Jamaican racial frictions

a study on color lines and racial frictions from a historic and contemporary outlook on Jamaica.
directed by David Ritter
Narration by Rose Thompson
Music by Jason Duguay
Carib productions/David Ritter copyright 2011
Donations to help support this project and more projects aiming to provide education to the world about social issues within the west indies can be sent to - http://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/fiscal/profile?id=3267
Forgotten Faces is a video documentary project that raises awareness of and celebrates the minority ethnic groups of the West Indies. Many people are unaware of the existence of populations of Jamaicans and Haitians of white European, Chinese, East Indian, and Middle Eastern descent, living in Jamaica and Haiti. These ethnic groups are diminishing in the West Indies, but have played very important roles in the history of these countries and their culture. People interviewed are from diverse backgrounds, including: celebrity, middle class, those with political goals, those who wish to affect their country in massive ways, and those who simply want to live their lives in the country they love. General reactions to white Jamaicans and white Haitians range from amazement to shock and disbelief, and, even to hostility. These reactions are followed by questions: Who are these people? How did they get here? What is their "story"? How do other Jamaicans and Haitians feel about them? Forgotten Faces addresses these questions.

some of these minority groups have experienced racism and discrimination from both their governments and the general populace. Many of these incidents have gone unreported and have, in some cases, been renumbered in the history books of Jamaica, Haiti, and the United States. These people have a story to tell about their hardships and about their accomplishments

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[oakaziz]

Like the man said @ 4:45, the Chinese did not interact with the community. I have seen it, most of them kept to themselves, stayed inside their homes or businesses as if to segregate themselves from the community. It does not excuse violence, but it does add to distrust and misinformation. Not all were like this, but many are. The same thing happens in America in predominantly African American communities you will see many Chinese stores, but they do not integrate with the community.

[ForgottenFaces001]

@oakaziz as the film maker i agree with you and the statements made by mr kong but let me pose a question to you. if you were in a place where the general populace could be so volatile and violent and you were part of a minority that was not in general mixing and assimilating well with the general populace would you not stay to yourself in your home with people of your background when you know that at any moment violence could be inflicted upon you?

[oakaziz]

@ForgottenFaces001 To answer your question, no. However, they were not always threatened. Where I lived in JA there were few Asians and they completely segregated themselves from others. They had a store and they lived above the store, they seldom left the store or interacted with others in the community unless of course it was when they were taking your money when you made a purchase. That is no way to behave, you can't go to another persons country and behave as if you are better than them.

[ForgottenFaces001]

@oakaziz all of the Jamaican Chinese i meet 9 times out of 10 in the kingston area are not chinese but Jamaican chinese but in st james there is a new migration of chinese from china and they follow the old pattern we spoke about in this doc. i do not justify rude exploitation of any nation but still i try to see both sides of the story and realize there are 2 stories to tell. thank you for watching

[timaliceetbouqui]

@oakaziz

I agree with you. But forgottenfaces has serious problem to stand for a good debate.

[ForgottenFaces001]

@timaliceetbouqui no one disagreed it was not a debate i simply posed a question. my films pose more questions i allow the viewer you to debate and come to your own conclusion i am not a evangelist and i am not out to convert just share different ideas, facts, feelings and i allow you to come to your own conclusion.

[ForgottenFaces001]

@sherrxyz I am glad you never faced any of the things mentioned in this documentary and as you heard if you watched the full documentary we said most Jamaicans believe in unity and are accepting of other races and cultures. and nobody said anyone should stop loving Jamaica it simply states some Jamaicans have faced prejudice as expressed by some of the people from seaford town and the chinese riots were very real events it may not be your experience but it is the experience of some.

[ForgottenFaces001]

@Ilove718BK the documentary simply states that there were racial frictions with certain communities in Jamaica in its history and talks about the reasons it happened that is all.

[oakaziz]

@lolmmmlol You need to shut up. Your obvious bias and ignorance shouts stupidity. Jamaica is majority black so majority for criminals are black. As far as America, racism is part of the reason why there are less whites in prison. Whites get less time for the same crimes and are often times acquitted even though guilty. There are judges in America who take money to send people to jails, Google it if you do not believe. Now please shut up.

[MsColdCanada]

What that man said about it being the only nation where different ethnicities sit together in restaurants and things was ignorant. He has clearly never been to Canada.

[lolmmmlol]

to all jamaicans that are going to complain about the minorities, remember, there the ones not breaking into homes, shooting people, selling drugs, most of the crime in jamaica is caused my blacks (same with the US), most of the corrupted politicans in jamaica are black, and most of the minorities that are in jamaica are rich, but they worked hard, same of the rich black jamaicans, and there happens to be more rich black jamaicans than white jamaicans