Introduction

This group consists of : Anjanie RamnathRadha SeerajSangita ThackoorSavitree Baldeo

And we will be presenting on HYBRIDIZATION

HYBRIDIZATION

Hybridization refers to the processes of cultural and ethnic mixing to produce a new or ‘creole’ form. The term “hybridization” is borrowed from biology and refers to one species being cross- fertilized with another to produce a new species. It is used in Caribbean life to describe many levels of meeting and mixing and creating something new, especially fusion between different races to produce hybrid peoples and cultures.

HOW HYBRIDIZATION BEGAN

Hybridization began with the era of discovery when Europeans and Americans copulated which resulted in the creation of the Mestizo. This later became entrenched in plantation society with the European and African influence producing the Mulatto. It became a norm to describe someone using their colour as a major description. Through hybridization members of society can gain social mobility based on factors such as inherited wealth, lighter shade complexion, ownership of property and membership in social clubs, eg. the yacht club.

PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH HYBRIDIZATION

Hybridization can lead to the creation of new cultures, when two or more cultures come into contact with each other.Hybridization may also lead to two or more cultures trying to claim cultural, economic or political spaceSome races may assume a sense of superiority over races, based on the old plantation system and social stratification.

RACIAL ADMIXTURE

It is used in the caribbean life to describe many levels of

meeting and mixing and creating something new of a

special fusion between different races to produce hybrid people

and culture.

COLOUR IN THE FORMATION OF CARIBBEAN SOCIETY

AND CULTURESkin colour played and still plays a role in the

development of society and culture in the Caribbean. A lighter skin colour was a mark of superiority . Amerindian, African and to a

lesser extent Indian woman, were forced to cohabit with and have children for the

European conquistadors, slave masters and overseers. This went on for centuries so that a

mixed or coloured ‘race’ of people grew up. Sexual unions between persons of different

races, resulting in children of mixed races, is called MISCEGENATION.

According to the racial ideologies prevailing, these lighter-skinned children were somehow ‘better’ than their maternal ancestors, they were dealt with more leniently and some were educated, all because they had biological and physical traits publicizing their

European connection. Persons of fairer complexion wielded more prestige and power in society than

others, thus skin colour and to a lesser extent hair texture and facial features loom large discussions of society and culture and identity in the Caribbean. A

black man who was educated and had good propects would look for a light-skinned wife, even one of a

low socio-economic status, as their children would move in higher social circles than he had when

growing up. Today fewer people show preference to lighter skinned persons because the population now

has a more balanced understanding of how skin colour has been socially constructed.

MULATTO

Mulatto denotes a person with one white parent and one black parent, or a person of mixed black and white ancestry.

In the terminology of British historians , enslaved Africans and their white European overlords produced the ethnic group called the mulattoes. A child of a mulatto and a black person was called a sambo; a child of a mulatto and a white person was called a quadroon and a child of a quadroon and a white was called an octaroon.Continued unions of Africans coloured and whites over serveal hundreds of years produced the continuum of colour apparent amongst coloured and African ethnic groups today in the Caribbean.

MESTIZO

Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent. The term originated as a racial category in the Caste system that was in use during the Spanish empire’s control of their American colonies.

A mestizo woman

Europeans first entered the Amerindians in the fifteenth century, and in that violent impact between the powerful and the powerless the mixed race of mestizos was born. Among Hispanic scholars in the Caribbean the term ‘mestizo’ has been used to label all people of mixed race in the Caribbean, eg. Euro-Amerindian mestizo, Afro-Amerindian mestizo, Afro-European mestizo and so on.

DOUGLADougla is a word used by people of the West

Indies, especially in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. It is used to describe people who are a

product of Afro-Trinidadian and Indo-Trinidadian descent.

DOUGLA CRISIS

One calypsonian, the Mighty Dougla (Clatis Ali), described the predicament of "douglas" in the 1960s:

"If they sending Indians to IndiaAnd Africans back to AfricaWell somebody please just tell meWhere they sending poor me?I am neither one nor the otherSix of one, half a dozen of the otherSo if they sending all these people back home for trueThey got to split me in two,"

“Split Me In Two” Let us suppose they pass a law

They don't want people living here anymoreEverybody got to find they countryAccording to your race originallyWhat a confusion I would cause in de placeThey might have to shoot me in spaceBecause they sending Indians to IndiaAnd the Negroes back to AfricaCan somebody please just tell meWhere they sending poor meI am neither one nor the otherSix of one, half a dozen of the otherIf they serious about sending back people for trueThey got to split me in twoFrom the time ah small ah in confusionAh couldn't play with no other lil childrenIf ah go by the Negro children to playThey say 'You little coolie now run away'Ah go by the Indian children next doorThey say 'Nowayrian, what you come here for'

Ah always by meself like ah lil monkeyNot one single child wouldn't play with meHear what happen to me recentlyAh going down Jogie Road walking peacefullySome Indians and Negroes riotingPoor me didn't know not a single thingBut as ah enter in de Odit TraceAh Indian man cuff me straight in meh faceAh run by the Negroes to get rescue'Look ah coolie!' and them start beating me tooSome fellas having a race discussionI jump in to give my opinionA young fella watch me in meh faceHe say, yuh shut your mouth yuh ain't got no raceWhat he say to me was a real insultBut is not right to blame, is meh fadder faultWhen you see half a race talking to (?)Instead of having one race yuh know I got two

TRANSCULTURATIONTransculturation describes the process whereby a

culture changes drastically, actually overcoming itself and translating into something new.

The experience of slavery to newly arrived Africans and creole Africans in the Caribbean could be

described as a process of transculturation. The Africans was able to retain elements of language and

religion that were fashioned into complete fully functioning hybrid culture. ‘Transculturation” is thus

a broad all-encompassing term referring to whole cultures, and in the case of slavery involves the

experience , for newly arrived Africans, of moving from being steeped in African culture to hybrid

culture.

INTERCULTURATIONInterculturation refers to the mixing of cultures that goes on

between groups who share a space. The groups do not necessarily give up their own culture but participate in various

ways in each other’s lives. Trinidad and Tobago is described as a culturally plural society

where the major ethnic groups, namely Africans and Indians meet but they do not mix. They meet in their workplaces ,

schools, churches and when pursuing leisure. They form friendships and tend to appreciate certain areas of each

other’s culture. E.g. festivals and celebrations of each group are appreciated mainly for they culinary aspects an the

accompanying holidays.

CREOLE A creole language, or simply creole, is a stable, natural

language developed from mixing of parent languages.

‘CREOLE’ comes from ‘criollo’ which in the sixteenth century was used by the Spanish to designate their children born in the West Indies. For the French who quickly transformed it

into ‘créolé, the term synonymous with any white person born in the colonies. In a more general sense, the term describes a person born locally of immigrant parents.

In Trinidad and Tobago the term Creole is used to describe persons of African descent but following the traditional meaning of the term: “Something born or created in the Caribbean” we all can be considered a

creole!

CULTURAL ERASURE Cultural erasure refers to practices that have died out or are dying out.Cultural erasure can also mean the

removal of the old way of life. Erasure occurs because traditional

ways do not conform to modern lifestyle and traditional cultural values are not

being taught to the younger generation so when the older generation dies so

does the practices and traditions.

CULTURAL RETENTION Cultural retention refers to

practices that have survived even when most other forms and symbols of a culture are no longer evident.

In an effort to keep traditional practices alive there has been much

cultural retention by persons who wish to keep their sense of identity.

CULTURAL RENEWALCultural renewal occurs when a group goes through a conscious rejuvenation

process and returns to some elements of its culture, which it believes have been

ignored or suppressed.This stems from the feeling that there is much value to be learned from some of the practices we have ignored and or

allowed to be almost wiped out. People are making more effort to preserve cultural

heritage while others are becoming more aware of their cultural legacy.

CONCLUSIONHybridization is a process that occurs in

Creole societies where different groups have met and forged relationships under

conditions of oppression. Forced to live under conditions that suppressed their culture or

their freedom to interact, they developed ways of coping and integrating that produced

distinctly new cultural forms. Terms such as cultural erasure, cultural retention, cultural

renewal, transculturation and interculturation have been used to describe elements of Caribbean society and culture.

Caribbean People Is D Best! Apppreciate Where Yuh Cum from!It Have Nobody Funny Like We!

Only A Jamaican...           There were three men from the Caribbean living together

in London;  a Trinidadian, a Barbadian and a Jamaican who were all starving because they didn't have money to buy food.  However, upon coming close to a posh restaurant they came up with a plan. 

          The Trinidadian went in first. After being seated he ordered a three course meal with white wine. When he had finished the meal the waiter came by with the cheque. 

          "But I paid you!" the Trinidadian shouted.            The waiter was very confused as he could not remember

being paid, but as he did not want to cause any trouble...he let the Trini leave. 

Five minutes later the Barbadian walked into the restaurant and ordered a five course meal with red wine.  When he was finished eating, the waiter came by to collect the money for food. 

          "But I paid you!" The Barbadian shouted.            This time the manager came and had to calm down the Bajan,

and as he did not want anything to upset the other customers he let the Bajan go. 

          Ten minutes later the Jamaican walked in, sat down, lit a cigarette, and ordered the most expensive meal on the menu plus two Red Stripe beers.  After he had finished, the waiter came to collect the money for the meal and before asking for it, the waiter said, "Sir... I have been having a sort of problem all day and I can't understand it. Other people like you came in earlier and ate and they said that they paid me but I don't remember getting any money from them, so........ 

          Before he could finish, the Jamaican chimed in loudly "Hear mi nuh boss, that ah fi yu problem...jus gimme mi change!" 

         

Hope You Enjoyed Our Presentation!