Hi guys, my name is Isabbela and I'm from the Caribbean. I live in a country know as Guyana. I'm 1/2 Guyanese and 1/2 Trinidadian, but mostly Guyanese. Unfortunately, I haven't read many books with Caribbean people and I try my best to add them in mine. If my information wasn't enough, feel free to contact me in my inbox. To all my Caribbean friends and everyone else on wattpad, I hope this encourages you to write more about people of colour. I'll be discussing topics pertaining to Guyana, Trinidad and Suriname. (Ps if I say Caribbean country and it's really an island, forgive me, I'm part of one of the few Caribbean countries and I'm accustomed to saying it)

☀️F I R S T L Y☀️

It's important for me to point out that Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad is not the only Caribbean members. I understand you'd prefer to use that because celebrities and the media only discuss them. But there are so many beautiful islands and countries in the Caribbean with amazing people.

☀️PEOPLE☀️

It really depends which Caribbean island you're talking about. I'd like to clear up that not all people from the Caribbean are from African descent. There are Indians, Chinese and the most important people to the Caribbean are the Amerindian (native Americans). They are the indigenous people and a lot of countries focus on preserving indigenous artefacts and the culture.

Another topic, a real topic (no offense to anyone) but just because someone is from one Caribbean island and another is from a different one, mean that they will bond and become best friends. The truth is, some islands just don't like other countries and islands and they're people. After impressions, countries do stereotype their own Caribbean brothers and sis.

☀️LANGUAGE☀️

Moving on, not all Caribbean people speak like Jamaicans, they all have they're own dialect and patois. It's not common for people from one island to not understand a single word another Caribbean person says. So keep in mind, if you're writing, that if one person is from Jamaica, they won't necessarily be understood by someone who is from Guyana. And please guys, Caribbean people are not always screaming or shouting. We're not trained to shout and scream since that's the impressions everyone has given through their books. Caribbean people are not always the loud best friend. It's not different here that shouting and being loud and rude is frowned upon and are bad manners. However, one think for sure, Caribbean people stand up for their self always, I can guarantee it. And maybe then they'll be loud. We still use a lot of proverbs and slangs.

Also a cuss word I'm sure most English Caribbean countries know about is:

Sc*nt: I think it came from c*nt, but I'm unsure.

☀️RELIGION☀️

Since the Caribbean was colonized my the Spanish, Dutch, French and English (Europeans) and one of the objectives was to convert everyone, a lot of people in the Caribbean are Christian. However in countries like Trinidad and Guyana where they're are a lot of Indians, there is Hinduism and Islam. Regardless of ethnicity, these are the three main religions in the Caribbean. Another is Rastafarian. Religion is important to Caribbean people.

☀️HOLIDAYS☀️

These are listed in order of importance:

-Christianity

Christmas:

This is the most celebrated holiday in Guyana at least. It's very important to family and friends getting together.

Easter:

On Easter, everyone flies kites. I think it's a representative of Jesus ascending into heaven.

-Hinduism

Phagwah:

This is great. Almost everyone, regardless of race and religion, gets together on the streets or in their homes or at the mandirs to throw powder and water at people.

Diwali:

This is celebrated in the Caribbean by people putting out diyas (a wick extending out of a small clay pot) in different designs in their yards and houses and lighting them at night.

-Public holidays

Carnival or Mashramani or Jouvert etc.

This is parade and party down the town streets of people in colourful costumes usually representing some important aspects of the country's culture. They're are many floats on the road and often, the president and other officials go down the road too. This is usually attended by all and looked forward by all.

Independence

Independence has always been an important aspect of Caribbean life. And usually when it's a Jubilee, there are extravagant plans.

☀️FAMILY☀️

In Caribbean life, family is one of the most important things apart from education. It is often a closely knit relationship between members. Mother, daughter, son, uncle, father, aunt, niece, nephew and grandparents are all close. Yes, we do get beatings when we're kids and we dare not be rude to our parents. The woman tends to live in the house of the parents until married, because honestly, the islands and countries are small, and why would they move villages and pay rent if they already have a place. A misconception is that Caribbean people fathers leave them. I don't know where this came from but, it's a small island or country, most people know their father. Another thing is divorce, yeah it's high, but there are many many couple who are in senescence and still married. Also, premarital sex is frowned upon by people for the girls here. That's just how it is.

☀️EDUCATION☀️

Unfortunately in the Caribbean, the cash only really flows with jobs with being a lawyer and doctor or someone in business. That's why parents always push their children in the direction of these fields (if they have the money). That's why most people have to get side jobs apart from being artists and actors, because it doesn't support them in the Caribbean. Education is very very important in the Caribbean. It defines status.

Most of the states still follow the British school system so high school is different for us. We attend primary school until we are eleven and then we go to high school when we're 12 into first form.

After fifth form, we write an exam called the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate. This is important and essential to life after school if you want to get a job or go into college. School is important.

☀️MUSIC☀️

Regardless of Caribbean people may or may not liking one another, they are always ready to support each other internationally, for example; Lisa Punch who was on rising stars from Guyana, was praised by the Caribbean. However, the music of the Caribbean is unique and really defines the people here.

Reggae is soul music, but some young people don't like it.

Soca: Most people love Soca, it's really great, because it's upbeat and danceable. We practically worship Machel Montano

Dancehall.

Chutney: no not the food. This here is Indo Caribbean people singing these Indian songs with different lyrics. They're mostly about rum and being single. Yeah...

We love the Steelpans.

Of course we follow international music.

☀️FOOD☀️

Everyone here loves Curry. More specifically chicken curry/ curried chicken. The food is here is different and indigenous for every zone but we cook a lot of Americanized foods like macaroni and cheese, meat pies, baked meat, fried meat and pastries. However, our diet mostly consists of rice and bread. Please not week, we do not jerk everything and definitely do not add pepper sauce to everything, although some of us do.

Caribbean people love rum. Since we were based on sugar plantations, most countries manufacture world class rums for example, El Dorado and rón Barcelo.

Beer is also majorly consumed by Caribbean people since it's produced right there, e.g. Banks Beer. So it's really extremely common for Caribbean to indulge in underage drinking and enjoy alcohol.

☀️LOOKS☀️

Not all Caribbean persons are curvy, I repeat, not all are curvy. There is variation, and no one really look the same. In the Caribbean, most African girls relax their hair when they attend high school. But here, people face difficulties loving their natural hair too. And ever since colonial days, light skin people have been deemed more beautiful, somehow this trait has been passed down the generations unfortunately and ally of people struggle because they feel inferior to lighter skinned people. Most Indian people have straight black hair. Most people in the Caribbean are of mixed race.

☀️REMEDY☀️

I saw another post say that we love Vick's Vapo Rub. Yes, indeed we do. We also use something called Limacol when we're sick to refresh you.

No we don't all use herbal treatments and rare leaves from the rainforest.

☀️WEATHER☀️

The Caribbean isn't all gust of sea breeze and endless ocean breeze and refreshment. No it's humid and hot sometimes and Caribbean don't become accustomed to it. We sweat like crazy and we become accustomed to the sweat. Then there's rain. It rains really heavily and it's cold. That's why when Caribbean people migrate to temperate countries, they freeze winter time and they chill at summer. Caribbean people have be ability to walk in the summer heat and sun in long sleeve t shirts and jeans.