Month: March 2019

Hadeel Abuhamda

March 10, 2019

English 1101

 

In the Muslim community, if you would like to know if someone is lying or telling the truth, all you have to do is ask them to say “wallah”. Wallah is an Arabic word and expression which is used to make a promise by god. It holds such great credibility in the Islamic religion. Whether you speak Arabic or not, if you are in an Arabic household, the word wallah will come up quite a bit in just one day. Depending on the Arabic dialect you use in your daily life, it is also pronounced “wallahee”, but for the sake of this essay, I will be using “wallah”.

Despite it being considered disrespectful to use the word “wallah” and not be truthful, it is used quite a lot. This is where religion and culture come into play. In the Islamic religion the word “wallah” has such a strong powerful meaning behind it. Misuse of this expression will be considered profane. It is as if you are lying in the name of god. Religiously, this word is only used when it absolutely has to be used, to let the other person know that you are telling the truth. It is a way to make a point of yours, valid. It is a sin to use the phase and follow it up with a lie. Arabic speakers most commonly use this phrase to swear by something. Arabic speaking muslims consider it as the most divine way to confirm something without the need of actual proof. Sometimes this word can be intensified by using it on yourself. For example, “wallah on my soul”.

Now, using the word culturally is a different story. The word “wallah” will be in almost every single sentence when speaking to another Arabic speaker. Even non-Arabic speakers use this word. Sometimes it could be used in the beginning of a sentence to start it off and also at the end of a sentence to end it. It can also be used in different ways depending on the tone you say it in. People nowadays can use wallah and mean, “I promise.” or “are you serious!?” And of course “I swear to god”.

 

 

Mia Carter

 

Growing up, it wasn’t uncommon for people to assume Im white or hispanic. Or the case be that i’m actually mixed. But, in my family we are all mutts.

The word mutt is used in many ways. Being derogatory word used to call a racehorse slow in poor condition, to call a dog that is mixed bread, a person who is awkward and ignorant, an unattractive woman. But the word is also used in a derogatory word against people of mixed race. The world’s history lies as another insult. It comes from the word “muttonhead,” another American word that also means”fool.” “Muttonhead” had been around since the early 19th century.   

 

Coming form a family where everyone is mixed isn’t something surprising to me. There was always something new and different to try from each and every part of the family that was different. Growing up in a neighborhood were people were mostly black, hispanic and asian you always get you’re just white or you’re hispanic. And telling people people i’m not hispanic was always a surprise for them, “ like really you’re not hispanic? Like not at all not even part?” my answer is always no. I have to explain that i’m mixed that i’m half polish and half african american. People’s second reaction is always “ you’re WHAT? You’re black, you don’t look black? Wow you really are a damn mutt.” Hearing the word mutt always has a different affect on me based on the person that says it. In my family we call each other mutts that’s because we know what we are and we aren’t saying it as a bad thing. But when some people say it, the word always comes off different. You feel like they’re talking bad about you like wow you aren’t origional. Like have you ever felt different or bad because you wasn’t the same as your friends. One thing that is big is what side do you take. Like for me its like i’m i going to choose my polish side more then my african american side when it comes to things or i’m i going to be a “mutt” and be my own self.

 

Have you ever been called a mutt? I have been called a mutt, Oreo,( polabalk) because I’m half polish and half black, mixed baby and some others. All these names have the same thing in common someone being multiracial. However some of these names make us feel unwanted, uncomfortable and just confused about who we want to be.

Kalissa Ortiz                                                                                                                     

                                                                     BDD

   Body Dysmorphia: a disorder that causes a person to have a distorted image of their appearance.

Ever since I was in Fourth grade I started focusing on things I’ve never focused on before. Being a fourth grader someone would think that I would not have anything to worry about, that my focus should just be on being a kid. But I was never that kid, I remember standing in front of the mirror bare and naked looking at my body. I used to call myself fat and wondered how can boys even have the slightest liking towards me. In fourth grade I weighed a whopping 70 Lbs, one might think that any child at the age of 9 should not even remotely think about their weight especially at 70 Lbs. I look at pictures now and alway wondered why I had that mindset at such a young age. But that’s how it all started. Along to four years after, I still seemed to run into the same problems. I was growing into myself, I had a lot more junk to deal with, but because of this my issues didn’t seem to subside. I weighed about 115 Lbs at the age of 13 and looking back i can imagine my old self almost bawling at how much I weighed. I’ve never developed any eating disorder but now no matter how skinny or fatter I got, my body image never changed. And again cut to four years today when I’m writing this, I came to terms that this disorder was something that I obtained for years and never knew I had it. Many people will say that I’m just another girl with a self body image issue like every other millennial, well they wouldn’t be wrong. After my constant back and forth with inflicting self hatred on to myself I found myself in a position where no matter how much layers of clothing to put on (my fat suit) to help cover up everything I hated about my body wasn’t doing me any good. Also I found myself having trials where I  would not care about how I looked and just wore whatever the hell I wanted. Than the next all of sudden a bomb hit me and I was back to covering up every inch I despised about my body. But slowly after years of my silent suffering I finally had a moment where I realized that if I can’t accept who I am than I have to change it, or if I don’t do anything to change myself and change my body than well I have to accept it. And of course I choose the second because I like to eat, but even though the second choice still makes me suffer from time to time I know that I still need to work on my self image. And I know essays like these are suppose to talk about what we’ve suffered and how we’ve overcome them, but I can’t seem to write a lie that I’ve overcome my struggles of Body Dysmorphia because everyday it’s a new struggle that I have to deal with that I’m slowly trying to solve. My Body Dysmorphia represents me and the community around me who also suffer from this too. I always felt so alone for a very long time, i thought i was the only one who suffering. Until i got older and found out what it was it made sense and made me realize that i wasn’t alone. All my life i have struggled with this and for a very long time i found myself just wanting to escape from my own self. This disorder has kept me from going to school sometimes because of the psychological effects it had on me. And then when finding a community that knew how i felt i didn’t hate myself as much. Occasionally it comes back with vengeance but it doesn’t seem to scare me as much.

“Boricua”

 

Being born and raised in the Bronx, Boricua is a term that is commonly heard. It is used to describe someone who is Puerto Rican, especially one who is currently living in the United States. But, behind just this single word, is chock full of rich history, and culture.  But, NYC holds a significant place in terms of the growth and spread of Puerto Rican-Boricua culture. From the food, to the music, and everything in between, it is obvious that the term Boricua is not used in a derogatory or malicious way. In fact, it is the opposite, and it signifies everything that our ancestors did to get us to the position we are in today.

The history of Puerto Rico is actually very interesting. Puerto Rico’s independence was present, but quite short lived. “Only one year after Spain granted Puerto Rico self-rule, American troops raise the U.S. flag over the Caribbean nation, formalizing U.S. authority over the island’s one million inhabitants.”  At the time, this took place, its population was one million. In July, of 1898, this is when the United States formed an invasion of Puerto Rico. The result was known as the ‘Spanish-American War’. This was because Puerto Rico was a territory of Spain that time, and the U.S wanted it for themselves. In about August, of 1898, the land was secured. Later on, in December, a treaty was signed, known as the ‘Treaty of Paris’. This treaty ended the Spanish-American War, and subsequently officially gave up Puerto Rico to the U.S. What changes this would mean for these peoples lives, as well as the  ‘soon to be’ boom in economy both in Puerto Rico and in the United States, was unbeknownst to both parties at the time.

Only a few years after Puerto Rico becoming a U.S territory, citizens of Puerto Rico were able to migrate into the U.S. This was is 1917. But, it was later on in the century, when the highest rate of migration of Puerto Ricans to the United States took place. This was known as ‘The Great Migration’. This historical event occurred in the 1950’s and 1960’s. “The governments of both the United States and Puerto Rico encouraged Puerto Ricans to come to the United States to ease unemployment on the island.” With the backing of both the Puerto Rican, as well as the United States government, as well as the erection of the Commonwealth Office, Puerto Rican emigration was at an all time high. In fact,  “Between 1990 and 2000, the Puerto Rican population in the United States grew by 24.9%—from 3.2 million to 3.6 million.”.

But of course, things didn’t stop there. In fact, by 2003, “there were more Puerto Ricans living in the United States than on the island of Puerto Rico—3.8 million on the mainland and 3.6 million in Puerto Rico”. Now, the cause of such a huge influx of people, all from the same place-in such short period of time can be explained. Recessions, back on the island, as well as job booms in the United States were all attributing factors to the large amounts of Puerto Ricans migrating here. The fact that it was so easy for Puerto Ricans to travel to, and from the island to the mainland made relocating to the U.S much more appealing. To this day, New York is still home to one of the largest populations of Boricuas on the East Coast.

Despite the citizenship and fact that Puerto Rico is affiliated with the U.S, Boricuas still faced struggles, and hardships. One living example of such stories is a man by the name Jesus Colon. This is  man whose story is truly inspiring….(goes into Jesus’ story, discrimination, and how he goes on to document his stories of being born in puerto rico, and moving to NYC)

 

Among the words that are very important to my family, my culture and me, there is the word “Burkindi”. By definition, it means the quality of being honest, diligent, having humility, generosity and dignity. In other words, it is the art of being irreproachable. This word derived from the name of my country “Burkina Faso”, a land locked country in Ouest Africa. “Burkina Faso” is in Moore language (spoken by more than fifty percent of my county’s population), means country of honest men. Over there people tend to put a lot of importance in how we should live and treat each other. Culture wise, we try very hard to be as perfect as possible. Burkindi was widely used by one of my country’s leaders, Thomas Sankara. He was betrayed by one of own close and childhood friend Blaise Compaore who later on took over and became president. In almost all speeches Thomas Sankara gave throughout his presidency, he mentioned about being strong, honest and generous towards others and defined all of this with one word “Burkindi”. He furthermore mentioned that Burkindi should be the biggest wealth in poor countries.

In addition to mutual respect, that our worthy president encouraged his compatriots to have one another, he also wanted us to adopt principles that will reflect our dignity for a better future. The word Burkindi also encourages Burkinabés (inhabitants of Burklina Faso) to adopt other morals and behaviors among which I can quote the total respect towards the older people. In fact, while greeting older people, it is more respectful to kneel.

One more person, who also praised the word Burkindi and spreaded its usage among our culture, is Norbert Zongo, a Burkinabé investigative journalist who worked for a news company “L’independent”. He was one of those who fought for the country’s development and perpetuating the values of our cultures, customs, social behaviors, cultural events and education. However, as everywhere in the world, some people just can’t be like others and will do what we are all fighting hard to prevent.He was also know for his integrity and desire to put light in every shaded spot. His hard work paid off as he was able to expose some conspiracy, impunity and extortion within the government of Burkina Faso. That conspiracy was related to the President Blaise Compaoré. His Newspaper investigated the murder of a driver who had worked for the brother of the president Blaise Compaore. He was close to proving that the driver was tortured and killer by people close to the president and was assassinated. After his murder, regarding all he did throughout his career, his oeuvre must be kept alive and what he fought for, “Burkindi”, praised.

Many other brave men have helped to preserve and perpetuate our cultural value in many ways, but for those two individuals who lost their lives in the struggle will be honored and “Burkindi” will also be more important to us Burkinabes. This had a very big impact in the population and the sayings “Burkindi” will be kept in their mind forever.

What is (a) bacchanal? The Oxford English Dictionary defines bacchanal as “A wild and drunken celebration”. The word originates from the mid 16^th century. It derives from the Latin word bacchanalis, but is most popularly known to come from the god Bacchus; the Roman God of wine. To me and the Trinidadian community the word bacchanal primarily means both drama and to party. It is rarely used outside of the Trini community, yet it is all around us. From the streets to the school to the workplace to the household people are either in conflict or having a good time.

Trinidad is a Caribbean island that is located in the West Indies. The accent and slang of the Trinidadian people is like a language of its own. It flows up and down beautifully, but can also get a little annoying. Trini language has an English base, but is also made up of words and phrases from African, East Indian, Amerindian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and other languages. It is so complex to learn and sometimes understand for outsiders, but is very entertaining to search up the abundance of different words. One Trini word you should know is bacchanal. It is widely used throughout he country and among it’s people.

So how does the Trini community use bacchanal? Any drama or conflict in Trinidad is bacchanal. It is a fight between two or more people; either verbal, physical or even both. Picture two sides of a family who recently lost their loved one. The deceased loved one has left a piece of property to one side of the family. The other side is jealous and feels like they deserve a share of the property because of the role that they played in their loved one’s life. They get into a huge argument and battle verbally and legally for the land. A Trini bystander will see this drama as a big bacchanal.

Bacchanal is used frequently with drama, but another substantial meaning is a big party, event or celebration. One specific bacchanal is the biggest celebration in Trinidad which is Carnival. Carnival is held on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. People travel from all across the globe to party during carnival for day on end. They wear colorful costumes and parade through the streets while music blares and entertains the masses. The music that is most popular during this event includes calypso and soca.

Carnival originated through slaves who worked in French plantations. Back in the 18^th century French plantation owners threw masquerades and balls. Slaves were not allowed to participate so they created their own celebration called Canboulay. They would beat bamboo sticks together and later used frying pans, lids and oil barrels as drums in order to create what is now the popular music calypso which now uses steelpans. Canoublay has turned into Carnival over the years. The Spanish also celebrated Carnival while Trinidad was a Spanish colony. The Spanish thought of the word bacchanal as carnival, which they celebrated in Trinidad like the French. Carnival is known as the biggest Bacchanal in Trinidad up to today.

To sum it up, bacchanal is a significant word in Trinidad culture that has two big meanings. The meanings are both drama/conflict and events/celebrations. Bacchanal was originally a Latin word which originated from the Roman God of Wine; Bacchus. It is now regarded as a Trini word within the Caribbean. When people argue and fight there is big bacchanal going on. Carnival is one of the biggest bacchanals held annually. Bacchanal has two pretty opposing meanings yet they are used just as frequent.

               Guyana is the only South American nation in which English is the official language. The majority of the population, however, speak Guyanese Creole, an English-based creole language, as a first language. Guyana is part of the Anglophone Caribbean. British Guiana was the name of the British colony, part of the British West Indies, on the northern coast of South America, now known as the independent nation of Guyana.  Have you ever heard the term “Coolie” before? The word today is usually associated with the history of the Caribbean, in fact, “coolie” had been used as a slur against low-wage, immigrant laborers in the United States. “It’s widely believed that the word “coolie” is derived from the South Indian language Tamil, in which the word “kuli” means wages (“A History Of Indentured Labor Gives ‘Coolie’ Its Sting” by Lakshmi Gandhi). But the dictionary definition of coolie says we are unskilled native laborer in India, China, or some other Asian countries.

               East and South Asians that traveled to the Americas as part of a system of indentured labor used throughout the British colonies. The word would enter the English language in the 1830s, as the indentured labor system gained currency as a replacement for the use of slavery in the British Empire. Although the word “coolie” is primarily associated today with the histories of the Caribbean and South America, indentured labor was a widespread in the mid-19th century America. The workers would work for low wages and live in poor living conditions, the word “coolie” became a derogatory code for Asians in the United States. The anti-Chinese labor sentiment was so high that in 1862, Abraham Lincoln signed an “anti-coolie” bill that “banned transportation of ‘coolies’ in ships owned by citizens of the United States of America.” Chinese labor and the “coolies” would surface again during the construction of the Panama Canal. After intense initial resistance, the Theodore Roosevelt administration elected to allow “coolie labor” to work on the canal in 1906. The decision to use “coolie labor” on the canal was a reversal of course for Theodore Roosevelt. The anti-Asian sentiment that existed in the United States in the first half of the 20th century, the word “coolie” was also used by fashion designers to describe Asian inspired clothes and accessories. There were “Coolie hats”, “Coolie coats” and “coolie pajamas”. In 1950, Spring Training was about to begin, Jimmy Powers from the New York Daily accused Branch Rickey (Jackie Robinson manger) of paying his players “coolie wages” after two members of the team were reportedly asked to take pay cuts.

               (The Chinese Coolie trade) Indian workforce was brought to a halt in 1839, Guyana proprietors were pressed to consider further alternatives. According to Clementi, the first hint that British Guyana should look to China for a supply of free labour dated back to 1811 but  not until January 1853 that the first shipment of 262 Chinese ‘coolies’ arrived in the colony on board the Glentanner. Two years later migration to the colony was “suspended due to financial pressures. My parents were born and raised in Guyana and my ancestors were from India. Guyana is one of the original colonies of the British West Indies and, although not located in the Caribbean Sea. It is home to a number of ethnic and racial identities, including peoples of African, Indian, Chinese, European and Amerindian descent. Today, the word “coolie” has largely faded from use everyday life. But for many in the Caribbean community, the word is a painful reminder of the troubled history of indentured labor in the Americas.

Zevanya

Carrie Hall

1101-D355

March 10 2019

The Other Side

In 2010, my family and I moved to the capital city of Indonesia also known as Jakarta. Indonesia is known to be “the world’s largest island country as well as the most populous Muslim-majority country.” (Wikipedia) After living in Indonesia for the past eight years and coming back to my original hometown, New York, I realized so many differences in terms of culture, beliefs and the society. I attended a private international school back in Jakarta and spent most of my childhood and teenage years as an Indonesian. Whenever my friends asked me if I considered myself as an Indonesia or an American I would always say that I’m Indonesian American. They always teased me that I don’t even know my own ethnicity because I was basically raised more in Indonesia than I was in the U.S so I SHOULD acknowledge myself as an Indonesian only. I found it frustrating at times because who gave them the right to categorize what I am base on THEIR point of view.

This is where my story or may I say, our story began as Indonesians that are perceived a certain way by most people. Around a year ago, I was in a car with my best friend, her parents and her parents’ friend (Tante T). We were on our way to a teacher’s wedding reception when we stumbled upon a homeless person on the street asking for change. I clearly remember her parent’s friend said, “tuh kan karena orang-orang inilah negara Indonesia enggak maju. Yah boleh dibilang sampah-masyarakat kita la” (this is why Indonesia never improve economic wise, it’s because of these poor people. I guess you can say, they’re basically our society’s trash) I was fueled with so much anger and annoyance because do you think they wanted to be poor? Are you saying that just because YOU’RE MORE PRIVILEGED you have the right to talk down at them? Have you ever tried to understand them instead of blaming them? I wanted to ask her all of these questions so eagerly but it was considered very disrespectful to talk back at elders and they would say how “young people’s” opinions are invalid because they are young and reckless.

When I first heard the word “sampah masyarakat” I never really understood if it was just referring to the homeless people or were there more communities under this category. I then brought up this word to my mom and asked her what it truly meant. She said that it indirectly means outcasts or in direct translation society’s trash. She then started to explain how in Indonesia it wasn’t just the homeless but prostitutes and children out of wedlock(anak di luar nikah) as well. I would be lying if I say I have no problem with young females or males becoming prostitutes but behind every title, there’s a story. A story that not many know or care to know because a majority of Indonesians judge you from the outside either way.

In the article “The Two main Causes of Poverty in Indonesia and the Need for Further Progress” by The Borgen Project, states that corruption and unstable food prices, especially rice, plays an enormous role on poverty. “According to the Global Corruption Barometer’s report in 2017, 25 percent of Indonesians reported having paid a bribe to obtain identification documents…” (Project, 2017, p. 3) Also, “food prices in Indonesia are difficult to be handled for two reasons: First, Indonesia has significantly low farm productivity because of the outdated technology and a lack of progress in new crop development. Second, Indonesia cannot immediately accept more imports if there is a shortage of food supplies.” (Project, 2017, p. 4).
Is it possible for ‘Tante T’ and every other Indonesian to understand the REAL reason behind our poverty? In fact, the homeless people are the victims, not the cause.

Not only are the homeless people victims but so are prostitutes. As I’ve mentioned earlier, most citizens of Indonesia are Muslim and the remaining population is either Christian, Catholic, Buddhist or Hindu. In other words, Indonesia is a very religious country which is what makes it so diverse but how is it possible for a country that implements numerous norms and values have prostitution as the most grossing career? According to Pomchertchoo, “it becomes clear that poverty remains a key driver that leads individuals and even families into prostitution.” (p. 10)

Works Cited
Promchertchoo, Pichayada. “Indonesia’s Sex Trade ‘Impossible’ to Shut Down.” Channel NewsAsia, 27 Aug. 2018, www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/indonesia-s-sex-trade–impossible–to-shut-down-8009820?cid=youtube_cna_social_29012018_cna.
Project, The Borgen. “The Two Main Causes of Poverty in Indonesia and the Need for Further Progress.” BORGEN, 3 Aug. 2017, www.borgenmagazine.com/causes-of-poverty-in-indonesia/.
“Indonesia.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 6 Mar. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesia.

“La gringa.” “La blanquita.” Si ustedes supieran que yo como plátanos así como ustedes. Growing up, it wasn’t uncommon for people to assume I was white. Or in the case where they figured out I was hispanic, it was “Oh!, you’re Mexican?”  But, in my family I am the gringa.

The word gringo/a can be used in so many different ways. It can be used to broadly and inoffensively refer to a group of U.S citizens. In another context, you would call a person this if they didn’t speak spanish or aren’t in touch with their latino roots. The origin of the word is honestly hazy. There are so many different theories regarding where it came from. People believe  that it came from Mexican-American War in 1846. This is because American troops were dressed in green uniforms and were often told “green go home.” But, then there’s numbers of theories that point further back to the 17th and 18th centuries about the word being a Spanish (as in from Spain) derivative of “peregrino” or pilgrim, and of “griego,” from an expression of “it’s like you’re speaking Greek” or being misunderstood. In other words, this means the term  originally didn’t refer to people from the United States. Don’t get me wrong though, use it in the wrong context and this word can be offensive. As Coates pointed out in his article “In Defense of a Loaded Word”, it’s all about context and relationships.

At home, no one was fluent in english. This meant I had to learn english on my own because at 4 years old, I would be starting school. Thanks to Dora, her cousin Diego, Blue’s Clues, and Sesame Street, I learned the basics so I wasn’t completely lost at school. As I learned more in school, I started forgetting Spanish. I mean I was about 7 years old trying to balance two languages, gotta cut me some slack. As time went on, my spanish wasn’t the best. I was officially la gringa. Although my family didn’t mean it in an offensive way, it didn’t make me feel the best. I felt that calling me that, excluded me from the family or even the culture. I will admit that I don’t look like most Dominicans, more specifically the ones in my family. My skin complexion is much lighter, my hair doesn’t curl, and I don’t tan I get sunburned. But, I think my family sometimes forgets that I am mixed. My dad was Panamanian so there’s that.

Now, in Dominican Republic a foreigner is identified because of their behavior, dressing preference, and brands on their belongings. In D.R, there are even songs made about gringas, like about marrying one to get out of the country and live a better life. In D.R, more than one-fourth of the workforce is unemployed.  With basic services like electricity, water, and public transportation becoming so unreliable, living in the U.S is a luxurious life. Let’s not even start on the violence and corruption that lives in this country. To them, los gringos have it all. Although we may not have the same problems as them, the truth is most of us are miserable. Even with all of the economical problems and the violence, Dominicans are still full of life. A Dominican can be unemployed, living in un campo, and you’ll still see them posted up outside a bodega with a Presidente saying, “Hoy se bebé coño.” with a big ass smile on their face. In the U.S, depression is a big thing. Yeah, they might be jealous of our economical stature but I’m jealous of the cultural difference. Over there, everyone knows each other. While here in the U.S, half of us don’t even know our neighbors. Bottom line is, us gringos go through it too mi gente. We don’t have it all and we don’t live a perfect life either. It’s hard out here too.

Nina Darbonne

Dr. Carrie Hall

English Comp 1 1101-D355

12 March 2019

Creole

Growing up in Jackson Heights I’ve been surrounded by a diverse melting pot of cultures. Take a walk down 74th Street and Roosevelt Avenue and you will be assaulted with the smell of spices that is heavy in the air. But wander a few blocks over and Mariachi music can be heard mingling in with blaring announcements from La mega noventa y siete punto nueve. The smells wafting through the air comes from pop-up taco stands, food trucks, shopping carts, you name it and we have it converted into a food dispensing vehicle. It doesn’t stop there though we have a further break down in our realm of Hispanic cultures, because everyone knows in my neighborhood they can’t all be lumped together. This is painfully apparent with the different Latin pride parades that block off Northern Blvd damn near every Sunday during the Summer. Ecuadorian, Colombian, El Salvadorian, Mexican, Puerto Rican, and last but not least Dominican. The Spanish community is probably the largest component in Jackson Heights at the moment. However, we do still have our tiny group of hipsters and the power of their influence is apparent in the solitary Starbucks that sprang up a few years back on 37th Avenue amidst the slew of Spanish bakeries.

My family is from Louisiana, but we feel quite cozy in Jackson Heights. My grandma always said the myriad of different cultures reminded her of home back in New Orleans. No there aren’t revolving Latin pride parades and richly Indian spice scented areas down South. However, down South the mixture of cultures is more a blast from the past that is still prevalent today in the Creole and Cajun populations.

Now a brief cultural history: New Orleans, Louisiana commonly referred to as “NOLA” by many natives of the region; has a rich history that affects the makeup of the culture to this day. Creole people of NOLA are the result of a melting pot of several cultures. The term “creole” ties its roots to “the sixteenth century to identify descendants of French, Spanish, or Portuguese settlers living in the West Indies and Latin America.” (Countries and their Cultures) The actual genesis of the word “creole” may have Spanish or Portuguese roots. One theory being, “the word Creole comes from the Spanish word, criollo, which roughly translates to native or local. People used this term to describe things that were part of the New World during the time that the Spanish and French controlled Louisiana.” (WiseGeek) However, another possibility is “the term ‘Creole’ derives from the Portuguese word crioulo, which means a slave born in the master’s household.” (Countries and their Cultures)

Another prominent group of people found in western Louisiana are the Cajuns. The difference between Creoles and Cajuns revolves around migration history of the two groups. Creoles are essentially the product of the merging of several different cultures as Louisiana was colonized. However, Cajuns are said to have travelled from Canada and settled in Louisiana. Another subtle difference is the language utilized by either group. “Although both types of people use French as a basis for their speech, Creoles rely more heavily on other languages.” (WiseGeek) Additionally, most Cajuns are Catholic; while many Creoles practice Catholicism, elements from influencing cultures are often present. This is evident as “some people… lean toward Native American spirituality, using medicinal healing. Others focus on folk religions from Africa or the Caribbean. In some cases, individuals mix a little bit of everything together, using an eclectic combination of prayer, voodoo, charms, candles and ‘wild’ church services that emphasize being ‘possessed’ by the spirit.” (WiseGeek) Wasn’t that enlightening and refreshing.

 

Works Cited:

 

“Creoles.” Countries and Their Cultures, www.everyculture.com/multi/Bu-Dr/Creoles.html.

 

Hobby, Jessica, and Bronwyn Harris. “What Is the Difference Between Creole and Cajun?” WiseGEEK, Conjecture Corporation, 4 Feb. 2019, www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-creole-and-cajun.htm.