POSTCARDS

Wish you were here...

JACulture.com hearts all Jamaicans, those Jamaicans in Jamaica and those abroad. In case you didn’t know (though not quite sure how you could not), there are now more Jamaicans living outside of Jamaica than those on the Rock. In our Postcards series we feature Jamaicans in the diaspora, whose bodies may be far away but whose hearts are always with us.

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...From St. Charles, MO, USA
My Name is Andrea and I'm Proud to be Jamaican!

Below is an article contributed by Andrea Lyons, Jamaican living in the United States. Andrea who left Jamaica at 13 now works for Siemens as Price Book Manager and is a wife and mother.

Andrea, Jamaican in Missouri

My name is Andrea and I'm proud to be Jamaican.

I say this because I was recently shocked to discover that not many expatriates feel the same way.

In 1987, I was 13 years old when my immediate family and I migrated to the US. I could tell you I was excited, but I will not. When you are that young, you are comfortable with the life to which you've grown accustomed and change is hard.

So, some might wonder, “Well, how was it really?” Let us just say it was quite a surprise.

Did you know that I did not have to stand when a teacher addressed me in school? In fact, I stood and everyone laughed, even the teacher.

Did you know that most folks used time-out as punishment and there were no spankings in schools? I must say I did not really miss this but the children here seemed more out of control than what I was accustomed to at Rose Garden Prep and Immaculate Conception High School. It seemed to me that neighbors did not really look out for other people's kids and that families did not live as close to each as I was accustomed to seeing. Respect seemed a four -letter word and people were so unfriendly that I dared not get lost.

To say my move was a culture shock is an understatement. We will not even talk about the difference in the weather and the fact that I almost froze my ‘tukus’ off walking in the snow in a skirt and tennis shoes.

Although we moved to New York when I was just thirteen, I am proud to say that we have kept the values and the lessons; that we recognise the positive influence of being Jamaican and the importance of being proud of our culture.

In Jamaica I would see women leaving their very humble homes, little more than shacks, on their way to church, fully dressed in Sunday best, complete with hat -walking with pride with Bibles under their arms.

Andrea in Jamaica on vacation with son Toby

Granted my views and memory are the purest of all as I was only a child when I left, but those are the best memories as those memories are untainted with negativity. It is true that Jamaica has probably changed over the last 20 years and things may not be entirely the same. Nevertheless, is it not also true that there is a reason many people with the opportunity to move, choose to stay. Many people still hold the values of our little island very dear. Many people, like me, still practice the core values learned while living in Jamaica.

Being Jamaican has taught me HOW TO CARE

Being Jamaican has taught me DISCIPLINE

Being Jamaican has taught me RESPECT

Being Jamaican has taught me about HARD WORK

Being Jamaican has taught me about PRIDE

So, although I am a United States citizen and I have lived here for over 20-years, when someone asks me where I am from, I say, I AM PROUD TO BE JAMAICAN.