Local youth condemns discrimination against expats
Former school counsellor and entrepreneur Mr Jovan E. L. Cline was making the point that there is strength in unity when he raised the issue of lost love between locals and expatriates in some quarters of society, and spoke against the use of the derogatory term “down island” to describe Caribbean expatriates, most of whom are of African ancestry and whose fore parents would have experienced slavery.
Discrimination against Caribbean expats
“We grow weaker when you use words like ‘down island’ to describe brothers and sisters who have lived among us and contributed to our society for years longer than some of us were even born.”
Wearing a black T-shirt with the words 'Injustice Anywhere is a Threat to Justice Everywhere', Mr Cline added: “We are weaker when we discriminate based on heritage and favours, we are weaker when we steal from each other and cheat each other just to get the upper hand for few moments of life that we have on this tiny planet.”
The young man also seemed to touch on the subject of persons being born in the Territory but is still discriminated against because their parents are not born Virgin Islanders or one of them may have been an expatriate.
“We are weaker when the Virgin Islands is all a man, a woman, a boy or a girl knows when he or she still can’t feel comfortable enough to call it home because of what they have to face every day when they step out into the street and face people who tell them that they are not from here because of how they look, because of how they speak or where their parents came from. That makes us weak,” Mr Cline stated.
Unity is strength
He was of the view that the Territory would not be able to “stand up” to anyone in any nation or any neighbour “as long as we entertain that behaviour.
“It is time we take a stand for what is right, so stop hiding, stop killing, stop discriminating against our own. We have to stop so we can be a true pillar, a true power and support for nations who find themselves in crisis,” Mr Cline said.
Mr Cline's words of unity echoed that of Premier and Minister of Finance, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1) late in 2019 when he led an initiative to regularise some 1500 expatriates who had been living and working in the Virgin Islands for 20, 30, 40 and even 50 years but were never granted status.
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79 Responses to “Local youth condemns discrimination against expats”
Agree with your comment 100% Also I am not against expatriats, but why We must condone their (those that do) insults, degrading and derogatory remarks and if we respond We are ignorant and don't like them! We'll be locked up or deported from their Nation (Caribbean) if We ever attempt to do such. So We were born in this Land and have a Right to defend it just like they would their Own. Don't start No sh** and there will be No sh**!
@ LCS,
No! you are not higher than anyone. Life does not depend on the number of things an individual possesses. It is about the characters an individual display when they are faced with perplexity. If any human being displays truth, honesty, love, purity, and self-control then I can truly say an individual is on a level of self-actualization. But no one is above each other. We should learn to live in peace and God will continue to bless this land.
Leave our Caribbean People Alone. Send dem South AFricans and Europeans home.
While we know talk is cheap, and action has value. Problems do have solutions, how we deal with the problem counts a million time more than talk. Parents teach their children how to solve problems when they get to adulthood it seemed that those principles of saying "I am sorry" fly away from our minds. Stating what is wrong and getting solutions together make this community a better place.
BVI & USVI vs Other Caribbean islands nationals ( except Puerto Rico)
Your statement is incorrect, as in no way should you generalized people, because of a few misbehavior. All throughout this world, there are good and bad people, positive and negative behavior. How do you suggest we change the behavior? since you know that respect is earned.
when you think about it...none of us are " from here". we are very hipocritical when you think about it..one minute we say..." they not really from here because their parents not from herr". well.....next minute everyone proud to be " from Africa"...... so really..where are we all from? certainly not BVI.
Some have children born here, born in Amerika or born elsewhere. BUT.....
There is a parasitic and Symbiotic relationship that has developed over the years. There is an interdependence that it vibrant. Seeing these relationships developed over the years I have lived in my native virgin Islands and the constant venom that is being spewed via electronic media a d elsewhere is unbecoming. As a career immigration agent, I have seen a lot of things, I know a lot of things and I have heard a lot of things when it comes to foreign persons (expats) and their rationships with "local" persons. But like the socalled drug war in the United States over the years and the relationship between suppliers and demanders, there is a similar dependency or interdependency on foreign nationals (expats) in the Virgin Islands. Like in the drug war, the big question in the parasitic/symbiotic relationship, a former DEA Agent I went to school with in Texas asked the question in our knock down drag out conversations we used to have in school and I will ask the question here, who IS the Parasite? The supplier or the demander, the expat or the local? I'll just rest this here
My country is beautiful I’ve seen many locals eyes open when they enter trini.
I don’t hate my country not cause I reside here
I love to be called down island cause u still c Trinidad on d map .....
I Love all my neighboring islanders
Sick part is half of u go church with nothing but hate in y’all hearts .
Don’t even have time with the ones like u so stay under ur funky a$$ grandma clock caps puff ur mouths already soo beautiful :)
No wonder u hate us especially the Hispanics y’all can’t stand them cause Y?
There are BVI people and expats who are awesome and for some disgusting. Who is to judge? ONLY GOD!!
As a BVI lander married to a Trinidadian , my spouse disclosed his dislikes against the Venezuellans, Indian race etc..and the list goes on! One of the key reasons is the lost of jobs to expats...in many of these Caribbeans Islands and the BVI is not excluded...
Furthermore, I must add that the blogs on news sites in other Caribbean islands are more terrifying by far!
1 teachers
2 nurses
3 skilled workers
4 doctors
5cleaners
6 security guards
7 police
8street cleaners
8 caretakers of the elderly
9 house keepers and day care workers
10 bar maids cooks and waitress
And others who are to numerous to mention then every thing will be fine
NOTTTTT!
HEHE
We are very happy to profit from the globalization of capital as if it is an entirely natural phenomenon, like the weather or the sea. No restrictions whatsoever, we say, and we’ll help whoever, from where ever to do whatever they want with their money. It is, we marched for this two years ago, our ‘right’.
And yet we want a world where human capital is heavily restricted, controlled, judged and mistrusted.
Few people seem to acknowledge that globalization and all its ‘benefits’ (for us, tourism, financial services, importation of goods, internet etc), come with a concurrent rise is globalization of peoples’ movements (for us, going to US to give birth, Caribbean and US and other people coming here to work, as well as play).
All this focus on the small-minded stuff misses the glaring big picture. We need to get a handle on this aspect because our outlook is inconsistent, hypocritical and can end up being cruel.
To make it easier, try just being decent to fellow humans, where ever they come from. Globalize goodness!
It is quite something to witness so many people who are not living for Christ here in this small country. I am a happy God fearing ""down island"" expat and I am not going anywhere until my God says he is ready for me to leave. While my cheeks hurt with my smiles, the ignorant BVIlanders can suck salt and remain in your hateful ways. O and by the way, I do know many lovely BVIlanders whose ancestors were 'barn yah' , but they do not act like the fools who come on these news site to rant....