The Beginning

I came to Jamaica at a time when my sense of cultural identity was strong and in tact. I did not expect that I would have stood out among my peers because of my cultural attire because I understood this place to be one in which people were culturally aware and very much in tune with African heritage. Surprisingly though, I did end up standing out because like back home in Belize, most students were more into the American culture which of course included the attire of the north. So far away from ourselves we have become as African people in the diaspora that I constantly have to correct people's reference to my attire as a "costume." At one time I walked into an office on campus and was asked if there was some special activity taking place. When I informed the person that I dressed that way all the time, the reaction was disbelief. Another person was convinced that over time I would change my way of dress after interacting more with students. Yet another person stopped me to request that I dress "normal" at some point. The experiences are many and I will share them as each day goes by in this blog. I will be sharing how I managed to maintain my cultural identity despite the challenges.