Keeping that Caribbean Connection .
by Eva Greene-Wilson, Trinidad & Tobago via Washington DC
I
f you live outside of NY, DC, MD, VA, or parts of Canada, it may be hard to keep your kids connected to their Caribbean roots. I grew up in a Caribbean home in America with both parents from Trinidad and Tobago. I knew as I got older that my home was very different from other kids homes. I eventually found out that many of the words used in my home were not even (what the US would consider) “real” words ! We grew up in the south where, at the time, there was no real Caribbean community. By the time my son was three, he had been to SOMEBODY’S Carnival every year from Atlanta to DC (his “diaper wine” is still a favorite family story). When we moved to DC, I was determined to get him
154 | B3 PARENTING MAGAZINE |
connected. Here are a few things that I do as a Caribbean American mom to get and keep my kids connected and aware of their Caribbean heritage. We support Caribbean restaurants – and take the kids. There is nothing like my cousins roti, buss up, and curry mango, but if we are away from her, we try to take the kids to try different Caribbean Cuisine. We play Caribbean music in the car and the house, and we all dance. If you are like me and are very careful about what the kids listen to, there are several clean (and even Christian) versions of soca, reggae, and calypso songs. Go on Rhapsody or Pandora, and make a child friendly mix-tape. We show them where they are from on the map in relation to where they live and tell them their story. Kids love to know their place on the planet, and knowing 1 0 TH A N N I V E R S A R Y I S S U E 2 0 2 2
