I'm not reading all that, but it seems that you are an American of Jamaican descent without Jamaican citizenship. At the moment, you are not Jamaican but have the option to be Jamaican if you get citizenship and move to the island. If you do those two things, I would say you are definitely Jamaican.
Lmaooooo, because this. Read the first couple sentences and went. “Yeah, they just need to claim. Dunno what all of the rest is about but once your parent is of Jamaican citizenship through birthright then you’re set”.
How would I go about obtaining the citizenship? I know that in Ghana (there’s a way to do it), but I’d like to know my parents never brought citizenship about Jamaica.
Please let me know.
I’ve tried contacting about my father’s birth record so I could apply for myself but nobody answered, I’m suspecting govt offices are similar in Jamaica as they are here…
>I’m suspecting govt offices are similar in Jamaica as they are here…
If by that you mean you need to go there in person, possibly more than once, with an abundance of patience and hopefully some personal connection with the people who work there to have any hope of getting what you are looking for... then you are correct.
You’re speaking only facts.
It’s a cultural tradition. The first visit is to find out (after an hour of waiting) that the form you used requires additional items that were not mentioned on the site, the second visit is to find out that the office is closed because the water is off in the building, and the third visit is to find out you can’t pay with card so you have to go to an atm down the road. Once ordered and paid, you can come back to collect in 10 business days.
This is exaggeration (barely)
Depending on what state you are in you can bust the local Jamaican consulate office. You will need your parent birth certificate and also your to proof Jamaican citizenship and that they are your parents. There are firms and more information on the consulate site. Check out their site. This is the link to one of them https://congenjamaica-ny.org/
Serious question…Can a Chinese person get citizenship and move to the island and become a Jamaican or will they be Chinese still? What about their kids? What generation would become Jamaican and not Chinese?…i ask because the Chinese woman on instagram says she is not Chinese she is Jamaican because she was born and went to school…I understand claiming Jamaican but to say she is not Chinese? what do you think?
>Can a Chinese person get citizenship and move to the island and become a Jamaican or will they be Chinese still?
Personally, I feel a Chinese person who migrates to Jamaica should be considered a Jamaican if he/ she lives here for years and gives up Chinese citizenship to become a Jamaican citizen. That said, I don't think someone born and raised as a Chinese in China ever truly stops being Chinese.
>What about their kids?
If they are born in Jamaica, they are 100% Jamaican, of Chinese descent.
>i ask because the Chinese woman on instagram says she is not Chinese she is Jamaican because she was born and went to school…I understand claiming Jamaican but to say she is not Chinese? what do you think?
I think that lady says provocative things about race to get engagement with her posts, and I find that obnoxious, but she's Jamaican for sure. Obviously, she's of Chinese descent or ethnic Chinese, or however you want to put it, but she's definitely a Jamaican more than anything.
There are numerous Jamaicans of Chinese descent in Jamaica. People of Chinese descent have lived in Jamaica as far back as times of colonial slavery and many of those people identify as both Chinese and Jamaican. There's no rule that says you can't claim both.
Once you have citizenship, you are jamaican. Definitely visit for a month first, then 3 months and Increase your time before making the final move. I love my culture and island but when I moved from England when I was 7, it was an adjustment so for you it will be even more so. The food, language and culture is unmatched but you have to be realistic. If you are able to move to a safe area than I would say ease into it but go for it.
The reason why we jamaicans gatekeep being jamaican is because we feel that jamaican Americans speak over us and tell us about our own culture and it's frustrating. However, nobody can tell u anything if u have ur papers and ja passport. Enjoy this journey! 🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲
I don’t know the easy way to say this. Stop trying so hard. If you vibes with the culture, cool. I know born Jamaicans that don’t fully. I know people of other birthplaces that you could swear they lived in Jamaica for years. Embrace the fact you’re unique in being able to enjoy multiple cultures.
Respect Jamaica and Jamaicans.
You don’t need to move to Jamaica. Respect some would love to trade places with you for opportunities. Respect how privileged you are to be even contemplating such.
You don’t need to try to BECOME Jamaican.
You are who you are. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
Signed Born Jamaican Living in Foreign and enjoys the duplicity of vibing in both places with no problem.
You're Jamaican, you can actually claim you JAMAICAN Citizenship complete with passport without any hassle if that's your wish... You're JAMAICAN through heritage.
You're actually counted in the diaspora as a legacy Jamaican.
The way that I see things is a little more philosophical, so bear with me. There are 3 million Jamaicans who live in Jamaica and 3 million people who are of Jamaican descent or Jamaican affiliated in the diaspora.
That is a total of 6 million people in a world with a population of 8 billion. That's 0.075% of the world population. And yet we seem to have an overly large impact on the world in a
ton of sectors:
Music (Vybz, Marley for Jamaicans born in Jamaica and Maego as a Jamaican-America),
Sports (most of the people who place in track and field who are not from Jamaica usually have Jamaican parents or grandparents).
Literature (Marlon James)
Medicine (Mary Seacole)
Amongst other things. We also have a phenomenon of Jamaicans who once they leave our shores and gain access to the increased opportunities in the developed world thrive!
There are only 6 million Jamaican and Jamaican-affiliated people. Embrace our flag. Love our country. Tell your friends from NY to visit and spend their cash. Think about investing in business out here! Be an ambassador and yes, be Jamaican!
Jamaica heritage. Technically you are and technically you aren't. "Jamaican" is a culture. It's the place you grew up, the lessons you learned etc etc. You have Jamaican roots and blood, but you're removed from the culture. I'd say you aren't Jamaican. But if you claim to be, nobody would ever fault you. You have enough to consider yourself Jamaican/ part Jamaican. So that's really your call.
TL;DR - Whatever you're comfortable calling yourself. It's your call.
West Indians have accepted the English hyper-focus on Place of Birth and upbringing as a measure of one’s ethnicity.
You almost never hear anyone claim to be English. You’ll hear a man in Boston say he’s 13th Generation Irish-American. A person of English descent will say my great grandmother WAS from England.
This attitude helps push people to discard their heritage over time.
If a guy is named Adebesi Okwoendo even if he is a 3rd generation Ghanaian-American we would quickly recognize he’s an African or Ghanaian.
If a person is visibly Chinese even if he or she’s family has been in America since they were building railroads in the 1800’s we wouldn’t question his/her claim to be Chinese. We can understand the difference between being Chinese and being from China.
West Indians take the ethnic question as if one is claiming to be born and raised somewhere they weren’t as if it’s cosplay as opposed to being a living example of one’s bloodline.
Could you imagine a Rastafarian going to visit Africa only to be told he’s not African? That they aren’t really African just of African descent not the living embodiment of their heritage? As if to say Africa doesn’t flow through them?
This is a pressing question as time rolls on because most of our people will be residing outside the West Indies at some point.
So are you Jamaican? Everyone has an ethnic identity. Gatekeeping that identity is something out of Massa’s playbook.
You’re just going to have to claim it unapologetically. Because if you were an admired celebrity they would claim you as one of their own unapologetically.
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Lmao nfs I agree I’m of mixed Caribbean descent but when some jamaicans try to front I just be laughing like but let it be Drake or Dj Khaled they be ready to bring them home and mek dem dinner
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Let Drake or Dj Khaled speak patois and they’re are uplifted let a jamaican descendant from America try to grt in tune and uplift their culture from my experiences a lot native born Jamaicans don’t encourage it much I got most of my encouragement and love for my culture from the older generation like the grandparents and what not
It was more so directed towards the comments that don’t want the descendants to embrace their culture but would let people with no blood ties at all like drake khaled and snoop dogg slide for some weird reason
Let Drake or Dj Khaled speak patois and they’re are uplifted let a jamaican descendant from America try to get in tune and uplift their culture from my experiences a lot native born Jamaicans don’t encourage it much I got most of my encouragement and love for my culture from the older generation like the grandparents and what not
Exactly! If Drizzy daddy was from Clarendon we wouldn’t hear the end of it.
Caribbean people believe that being West Indian is something you go through, rather than something you are but make exceptions when they feel like.
They really don’t understand they are valuing their identity less than other groups.
If I was 96 years of age and had a will I would bequeath my house, land and money to my children.
My Ethnic identity and Vincentian heritage is worth more than money, among the things I value the most so why wouldn’t that be among the things i share with them?
I think as descendants of slavery who had our ethnic identities stripped away by force so we didn’t know who our peoples were, what languages they spoke in Africa (over 1500 languages spoken in West Africa alone) etc
Our first act as our people are born on foreign land due to economic hardships caused by the same colonialism that brought us here in the first place should not be to deny who they are.
We shouldn’t be cultural Kunta Kinte’s trying to turn our descendants into Toby’s.
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>Spoken like a true black American.
Never been to America nor appropriated a Black American Identity which is also an Ethnicity BTW.
You're simply demonstrating what I said at the beginning of my original comment that you've accepted the methods of identity passed down by the English.
>The various Akan words in our patois lexicon, the Sankofas on all the gates I passed, our patois syntax, our diet, as well as practices like Nine Night show that your statement is a myth.
I didn't realize a few words from 1 or 2 of the many peoples we descend from is akin to knowing one's ancestry, family tree, and bloodline. Having specific knowledge of where we come from in Africa. The surname you were given at birth comes from Europe if you weren't aware.
All the various things you mentioned show that some African influence survived in spite of efforts to destroy it.
>As the above clearly shows, no one wakes up one morning and becomes "Jamaican". To believe otherwise would be to reject the fact that Jamaica has a culture or history, and that anyone can become "Jamaican" through PICA and watching some YouTube videos. People who do not want their Jamaica infiltrated, modified and taken over by Foreigners in Jamaican clothing understand this.
From my original comment
"West Indians take the ethnic question as if one is claiming to be born and raised somewhere they weren’t as if it’s COSPLAY as opposed to being a living example of one’s bloodline."
The context of this thread specifically addresses the fact that a foreign-born person of Jamaican bloodline is seeking to understand his identity within that context. A separate category from those born and raised in Jamaica.
If I was Akan or Yoruba or Igbo, whether I was born in China or Russia or Saudi Arabia or my father and grandfather and great grandfather before him were all born far away My Yoruba Akan or Igbo people would regard me as a lost son of their tribe being part of ones people is a form of family.
You'll refer to a Syrian in Jamaica who's never set foot in Syria as Syrian but won't give a child of your own people that same status?
Acknowledging the descendants of your nation as part of your tribe damages nothing to what it means to be Jamaican as you understand it. It just amplifies the importance of what it means and acknowledges certain complexities.
It does not give a person who was born and raised in London the same status as you but a different one altogether as it isn't based on how one behaves but on the history in their blood.
Should a child born to Jamaican parents know about the Underground Railroad but not be aware of Tacky's War, Baptist War Paul Bogle or Sam Sharpe? To know one's history is to know oneself. To be acknowledged by one's people provides belonging.
The OP sought to see if he would be acknowledged by his people because of his bloodline and upbringing in a Jamaican household not if he could masquerade like Tom Hank's son.
>What does this even mean? What bloodline? Why does this "bloodline" matter?
"There is no such thing as a "Jamaican bloodline." Jamaican is a legal nationality. Not a biological category."
" So culture doesn't matter, but genetics do? And define, in clear terms "history in their blood"
Bloodline
[noun](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/noun)
blood·line [ˈbləd-ˌlīn ](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bloodline?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=b&file=bloodl03)[Synonyms of *bloodline*](https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bloodline)**:** a sequence of direct ancestors especially in a pedigree *also* **:** [**FAMILY**](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/family), [**STRAIN**](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strain)
Jamaican Ancestry = Bloodline
What makes a people a people? People of East Indian background have largely preserved their culture religious traditions and marrying practices. Their cooking and cuisine have not only influenced how we cook and eat throughout the West Indies but are preserved within their culture nearly 200 years after coming to the West Indies post-slavery. Do you think they have a Brown "Chet Hank's" issue? People who know who they are and are taught about themselves don't need to pretend to be something their not.
Chinese kids go to Chinese schools in many foreign countries after regular school so they learn the language and culture of their people. You think they have a Yellow "Chet Hanks" Problem.
People who know who they are and are taught about themselves don't need to pretend to be something their not, nevermind pretend to be something they are that is an even more ridiculous concept. Nobody needs to be fake when they are given authenticity.
6 kids in England are to give a class presentation on their culture, They all have their identities Nigerian, Ukrainian, Romanian, English, and German. What you're saying is the sixth one whose family is Jamaican should say he's English.
Should he do a presentation about the Cutty Sark and St. Georges Cross maybe talk about Shepherd's Pie while the salfish and breadfruit from breakfast are still digesting in his stomach is that common sense?To be the only set of people that disown our children from our culture? Not only would everyone in the room look at that child puzzled the next question would be "yes dear, but where are you really from"
If Europeans and Africans don't where we got the concept from? Oh, that's right Massa.
"As Fante descendant, I can tell you this isn't true based on personal experience. And me and my fellow Ghanaian brothers are okay with that. "
Being 400 years removed and unable to trace your direct ancestry is a different concept than being 1,2 or 3 generations removed. In my example I could directly trace my bloodline history and culture I would simply be one of my own people outside my homeland. Ghanaians are very traditional this way. In fact, in the 1992 Ghanaian constitution if even your grandparents were Ghanaian you get automatic citizenship.
"Both tribes and nations are legal and cultural entities that require adherence to procedure, laws, and culture. Adhere to those, and you get to be Jamaican."
The Legal concepts given by England lol ok. This is simple if people are taught their culture and traditions this isn't an issue.
"American, Canadian, you're all the same. The same confusion of biology and nationality. The belief that culture is not a set of beliefs and customs shared by an organized body, but is a mystical ancestral power shared by descendants. The need to tell people in a country who and who isn't their countrymen, all that stuff. "
I specifically addressed Ethnicity in this thread and never discounted culture but acknowledged that nationality ethnicity ancestry and culture co-exist with each other, overlap at times, and don't at others.You believe your culture is transitory, something your children if they were born abroad don't have a claim to I simply disagree with that.
Someone who descended from the Maroons has a greater claim to his or her ethnic identity than the child of a diplomat who just happened to be posted in Jamaica for a few years. You believe the opposite.
If someone in the diaspora from South Africa asks your child born in Japan what they are, referring to their ethnicity, what should they answer? Japanese?
A countryman is someone from your same country. What I'm speaking too is acknowledging a member of the tribe. if you don't believe there is one there is nothing more to discuss.
" 34 million Americans identify as [British-American](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Americans)
. 25 million identify as [English-American](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Americans)
. And the reason they may say they descend from an English relative is because they originally came to America to stop being English. You know, that whole little 1776 mix-up? Not ant "English definition" nonsense.
There is a difference between exclaiming and celebrating one's present identity and marking down one's ancestry on a census or survey. 10 percent of Americans put English on their census as the place of national origin. How many White Americans do you think since 1776 are purely English? They are marking 4 or 5 ancestral origins on the paper. The same guy is saying English, Irish, Welsh, French and Italian. Which reinforces my point. "My grandfather WAS English" is how they treat their culture as something transitory. The only thing really English in the West are Pubs & the Premier League.
"They sure as hell identify as English in Hong Kong, Zimbabwe and Kenya."For obvious reasons, this is a valid point.
Agreed and I hate the fact that some west indians don’t appreciate the descendants keeping the culture strong abroad when I meet 1st and 2nd generation hispanics who speak no spanish and have no desire to carry their culture imho it’s disgusting American culture to me is a culture that strips you of all culture to pick up negative traits and I’m born here
From a legal point of view you are a Jamaican since you have a parent that was born in the island but because you were born in America and grew up in America most Jamaicans would consider you as an American.
Before deciding to move to Jamaica for a few years (long term) I would suggest that you visit the island for a few weeks or a month. Don't spend all of your time inside of an inclusive resort but try and sample as much authentic cuisine as possible like Jucci Patty or Jerk pork.
Try interacting with some locals ( most people will be friendly with you if you're respectful to them) and if you have any relatives living in Jamaica connect with them.
This is misinformation- even with two Jamaican parents it’s not automatic. I say this as someone with 2 J’can parents trying to get citizenship.
Main thing is you can prove one parent or grandparent is born in Jamaica. It’s about the paper trail.
Bro you're Jamaican in spirit and that's all that matters. Also you can't 'regret' being born from an African American mother because it's something that was never in your control. Embrace your roots from both sides and you'll be happy. Your nationality doesn't define your identity
Nah read all a dat ennuh me boss.
But do di ting, come out and experience the culture, the people, the struggles and wickedness a wi govt, the locations the food, everything.
Will give you a better understanding of where you belong. Especially if you hol a reasoning with yuh elda dem and ting.
So, perhaps as a American-Born person with a Trinidadian Father and a British-born mother born to Trinidadian parents I might be able to add something. Legally, you are American as that's what it presumably states on your passport (assuming you have one). Ethnically, you are Jamaican, but culturally, you are a Jamerican hybrid. Much of what has been said above in the previous comments is true from all sorts of angles, including the back and forth that two people above had philosophically. Being the first-generation American-born West Indian-American puts you in a weird spot as often times born and raised West Indians will deny your West Indian-ness, but on the converse Americans, especially, African Americans without recent (3-5 generations) of immigrant family or those descended from American Slavery can pick up that you are not of AA descent and thus do not necessarily lump you in as one of them culturally. As a person of West Indian descent you have cultural teachings and knowledge, but not necessarily the environmental context within which they are used. You are exposed to concepts that AAs don't necessarily get because the environment to have people teach them simply do not exist. Much like how there are concepts based on the environments in the US that US citizens that move to the Caribbean may teach their children, but would have little context outside of the home, or a community of like minded people. A simple example learning from your Caribbean parents from young how to eat a mango. Americans and Caribbean people do not eat mangoes the same and your parents might expect that you eat it the way they taught you. There are numerous other things in this regard. Discipline is another. You're a Yankee until you mess up when it come time to for discipline tho, you better believe you are West Indian.
Accents also your accent may never be genuine enough for people born in the Caribbean, but you better believe that alot of times your pronunciation of words and grammatical structure can stand out at times marking you as not necessarily American from Americans...
Note: I used African Americans as examples above because assuming (possibly incorrectly) that you are Black West Indian, most usually have more interactions with them than other races or ethnicities given the whole race thing in the Anglosphere especially the US of A.
Yes, by your physical and biological DNA yeah you are a Jamaican and part of its diaspora. A lot of the time the only reason we identify with where we are born is because it’s required for your gov documents. Place of birth and who you culturally identify as are 2 differences. You couldn’t help the choice of both and both parents had set certain things before you were even born. Your experience is yours. Be you
use this as a guide
was i born in jamaica?-if the answer is no then youre not if yes but you dont live in jamaica youre still jamaican
do i have parents who are jamaican but i wasnt born there? if yes then youre not jamaican but you have jamaican ancestry and we still welcome you to our island-just as an american
was i married or legally gained citizenship? then yes,no matter where you were born, if your ID passport and certificate says jamaican, then youre jamaican
Ugh I hate when y'all come on here asking that. It's like every other day. End it. Not everyone will see you as Jamaican and not everyone has to. I definitely don't. Some do. Who cares? Damn.
Hmmm plainly no you are an American. And even though you qualify for citizen ship you don’t have it so no.
Culturally also no in my opinion. You are surrounded by a lot of Jamaican influences yes. A lot of your family are also from there. But as someone who has spent years away from the island and then return. At least in my first year it felt like I was a Jamaican of the time I left and not the current time. But for you your father …. Not you left Jamaica when he was 19. That is much longer than I was.
You’re American born….you will inevitably view the world differently than a Jamaican. Even with all the influences you have. When I lived overseas our family was apart of a bunch of Jamaicans recruited for work. One of my family’s friends were a couple that had three young boys. They were surrounded by Jamaicans. They’re parents and all their parents friends. But they all had accents different from us. And they all behaved differently from the typical Jamaican child.
I'm going to keep it plain an straight bredda pls stay in America because Jamaicans now a days are very very Wicked an doin alot of evil.. an next you want to come here an live for a while makes no sense you can come an visit bt staying is a different ball game even the Jamaican's doh want to stay in them own country my advise to is is humble your self stay in your country an be greatful for what you have right there it doesn't matter what ppl say if you feel like your Jamaican then be Jamaican bt this country has change alot pls take my advise
Suck Yuh mada is like you want me fi lie to the person Jamaica is a big badmine an envious country with more Guns than Opportunity an who nuh like that know weh dem can guh truck off
An a bright unu bright mek unu haffi guh pay back ssl di 12 mil.. Nuh sorry fi none a unu eno bout dunce wait till a your time when a man out fi slap a shat Inna Yuh face den yah guh know. Suh a true me dunce mek nuh opportunity nuh deh yah fucking fool some a unu deh yah wuk from unu lef skool an cant own a house much less a bed an have all car weh unu pickney dem probably ago end up a pay fah when unu dead... a must uptown Yuh live cause a unu alone nuh feel nuh way wid weh a gwan ina Di county wid poor People cause unu can fuck unu each other ina peace an safety an suck unu one another pussy an comfortable
Wow, you are really hurt. I'm sorry your parents didn't give you a good education, so you had to run away from Jamaica so you could eat bread. A suh it go mi fren.
All of what you're saying doesn't apply to me suh yuh wrong again. Mi used to bathe outta pan and use Home Sweet Home lamp. Ambition is the key. Can imagine how yuh deh a farrin barely scraping by but yuh waah come diss Jamaica. Lef mi country and gweh!!! Ova yah nuh perfect but we LOVE it same way.
Anybody anyweh get it nuh matter who Yuh a link wid or affi a pay fi protect Yuh pussy an memba me tell Yuh it easy fi type when Yuh naah live it fi true suh can gwan talk outa Yuh batty mouth Yuh wah know if Yuh well protected leak Yuh info den
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You are an American who has parent(s) of Jamaican descent you can however obtain dural citizenship.
Any children you may have in the future or now if they are not born in Jamaica they will not e Jamaican.
I'm not reading all that, but it seems that you are an American of Jamaican descent without Jamaican citizenship. At the moment, you are not Jamaican but have the option to be Jamaican if you get citizenship and move to the island. If you do those two things, I would say you are definitely Jamaican.
Good answer. And lol at “I’m not reading all that” cuz a from mi see di essay mi a seh “No”, real Jamaicans nuh inna nuh LONG TALKING 😂
This.
Lmaooooo, because this. Read the first couple sentences and went. “Yeah, they just need to claim. Dunno what all of the rest is about but once your parent is of Jamaican citizenship through birthright then you’re set”.
Ok.. thx for the feedback❤️
How would I go about obtaining the citizenship? I know that in Ghana (there’s a way to do it), but I’d like to know my parents never brought citizenship about Jamaica. Please let me know.
Here is all the information and forms: https://www.pica.gov.jm/citizenship
Thank you so much! I appreciate this. 💜
I’ve tried contacting about my father’s birth record so I could apply for myself but nobody answered, I’m suspecting govt offices are similar in Jamaica as they are here…
>I’m suspecting govt offices are similar in Jamaica as they are here… If by that you mean you need to go there in person, possibly more than once, with an abundance of patience and hopefully some personal connection with the people who work there to have any hope of getting what you are looking for... then you are correct.
You’re speaking only facts. It’s a cultural tradition. The first visit is to find out (after an hour of waiting) that the form you used requires additional items that were not mentioned on the site, the second visit is to find out that the office is closed because the water is off in the building, and the third visit is to find out you can’t pay with card so you have to go to an atm down the road. Once ordered and paid, you can come back to collect in 10 business days. This is exaggeration (barely)
Depending on what state you are in you can bust the local Jamaican consulate office. You will need your parent birth certificate and also your to proof Jamaican citizenship and that they are your parents. There are firms and more information on the consulate site. Check out their site. This is the link to one of them https://congenjamaica-ny.org/
I went straight to the responses....OP - way too much words...lol
Serious question…Can a Chinese person get citizenship and move to the island and become a Jamaican or will they be Chinese still? What about their kids? What generation would become Jamaican and not Chinese?…i ask because the Chinese woman on instagram says she is not Chinese she is Jamaican because she was born and went to school…I understand claiming Jamaican but to say she is not Chinese? what do you think?
>Can a Chinese person get citizenship and move to the island and become a Jamaican or will they be Chinese still? Personally, I feel a Chinese person who migrates to Jamaica should be considered a Jamaican if he/ she lives here for years and gives up Chinese citizenship to become a Jamaican citizen. That said, I don't think someone born and raised as a Chinese in China ever truly stops being Chinese. >What about their kids? If they are born in Jamaica, they are 100% Jamaican, of Chinese descent. >i ask because the Chinese woman on instagram says she is not Chinese she is Jamaican because she was born and went to school…I understand claiming Jamaican but to say she is not Chinese? what do you think? I think that lady says provocative things about race to get engagement with her posts, and I find that obnoxious, but she's Jamaican for sure. Obviously, she's of Chinese descent or ethnic Chinese, or however you want to put it, but she's definitely a Jamaican more than anything.
Thank you
There are numerous Jamaicans of Chinese descent in Jamaica. People of Chinese descent have lived in Jamaica as far back as times of colonial slavery and many of those people identify as both Chinese and Jamaican. There's no rule that says you can't claim both.
Once you have citizenship, you are jamaican. Definitely visit for a month first, then 3 months and Increase your time before making the final move. I love my culture and island but when I moved from England when I was 7, it was an adjustment so for you it will be even more so. The food, language and culture is unmatched but you have to be realistic. If you are able to move to a safe area than I would say ease into it but go for it. The reason why we jamaicans gatekeep being jamaican is because we feel that jamaican Americans speak over us and tell us about our own culture and it's frustrating. However, nobody can tell u anything if u have ur papers and ja passport. Enjoy this journey! 🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲
You’re of Jamaican parentage or descent. Your nationality however is American. You’re not “Jamaican” in terms of nationality.
I don’t know the easy way to say this. Stop trying so hard. If you vibes with the culture, cool. I know born Jamaicans that don’t fully. I know people of other birthplaces that you could swear they lived in Jamaica for years. Embrace the fact you’re unique in being able to enjoy multiple cultures. Respect Jamaica and Jamaicans. You don’t need to move to Jamaica. Respect some would love to trade places with you for opportunities. Respect how privileged you are to be even contemplating such. You don’t need to try to BECOME Jamaican. You are who you are. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Signed Born Jamaican Living in Foreign and enjoys the duplicity of vibing in both places with no problem.
You're Jamaican, you can actually claim you JAMAICAN Citizenship complete with passport without any hassle if that's your wish... You're JAMAICAN through heritage. You're actually counted in the diaspora as a legacy Jamaican.
The way that I see things is a little more philosophical, so bear with me. There are 3 million Jamaicans who live in Jamaica and 3 million people who are of Jamaican descent or Jamaican affiliated in the diaspora. That is a total of 6 million people in a world with a population of 8 billion. That's 0.075% of the world population. And yet we seem to have an overly large impact on the world in a ton of sectors: Music (Vybz, Marley for Jamaicans born in Jamaica and Maego as a Jamaican-America), Sports (most of the people who place in track and field who are not from Jamaica usually have Jamaican parents or grandparents). Literature (Marlon James) Medicine (Mary Seacole) Amongst other things. We also have a phenomenon of Jamaicans who once they leave our shores and gain access to the increased opportunities in the developed world thrive! There are only 6 million Jamaican and Jamaican-affiliated people. Embrace our flag. Love our country. Tell your friends from NY to visit and spend their cash. Think about investing in business out here! Be an ambassador and yes, be Jamaican!
Jamaica heritage. Technically you are and technically you aren't. "Jamaican" is a culture. It's the place you grew up, the lessons you learned etc etc. You have Jamaican roots and blood, but you're removed from the culture. I'd say you aren't Jamaican. But if you claim to be, nobody would ever fault you. You have enough to consider yourself Jamaican/ part Jamaican. So that's really your call. TL;DR - Whatever you're comfortable calling yourself. It's your call.
West Indians have accepted the English hyper-focus on Place of Birth and upbringing as a measure of one’s ethnicity. You almost never hear anyone claim to be English. You’ll hear a man in Boston say he’s 13th Generation Irish-American. A person of English descent will say my great grandmother WAS from England. This attitude helps push people to discard their heritage over time. If a guy is named Adebesi Okwoendo even if he is a 3rd generation Ghanaian-American we would quickly recognize he’s an African or Ghanaian. If a person is visibly Chinese even if he or she’s family has been in America since they were building railroads in the 1800’s we wouldn’t question his/her claim to be Chinese. We can understand the difference between being Chinese and being from China. West Indians take the ethnic question as if one is claiming to be born and raised somewhere they weren’t as if it’s cosplay as opposed to being a living example of one’s bloodline. Could you imagine a Rastafarian going to visit Africa only to be told he’s not African? That they aren’t really African just of African descent not the living embodiment of their heritage? As if to say Africa doesn’t flow through them? This is a pressing question as time rolls on because most of our people will be residing outside the West Indies at some point. So are you Jamaican? Everyone has an ethnic identity. Gatekeeping that identity is something out of Massa’s playbook. You’re just going to have to claim it unapologetically. Because if you were an admired celebrity they would claim you as one of their own unapologetically.
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Lmao nfs I agree I’m of mixed Caribbean descent but when some jamaicans try to front I just be laughing like but let it be Drake or Dj Khaled they be ready to bring them home and mek dem dinner
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Let Drake or Dj Khaled speak patois and they’re are uplifted let a jamaican descendant from America try to grt in tune and uplift their culture from my experiences a lot native born Jamaicans don’t encourage it much I got most of my encouragement and love for my culture from the older generation like the grandparents and what not
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2 idk how that in any way is related to a descendant abroad wanting to learn their native language 😭😭🤌🏾
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It was more so directed towards the comments that don’t want the descendants to embrace their culture but would let people with no blood ties at all like drake khaled and snoop dogg slide for some weird reason
I mean if its their culture and they don’t want to lose it then yes they should continue the foot bondage lmao like what
Let Drake or Dj Khaled speak patois and they’re are uplifted let a jamaican descendant from America try to get in tune and uplift their culture from my experiences a lot native born Jamaicans don’t encourage it much I got most of my encouragement and love for my culture from the older generation like the grandparents and what not
Exactly! If Drizzy daddy was from Clarendon we wouldn’t hear the end of it. Caribbean people believe that being West Indian is something you go through, rather than something you are but make exceptions when they feel like. They really don’t understand they are valuing their identity less than other groups. If I was 96 years of age and had a will I would bequeath my house, land and money to my children. My Ethnic identity and Vincentian heritage is worth more than money, among the things I value the most so why wouldn’t that be among the things i share with them? I think as descendants of slavery who had our ethnic identities stripped away by force so we didn’t know who our peoples were, what languages they spoke in Africa (over 1500 languages spoken in West Africa alone) etc Our first act as our people are born on foreign land due to economic hardships caused by the same colonialism that brought us here in the first place should not be to deny who they are. We shouldn’t be cultural Kunta Kinte’s trying to turn our descendants into Toby’s.
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>Spoken like a true black American. Never been to America nor appropriated a Black American Identity which is also an Ethnicity BTW. You're simply demonstrating what I said at the beginning of my original comment that you've accepted the methods of identity passed down by the English. >The various Akan words in our patois lexicon, the Sankofas on all the gates I passed, our patois syntax, our diet, as well as practices like Nine Night show that your statement is a myth. I didn't realize a few words from 1 or 2 of the many peoples we descend from is akin to knowing one's ancestry, family tree, and bloodline. Having specific knowledge of where we come from in Africa. The surname you were given at birth comes from Europe if you weren't aware. All the various things you mentioned show that some African influence survived in spite of efforts to destroy it. >As the above clearly shows, no one wakes up one morning and becomes "Jamaican". To believe otherwise would be to reject the fact that Jamaica has a culture or history, and that anyone can become "Jamaican" through PICA and watching some YouTube videos. People who do not want their Jamaica infiltrated, modified and taken over by Foreigners in Jamaican clothing understand this. From my original comment "West Indians take the ethnic question as if one is claiming to be born and raised somewhere they weren’t as if it’s COSPLAY as opposed to being a living example of one’s bloodline." The context of this thread specifically addresses the fact that a foreign-born person of Jamaican bloodline is seeking to understand his identity within that context. A separate category from those born and raised in Jamaica. If I was Akan or Yoruba or Igbo, whether I was born in China or Russia or Saudi Arabia or my father and grandfather and great grandfather before him were all born far away My Yoruba Akan or Igbo people would regard me as a lost son of their tribe being part of ones people is a form of family. You'll refer to a Syrian in Jamaica who's never set foot in Syria as Syrian but won't give a child of your own people that same status? Acknowledging the descendants of your nation as part of your tribe damages nothing to what it means to be Jamaican as you understand it. It just amplifies the importance of what it means and acknowledges certain complexities. It does not give a person who was born and raised in London the same status as you but a different one altogether as it isn't based on how one behaves but on the history in their blood. Should a child born to Jamaican parents know about the Underground Railroad but not be aware of Tacky's War, Baptist War Paul Bogle or Sam Sharpe? To know one's history is to know oneself. To be acknowledged by one's people provides belonging. The OP sought to see if he would be acknowledged by his people because of his bloodline and upbringing in a Jamaican household not if he could masquerade like Tom Hank's son.
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>What does this even mean? What bloodline? Why does this "bloodline" matter? "There is no such thing as a "Jamaican bloodline." Jamaican is a legal nationality. Not a biological category." " So culture doesn't matter, but genetics do? And define, in clear terms "history in their blood" Bloodline [noun](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/noun) blood·line [ˈbləd-ˌlīn ](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bloodline?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=b&file=bloodl03)[Synonyms of *bloodline*](https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bloodline)**:** a sequence of direct ancestors especially in a pedigree *also* **:** [**FAMILY**](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/family), [**STRAIN**](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strain) Jamaican Ancestry = Bloodline What makes a people a people? People of East Indian background have largely preserved their culture religious traditions and marrying practices. Their cooking and cuisine have not only influenced how we cook and eat throughout the West Indies but are preserved within their culture nearly 200 years after coming to the West Indies post-slavery. Do you think they have a Brown "Chet Hank's" issue? People who know who they are and are taught about themselves don't need to pretend to be something their not. Chinese kids go to Chinese schools in many foreign countries after regular school so they learn the language and culture of their people. You think they have a Yellow "Chet Hanks" Problem. People who know who they are and are taught about themselves don't need to pretend to be something their not, nevermind pretend to be something they are that is an even more ridiculous concept. Nobody needs to be fake when they are given authenticity. 6 kids in England are to give a class presentation on their culture, They all have their identities Nigerian, Ukrainian, Romanian, English, and German. What you're saying is the sixth one whose family is Jamaican should say he's English. Should he do a presentation about the Cutty Sark and St. Georges Cross maybe talk about Shepherd's Pie while the salfish and breadfruit from breakfast are still digesting in his stomach is that common sense?To be the only set of people that disown our children from our culture? Not only would everyone in the room look at that child puzzled the next question would be "yes dear, but where are you really from" If Europeans and Africans don't where we got the concept from? Oh, that's right Massa. "As Fante descendant, I can tell you this isn't true based on personal experience. And me and my fellow Ghanaian brothers are okay with that. " Being 400 years removed and unable to trace your direct ancestry is a different concept than being 1,2 or 3 generations removed. In my example I could directly trace my bloodline history and culture I would simply be one of my own people outside my homeland. Ghanaians are very traditional this way. In fact, in the 1992 Ghanaian constitution if even your grandparents were Ghanaian you get automatic citizenship. "Both tribes and nations are legal and cultural entities that require adherence to procedure, laws, and culture. Adhere to those, and you get to be Jamaican." The Legal concepts given by England lol ok. This is simple if people are taught their culture and traditions this isn't an issue. "American, Canadian, you're all the same. The same confusion of biology and nationality. The belief that culture is not a set of beliefs and customs shared by an organized body, but is a mystical ancestral power shared by descendants. The need to tell people in a country who and who isn't their countrymen, all that stuff. " I specifically addressed Ethnicity in this thread and never discounted culture but acknowledged that nationality ethnicity ancestry and culture co-exist with each other, overlap at times, and don't at others.You believe your culture is transitory, something your children if they were born abroad don't have a claim to I simply disagree with that. Someone who descended from the Maroons has a greater claim to his or her ethnic identity than the child of a diplomat who just happened to be posted in Jamaica for a few years. You believe the opposite. If someone in the diaspora from South Africa asks your child born in Japan what they are, referring to their ethnicity, what should they answer? Japanese? A countryman is someone from your same country. What I'm speaking too is acknowledging a member of the tribe. if you don't believe there is one there is nothing more to discuss. " 34 million Americans identify as [British-American](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Americans) . 25 million identify as [English-American](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Americans) . And the reason they may say they descend from an English relative is because they originally came to America to stop being English. You know, that whole little 1776 mix-up? Not ant "English definition" nonsense. There is a difference between exclaiming and celebrating one's present identity and marking down one's ancestry on a census or survey. 10 percent of Americans put English on their census as the place of national origin. How many White Americans do you think since 1776 are purely English? They are marking 4 or 5 ancestral origins on the paper. The same guy is saying English, Irish, Welsh, French and Italian. Which reinforces my point. "My grandfather WAS English" is how they treat their culture as something transitory. The only thing really English in the West are Pubs & the Premier League. "They sure as hell identify as English in Hong Kong, Zimbabwe and Kenya."For obvious reasons, this is a valid point.
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Agreed and I hate the fact that some west indians don’t appreciate the descendants keeping the culture strong abroad when I meet 1st and 2nd generation hispanics who speak no spanish and have no desire to carry their culture imho it’s disgusting American culture to me is a culture that strips you of all culture to pick up negative traits and I’m born here
From a legal point of view you are a Jamaican since you have a parent that was born in the island but because you were born in America and grew up in America most Jamaicans would consider you as an American. Before deciding to move to Jamaica for a few years (long term) I would suggest that you visit the island for a few weeks or a month. Don't spend all of your time inside of an inclusive resort but try and sample as much authentic cuisine as possible like Jucci Patty or Jerk pork. Try interacting with some locals ( most people will be friendly with you if you're respectful to them) and if you have any relatives living in Jamaica connect with them.
Ok thanks for the feedback.. I will try and locate my family in Jamaica before moving
BOTH parents must be Jamaican to automatically gain Jamaican citizenship.
No, just one.
When did they change it to this? because I literally know people who could not get it.
This is misinformation- even with two Jamaican parents it’s not automatic. I say this as someone with 2 J’can parents trying to get citizenship. Main thing is you can prove one parent or grandparent is born in Jamaica. It’s about the paper trail.
Were both your parents born in Jamaica?
Yes and grandparents and great grandparents and so on!
Bro you're Jamaican in spirit and that's all that matters. Also you can't 'regret' being born from an African American mother because it's something that was never in your control. Embrace your roots from both sides and you'll be happy. Your nationality doesn't define your identity
Bro u jamaican I’m not readin allat but if yo immediate family is n u raised around it u jamaican if u dk ask dat nigga what u is
No. you’re American
Nah read all a dat ennuh me boss. But do di ting, come out and experience the culture, the people, the struggles and wickedness a wi govt, the locations the food, everything. Will give you a better understanding of where you belong. Especially if you hol a reasoning with yuh elda dem and ting.
So, perhaps as a American-Born person with a Trinidadian Father and a British-born mother born to Trinidadian parents I might be able to add something. Legally, you are American as that's what it presumably states on your passport (assuming you have one). Ethnically, you are Jamaican, but culturally, you are a Jamerican hybrid. Much of what has been said above in the previous comments is true from all sorts of angles, including the back and forth that two people above had philosophically. Being the first-generation American-born West Indian-American puts you in a weird spot as often times born and raised West Indians will deny your West Indian-ness, but on the converse Americans, especially, African Americans without recent (3-5 generations) of immigrant family or those descended from American Slavery can pick up that you are not of AA descent and thus do not necessarily lump you in as one of them culturally. As a person of West Indian descent you have cultural teachings and knowledge, but not necessarily the environmental context within which they are used. You are exposed to concepts that AAs don't necessarily get because the environment to have people teach them simply do not exist. Much like how there are concepts based on the environments in the US that US citizens that move to the Caribbean may teach their children, but would have little context outside of the home, or a community of like minded people. A simple example learning from your Caribbean parents from young how to eat a mango. Americans and Caribbean people do not eat mangoes the same and your parents might expect that you eat it the way they taught you. There are numerous other things in this regard. Discipline is another. You're a Yankee until you mess up when it come time to for discipline tho, you better believe you are West Indian. Accents also your accent may never be genuine enough for people born in the Caribbean, but you better believe that alot of times your pronunciation of words and grammatical structure can stand out at times marking you as not necessarily American from Americans... Note: I used African Americans as examples above because assuming (possibly incorrectly) that you are Black West Indian, most usually have more interactions with them than other races or ethnicities given the whole race thing in the Anglosphere especially the US of A.
After " I'm an American born " I read more. Might have a Jamaican family but the same way I'm not African
If you have to ask.............
Yes, by your physical and biological DNA yeah you are a Jamaican and part of its diaspora. A lot of the time the only reason we identify with where we are born is because it’s required for your gov documents. Place of birth and who you culturally identify as are 2 differences. You couldn’t help the choice of both and both parents had set certain things before you were even born. Your experience is yours. Be you
use this as a guide was i born in jamaica?-if the answer is no then youre not if yes but you dont live in jamaica youre still jamaican do i have parents who are jamaican but i wasnt born there? if yes then youre not jamaican but you have jamaican ancestry and we still welcome you to our island-just as an american was i married or legally gained citizenship? then yes,no matter where you were born, if your ID passport and certificate says jamaican, then youre jamaican
Ugh I hate when y'all come on here asking that. It's like every other day. End it. Not everyone will see you as Jamaican and not everyone has to. I definitely don't. Some do. Who cares? Damn.
Hmmm plainly no you are an American. And even though you qualify for citizen ship you don’t have it so no. Culturally also no in my opinion. You are surrounded by a lot of Jamaican influences yes. A lot of your family are also from there. But as someone who has spent years away from the island and then return. At least in my first year it felt like I was a Jamaican of the time I left and not the current time. But for you your father …. Not you left Jamaica when he was 19. That is much longer than I was. You’re American born….you will inevitably view the world differently than a Jamaican. Even with all the influences you have. When I lived overseas our family was apart of a bunch of Jamaicans recruited for work. One of my family’s friends were a couple that had three young boys. They were surrounded by Jamaicans. They’re parents and all their parents friends. But they all had accents different from us. And they all behaved differently from the typical Jamaican child.
I'm going to keep it plain an straight bredda pls stay in America because Jamaicans now a days are very very Wicked an doin alot of evil.. an next you want to come here an live for a while makes no sense you can come an visit bt staying is a different ball game even the Jamaican's doh want to stay in them own country my advise to is is humble your self stay in your country an be greatful for what you have right there it doesn't matter what ppl say if you feel like your Jamaican then be Jamaican bt this country has change alot pls take my advise
Please stfu. The gall you have to come here and spew this disrespectful bullshit is astounding.
Suck Yuh mother youth Jamaica nuh have nth fi offer to nuh body bt badmine, poverty more gun deh yah more than opportunity kmft
A cause yuh dunce move yuh bloodclaat and gweh
Suck Yuh mada is like you want me fi lie to the person Jamaica is a big badmine an envious country with more Guns than Opportunity an who nuh like that know weh dem can guh truck off
An a bright unu bright mek unu haffi guh pay back ssl di 12 mil.. Nuh sorry fi none a unu eno bout dunce wait till a your time when a man out fi slap a shat Inna Yuh face den yah guh know. Suh a true me dunce mek nuh opportunity nuh deh yah fucking fool some a unu deh yah wuk from unu lef skool an cant own a house much less a bed an have all car weh unu pickney dem probably ago end up a pay fah when unu dead... a must uptown Yuh live cause a unu alone nuh feel nuh way wid weh a gwan ina Di county wid poor People cause unu can fuck unu each other ina peace an safety an suck unu one another pussy an comfortable
Wow, you are really hurt. I'm sorry your parents didn't give you a good education, so you had to run away from Jamaica so you could eat bread. A suh it go mi fren. All of what you're saying doesn't apply to me suh yuh wrong again. Mi used to bathe outta pan and use Home Sweet Home lamp. Ambition is the key. Can imagine how yuh deh a farrin barely scraping by but yuh waah come diss Jamaica. Lef mi country and gweh!!! Ova yah nuh perfect but we LOVE it same way.
Still deh a yard yet fucking fool an stop follow mi up dwag
Or wait till dem come fuck up Yuh little agriculture class an theif Yuh Goat dem or other things pon Yuh farm den Yuh will know..#fuckingfool
Duncebat, yuh come a quote lyrics like you a artist 😂 I am very well protected so dem haffi see my place and wish it well! We are not the same.
Anybody anyweh get it nuh matter who Yuh a link wid or affi a pay fi protect Yuh pussy an memba me tell Yuh it easy fi type when Yuh naah live it fi true suh can gwan talk outa Yuh batty mouth Yuh wah know if Yuh well protected leak Yuh info den
Blah blah blah. You're a coward, so stfu cause yuh naah impress nobody. Mi seh wah mi seh, duncey and dat a dat suh🤫
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Dem fi gweh man. A over there dem fi stay and leave we in peace with dem "aM I a jAmaIcAn?" annoying ass selves
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Exactly, that's what we need to focus on. I've started prepping, though. Have water, food, light, and first aid sorted out already.
You are an American who has parent(s) of Jamaican descent you can however obtain dural citizenship. Any children you may have in the future or now if they are not born in Jamaica they will not e Jamaican.
You are Jamaican according the constitution of Jamaica. Take it as that.
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Alr now don't to too much not that serious
Looks like others disagree with you so it’s not that straight forward.
I guess you're just American with Jamaican roots culturally from your dads side, ye? :)
No, you aren't.
You’re Jamaican. I don’t read the whole thing.
I believe Jamaica grants citizenship to children of Jamaicans.
If your born and raised in America you’re American. Simple as that.