Proud of my Upbringing

-

 Despite the numerous issues in Trinidad, I am proud to have grown up here.

The culture of Trinidad and Tobago has been shaped by many ethnic groups. This is something that I feel is underappreciated by our population. Though the Caribbean is viewed as ‘melting pot’ of cultures, I notice how similar my life is to my Bridgewater State University (BSU) contemporary. It was fascinating to hear that despite living in what seems like a world apart; I am from San Juan, Trinidad and they from Raynham, Massachusetts, we feel similarly about our family, childhood, and experiences. We both call our parents ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad,’ for example. Though my parents were heavily involved in my upbringing they worked throughout my childhood, and my grandparents cared for me most of the time. My BSU peer, however, had a stay-at-home mother who was the primary caregiver for the children while their father worked. My BSU peer described their family and hometown as conservative while my parents encouraged me to focus on education and were liberal with affection. My BSU peer adheres to gender roles and during our interaction did not discuss emotions. But I thought about our childhood differences and grew a deeper appreciation for the way I was raised. I realised that I was privileged to be able to express my emotions. We found common ground when we discussed what home meant to us and agreed that while home was a tangible place, it was also a feeling of safety where we could be ourselves. I also noticed that we have different university experiences because, I still live with my parents and commute to campus while they live in a dorm in Boston near BSU with their friends. I was a bit envious because living with your closest friends sounds like the epitome of the university experience. Overall, I felt that our conversation flowed freely and relaxed—I had fun. I am interested in different cultures because I find there are always similarities. It’s intriguing to think that I can share similar experiences with someone living in a different continent.

By Kaitlyn Barran

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Racial Stereotypes Replicated in Fantastical Animations

-
When I was younger and anime came on the cartoon channels, I knew it was time to go to bed. One night, during the vacation, I sat down and watched an episode of a fantasy program of Japanese origin. I was enchanted with the magic, monsters, and overarching storyline I had never seen in an animated show before. As the years went by, and I watched more anime, first on t.v. and then on streaming platforms, I noticed a pattern in the skin color of the anime characters. I realized that this magical world was infused with the prejudices of the world in which I lived. For my mini-ethnographic project, I sought to understand the attitudes Caribbean youths have toward the profiting of racial and cultural stereotyping in some of their favorite anime shows. In the anime programs that I watched, I had made two casual observations that I wanted to explore for my mini-ethnographic project. The first, there were only a few dark-skinned characters and, the second was that the darker-skinned characters...
Read more

Plastic Straws: A Small Convenience with Big Consequences

-
When I was ten years old, I visited Matura Beach in northeast Trinidad with my family for turtle watching. While seeing the turtles up close was surreal, the experience stands out for another, more devastating reason. Our tour guide shared a story I remembered for years to come. She had rescued a turtle that had a plastic straw stuck inside its nose. The idea that one tiny plastic straw could cause so much harm to an animal gutted me. At the time, I found it disturbing, but I didn’t fully understand the severity of the situation. So, I continued using plastic straws, unaware of the larger impact. Now, at twenty, I understand the complex and troubling interconnections between plastic straws, human health, and marine ecosystems. This realisation motivated me to focus my anthropology project on the use of plastic straws, and their environmental and health impacts. My goal was to explore why, despite widespread awareness of their harmful effects, people still choose to use them. In my mini...
Read more

Wheels and Warming: The Climate Costs of Transportation in Small Islands

-
What are the linkages between human behaviors, transportation infrastructure, and climate change? What is black carbon? These are some of the questions that guided my mini-ethnographic project in Caribbean Anthropology. “Black carbon is formed by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, wood, and other fuels” (Climate & Clean Air Coalition 2020). Also known as soot, emissions of black carbon can contribute to climate warming, decrease of crop yields, and death of living organisms. Because I’m constantly on the road in Trinidad, driving my own vehicle, I had casually observed lots of exhaust from vehicles. I learned this exhaust can contain carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, among other greenhouse gases that can be damaging to the environment. I decided to do participant-observation with fellow drivers in Trinidad and Tobago (in person) as well as (virtually) in the neighboring island of Saint Lucia to consider how peak hour traffic contributed to emissions. Although thes...
Read more