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My family is from the West Indies, so that is what I would have said. I identify very strongly with my Caribbean roots- it's shaped who I am.
I think that Caribbean Americans have such a different experience. In Jamaica blacks are the majority by far. So when you see someone who is rich, they're black. When you see someone poor, they're black. In politics? (Probably) black. My folks fought for freedom in the hills of Jamaica in the 1600's and sent those Brits packing (not what happened on the island as a whole, but my family is Maroon- this is a history lesson in and of itself that I wont get into here, lol). Regardless of how we got there it is OUR country.
Am I sad that I dont know what part of Africa we sailed from originally? Not really. Because I feel like I have a place. I dont know if other West Indians feel like me, but that is my experience. I just wanted to share, since everyone is talking about how they see it.
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It may be said with rough accuracy that there are three stages in the life of a strong people. First, it is a small power, and fights small powers. Then it is a great power, and fights great powers. Then it is a great power, and fights small powers, but pretends that they are great powers, in order to rekindle the ashes of its ancient emotion and vanity.-- G.K. Chesterton
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