blvd. I'll be in touch. (We won the whole thing last year. 0-0 tie 4-3 in PKs)
Orion
It's interesting that you brought up Virgin Island caribbeaness and how Virgin Islanders are viewed by other member states in the Caribbean.
My experience has been that as you have mentioned that many other caribbean nationals do not see Virgin Islanders as being west indians simply because of the Virgin Islands status with the United States. Many of my Jamaican friends use to tell me that the Virgin Islands is just a small part of America in the caribbean see.
Is it fair for them to judge us soley on our political status or should Virgin Island be judge on the very culture that we share with them?
Truly it is not the Virgin Islands fault that Britain did not play a major role in the development of those islands in camparison to what the U.S has done for the Virgin Islands and continue to do.
I can remember from my days attending Florida International University in Miami and taken a class in caribbean relations. A question was pose to me by the Professor who was visiting from the University of the West Indies Trinidad.
He basically asked me coming from the US Virgin Islands did I feel any type of relationship towards the other caribbean nationals. My answer to him was yes, due to the fact that culturally we are basically the same. The only regret that I told him that I had at that time, was the fact that because of the US Virgin Islands status, we are not able to participate in such an organization as Caricom because our international affairs are handle in Washington D.C. His response to me was that the Virgin Island did not need to be part of Caricom because Caricom is an organization for developing countries that shares a common goal to enhance their economic being through cooperation. He stated that the Virgin Island being associated with the U.S. did not face many of the challenges that are occuring in the caribbean states that are part of Caricom. I truly do not think that Virgin Islanders are a people with a lost identity. Virgin Islanders should be proud of being part of one of the greatest Countries. Why do you think that so many caribbean nationals migrate to the U.S. If I dare to say, I think there is some underlining jealousy.
It is funny that many of the current Bristish colonies such as the Turks and Cacois, Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Bristish Virgin Islands, Anquilla etc, their nationals are not challenged or their caribbean identity is not questioned. With exeception to the British Virgin Islands who many just view as an extention of the US Virgin Islands just flying a different flag. Additionally, there are French and Dutch Overseas territories in the caribbean that know one even question why they are still part of these European countries but the Virgin Islands status is always questioned by other caribbean states. what is your take on this Orion?
Funny you should mention Sunrise Blvd, West. I was jus there about 20 minutes ago, I live about 5 miles north of that street. If I don't go to Jamaica or back home for Christmas, I should be here.
Question for RON
As I have mentioned before, My grandmother on my mother side of the family is an "Islo" Looool from Nevis who came to St.Croix in 1903 at three months old. This is even before the U.S. purchase the Virgin Islands.
Her husband my grandfather is a Thomian and so are both of his parents.
My grandparents on my father side of the family are both thomians and their parents were also thomian.
I am actually about fourth generation being born on the Rock.
Question is, does the technicality of my grandmother on my mother side of the family being an "Islo" looool disqualify me from being a native virgin islander?
Rhea
Not according to the way I understand the senator was tryng to state it. It really was ridiculous. I think he was trying to weed out the recent arrivals from the 60s and 70s, not the early 1900s!
RL
I agree...more. Everytime I visit STJ, I get books about the Virgin Islands and their history. I want to move down there permanently someday, and do not want to be ignorant about the history, customs and traditions of the island, out of respect to the native Virgin Islanders. Plus, I love the islands and want to know as much about it as possible. I think you should write a book Orion!!! I just spent my lunch hour reading and re-reading this post...now I am hungry :).
Orion... Thank you for taking the time to give such an wonderful lesson and insight to the island's heritage. We just returned from ten days on STJ - we first visited the USVI in the mid '90's and it has been our passion ever since... we have settled on STJ being "THE" place for us and what we seek in a retreat. Our dream would be to liquidate and settle quietly in your paradise... but due to situations out of our control we have to content ourselves with trips whenever we gather up enough funds to get down there.
Sorry to ramble...
What and informative post! I visited St Thomas in 2003, and will return in August. This explains a lot of what I observed during my first visit.
