Jamaican stereotypes

Before Reading this article, please ask yourself: ‘What is your first association when you hear the Word Jamaica?” Got you! I bet you thought about at least one of these things:  marihuana, dreadlocks or Rastafarian. Do not blame yourself! The blame should be levied on the media, who propagate false information to the populace. Many Jamaican stereotypes where perpetuated and instilled in the mind of the populace around in the 1970's and 1980's. That is why, here I would like to point out some false stereotypes to make you aware that Jamaica is something more than just the false image created by media.

1.       Everybody in Jamaica Smokes Marijuana

This is probably the most popular stereotype of all. People are surprised when they meet Rastafarians who do not smoke marijuana. Based on the information provided by World Drug Report , In 2009, approximately 13% of Americans use Marijuana. Surprisingly, based on the same report around 10% of the general public of Jamaica smoke marijuana in 2006. The marijuana sub-culture in Jamaica is specific and small but at the same time it is  powerful sub-culture.

2.       Rastafarian Rule

 “Jamaica is just a place where Rastafarians hang out all day smoking ganja- no wonder nothing gets done”

There are only about 700.000 Rastafarians in the whole world and less than 10% of Jamaica’s 2,758,000 people are Rastafarians. In fact, Rastafarian groups claim that the Jamaican government exploits their image for tourism but systematically prevents them from getting governments jobs. The fame of Bob Marley and the popularity of reggae music have gone a long way to promote this unfair image of indolence in a nation struggling to make economic ends meet.

3. Jamaican Men are Womanizers

It is said that Jamaican men are always seeking ulterior motives only because the usually say nice things to women. It is simply natural for Jamaican men to be polite to women (as well as for other Latinos). Women may sometimes misinterpret social signals. This is just cultural differences in behavior. People still believe that Jamaican men have 20 children all over the world. This may be true about a select few wealthy, popular Jamaican men. Most Jamaicans will settle down and get married. Looking on data on www.NationMaster.com (it is a statistical website that aims to facilitate comparison of publicly available data on all countries of the world), I found out that the divorce rate in Jamaica is even lower than those in first world countries. It is not even in a first 34 positions, whereas The United States of America ranks the firs position having the divorce rate 4.95 % per 1,000 people.

4. Jamaicans Practice Voodoo

Most Jamaicans know about voodoo according to what they see on TV. The funny thing is that they see themselves practicing Voodoo on TV. One Jamaican habitants says: “When I was much younger, I remembered watching the movie "Marked for Death" and thinking that Rastafarians were voodoo witch doctors. I was a bit shocked, because I was pretty sure Rastafarians do not work Voodoo, I asked my mother (Who is not a Rasta). She explained that it is just peoples imagination gone wild and Hollywood builds fictitious characters in order to generate a hype. Jamaicans have their own spiritual tabooed movement. It is called Obeah”.

5. Marijuana is Legal

If you Try to smoke weed in public in Jamaica, see how fast you will get arrested. It has been illegal ever since slave rebellions were associated with marijuana. Many of the tourists get arrested for possession of Marijuana because they were not aware that it is illegal. The penalty for possession as in other countries can be a fine or a suspended sentence.

6. Jamaicans do not Speak English

Every educated person knows that the official language of Jamaica is English. If you do not want to offend Jamaicans it is better not to ask them in English “What language do you speak in Jamaica?”. The official language is British English. The Creole or patoi that is spoken in Jamaica is really broken English with several other languages being infused.

7. There is nothing more interesting in Jamaica than a beach

Jamaica is known for its natural beauty and laid-back lifestyle, but there is much more to the island than just sun, surf and sand. The  tropical climate supports diverse ecosystems with a wealth of plants and animals and it makes the island a tourist destination. Jamaica’s other problem is that its people have to ward off the competition from the other Caribbean islands offering more “elicits” packages. The roots of Jamaica are founded in a long and sometimes arduous history that has left an indelible mark on the people that live there. Jamaica does have other aspects to its society and economy. Mining, food processing, paper making, cement production, chemical manufacture and telecommunications are also leading sectors.

Here is a youtube clip showing two Jamaican girls speaking about Jamaican stereotypes:

http://youtube.moje.pl/-7zdHZwb74k

sources: ‘Jamaica Society and Culture Complete Report’, World Trade Press , www.NationMaster.com, http://www.ehow.com/list_6072713_jamaica_s-monuments.html,