My 4 year old daughter asked me to put this collage Jamaican flag on her room door. The flag was made by my oldest daughter. I kindly obliged with a glee in my eye…:mrgreen:. My 4 year says “S he was born in America, but came to the US from Jamaica”. My children knew the Jamaican National anthem before they knew the American one (Still not sure if they really know the US anthem). Every time a I go to Jamaica without them they are disappointed. I read Anancy stories to them. I read Dr Seuss in patois to them. Most of the food we eat (94%) is Jamaican. My oldest daughter says it is “cool” to be Jamaican at her school. Yes, I keep them emerged in the Jamaican culture. It is not hard when you live in South Florida with a large Jamaican community and you run Jamaicans.com.
What struck me recently is a comment by someone on me keeping my children “too” grounded in the Jamaica culture. It was not a compliment but more of a statement to say I may be saturating them too much in the Jamaican culture. I am proud of what I do, so it did not affect me. However I brought me back to a time years ago when I started this site. I would constantly get emails from individuals who had Jamaican heritage through a parent (s) or grand parent. They would ask me to legitimize them being Jamaican. They would tell me about what they eat, drink and their habits. They would take offense when other Jamaicans said they were not a “Yardie”. I now understand more than ever how these individuals feel. No one can tell my children they are not Jamaican. They where their heritage like a badge of honor.
