Why are Virgin Islanders like that? Interesting VI Source article

Hi Anita,
The article wouldn't come up for me when I went to your link. Maybe it's cuz I'm on my Mac? The page was blank.

me too......blank page!!! Windows & not mac.............

Blank as well but I found the article in the ST Thomas 'business' sidebar on the site.

I googled the author and the article title and got the article. Very interesting!

Hi,

I had the same problem but solved it by going to the regular St. John Source start page and just searching on "Source Manager's Journal". Thanks Anita for bring it to my attention. There are other interesting items that come up also.

PT

"The great African-American comedienne Moms Mabley used to start her shows by asking her (all-black audiences), "How are you doing, children?" Everyone would groan, and Moms would reply, "I know, I know, I'm tired, too." Just so there is no confusion, Moms was referring to the fatigue produced by dealing with white people. It's hard to show empathy for people who are often annoying, bring bad attitudes and whom you will probably never see again."

OK, I think by now everyone should know that I am absolutely NOT racist. I find this statement very offensive - if a white person was talking about the "fatigue" produced by dealing with black people, everyone would be crying foul. Racism is equally disgusting regardless of the colour of the person who is practicing it. What happened in the past is wrong, thinking that now gives a free-pass for any black on white racism is equally wrong. Yes, I can agree there is plenty of "fatigue" produced by dealing with people, but it has nothing to do with the colour of their skin.

Well, I re-posted the link here, but I am editing it out because it broke. Usually the system generates an easy short-link, but not this time.

I cannot get the link to stay, so I'm afraid I can only direct you thusly:

Go to www.stthomassource.com

Click "St. Thomas" beneath the Business link in the lefthand column

Select the title "Source Manager's Journal: Empathy, Management and the Productive Workplace"

Or, you may search the Source for this title or the author's name.

There is something in the long URL code that is translated into an odd emoticon, so perhaps there is an incompatibility. I've never had this problem before, but if I have it again I will email Islander.

Dear Sabrina:

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

The author is stating fact. Jim Crow laws (1876-1965) were on the books during Moms Mabley's time. The author used her predicament to illustrate life in a tourism based economy, which is true in, say, historic towns on the continent, as well as here.

People come into your realm, and their ignorance leads to what is felt to be disrespect. Or, their disdain for you leads to actual disrespect. Either way, the result is the same. Sullen antipathy on the part of many employees. This is not laziness, but actually a sort of rebellion.

I googled "Jim Crow laws" because I had never heard of them, and the information was very depressing. I don't understand why anyone would believe themselves to be better than another because of the colour of their skin. It is a shameful part of our history, and it needs to stay like that - history. What Hitler did was probably one of the most terrible things of all time, but this Thanksgiving I sat down with a group of predominantly German friends, and one old Jewish lady, old enough to remember the war. She understands that nobody in that group is responsible for the suffering of her people, so she will not blame them for it. Everyone I meet starts with an equal chance, regardless of colour, nationality or religion - it is then up to them to show me who they are.

Anita, your assessment is spot-on. Sullen antipathy. Disdain. That's the vibe I often get.

Dear Sabrina:

I share the same philosophy - until you have personally done something to me, I have no bones to pick with you. Many people do not know that in response to the emancipation of Blacks in the United States, Jim Crow laws ensured that many forms of legal discrimination existed until I was about 7 or 8 years old. As I have said before, the people who were raised to believe in this system are still alive, and they passed on their attitudes to their children. As you are an example, not all of their children bought into it, and many DID NOT teach their children these things. In fact many went out of their way to teach their children to treat everyone equally.

I find that those who react most strongly to finding out about Jim Crow laws are those who do not practice such things, and even further, thought that we'd put all of that unpleasant business behind us. To them, slavery and discrimination are in the past, and do not factor into my ability to get a job, a place to live, or social acceptance. These things do still factor into my life, but I do not place much attention on anyone who insists that I am less intelligent or honest or capable because of the color of my skin. And, the Law of Attraction says that I will always be around people who are like-minded, such as yourself.

Jules:

I was trying to bring out the essence of the article. The Moms Mabley reference was an example, and I cannot think of any other way to describe the feeling that people get when they are overrun by "outsiders". I don't have a problem with the use of the comparison; I don't think it was the least bit racist. I once heard someone on a local radio program ask, "How can you love my islands and not love me?"

We should also take into consideration that the VI has had many flags & everyone of those flags pretty much have told the people here of color what to do & when to do it. Even in freedom, it didn't/doesn't seem very free. Good news education is improving this, bad news the Continentals come down here, get drunk, raise hell & disrespect the land & its people. This is not a playground for the rich to act like wild hellions, we should remember this is some ones HOME and many with impressionable children! We move down here from the fast paced where ever & push this on the locals. Sometimes its a win win, but most times it's just another white person trying to tell me I'm wrong & so are my ideas. So even if it's a better mouse trap...........not gonna use it!!! Then maybe the local people here start to like you, open up & befriend you & .... POOF...........we're gone! Losing a friend isn't easy no matter where or who it is.

I think one of the best sayings is ............"Don't judge a book by it's cover"...................you need to open it up..........might surprise you....in a good way! So don't judge all skin colors by just that, get to know that person & respect them.

Tho I haven't time at the moment to read the article (I will asap), I get the gist from posts.
I feel so lucky to have had a Father who told us kids that whites were no better than blacks and if he ever caught us kids say the N word, we would be beat. Well, one day my sister came home with a new black boyfriend and I thought, OK, how's Dad gonna handle this? I am happy to say that this guy was treated no differently than any other white guy and welcomed into the family! Thanks Dad! 🙂

Anita, I agree that parents play a huge part. I was born in a foreign country, and raised in a multi-racial, multi-cultural society, so I feel comfortable around all kinds of people. I see skin colour the same as the colour of eyes or hair. This is reflected in the friends I have - white/black/asian etc. Spending most of my life overseas, I learned that when you are living in a foreign country you are like a guest in someone's home. You would never (I hope!) go into someone's home and start telling them what you don't like about it, and what you think they are doing wrong. If they ask your advice, you can give your opinion, criticism is just rude. I think that is a lot of the problem between the mainlanders and locals in the USVI.

I would add that once mainlanders have been here for a while, they may not adopt the culture, but they start to respect it, and, (just like the native locals) resent "outsiders' " criticisms. However, I don't think every suggestion for change is a criticism, and another point is that most people give back what they get. So, who goes first? If you are a guest in my home, you get the best I have to offer.

Sherri: That's such a great story! True account of your dad really standing by his words and not making hollow proclamations. You'd be surprised at how many folks cannot say that their parents were true to their words regarding equality and respect! (tu)

Sabrina - now I understand more of where you were coming from. I took my very first trip to Europe this past summer (what took me so long?!) and from the time I hit the international concourse in Atlanta, Georgia, I began to hear different languages in my ear. Some, I recognized, and some I sure didn't. When I got over there, I used some of my French, and a tiny bit of Spanish (to converse with Italians!) and learned a bit of Danish, and it was very much fun. I actually felt that I had "joined" the rest of the world and I highly recommend travel to a totally new country for everyone. Everyone got along - people from Africa, the Middle East, other parts of Europe and Asia spoke bits and pieces of each other's language in the interest of commerce and cooperation and it was quite beautiful. I'd been afraid to be outside of America (big chicken, me), but it was exhilarating and I wanna do it again!

Nice perspective, Juanita. I'd like to add on, but may just be repeating you - sometimes it's not what you say, but how you say it. It may be different and not overtly producing the result you would like, but declaring it "wrong" from the outset is certainly insulting to the people you meet who may have developed their own coping strategies and/or pockets of compliance by dint of their own intelligence and emotional maturity. Culturally, we are in another place, even as the U.S. flag flies overhead. I love it, but I realize that it's not for everyone.

Part 2 appeared in today's issue: http://www.onepaper.com/stjohnvi/?v=d&i=&s=Business:St.+John&p=1223612674 Very interesting.

Anita, I'm so glad you enjoyed your trip to Europe. The fact that you tried to speak the local languages means so much. Even just a "good morning/good day" and "thank you" in the appropriate language is enough to get you far, it shows that you are willing to try. Also polite greetings are important there, just as they are in the VI. We had to learn two foreign languages up to age 16, so it is unusual for someone to have absolutely no knowledge of any other language. If you are trying to communicate with someone and don't know the local language, keep trying different ones until you hit one that you have in common! However, woe betide anyone who goes to Paris and doesn't know any french......LOL!

Anita, I'm so glad you enjoyed your trip to Europe.... However, woe betide anyone who goes to Paris and doesn't know any french......LOL!

You know, I have heard that! When I went through the airport in Paris, I started to take off my shoes (as was required in Atlanta), and the French agent said, "We don't do that in France, put your shoes back on!" while laughing.

Also, I was in the hands of Air France going over the ocean and coming back, and was treated very nicely. Tasty eats!

The emergence of the typical hellion in shows within main stream may have a lot to do with perceptions of what a vacations should be like and how we should act. e.g. Tom Greene, hip hop singers, girls gone wild, MTV spring break, and much more. I saw MTV spring break as a child, and thought it would be fun. I believe the kids today expect it. Older tourists expect McDonald, and Applebees service, that is fast, no problems, no culture, no involvement with the people around them; and that their dollar is worth "a lot" and they could go somewhere else if they are treated poorly. Its too bad, because I'm treated like a tourist where ever I go on the island, because of they way "American" tourists normally act here. When I travel to other international destinations where, for example Australians, Germans, Swiss, and many other countries are the main tourists (not Americans), I am treated differently by the locals. I feel bad for the locals here that have to put up with the MTV culture and were sold that Mc Donalds and Pizza Hut is needed here to bring in more money. Rather it would be perfect to have the locals speak their language so I have to learn to say hello, along with good old local places that instill the values, culture, and traditions of these islands, there by forcing tourists to assimilate to "Rome". I was surprised to see all the Americanized things on St Thomas and I see exactly why people treat me the way they do. The worst part is that I will probably go somewhere in Asia, etc, when this journey here is over. Mainly because the American culture with thneeds, yes I said "thneeds" Ipods, cars, Burger King, trinkets, TVs, and much more has not made it there yet. Mexico feels like STT, and STT feels like California. It's up to the society here to allow the tourists to act the way they do or not; The drunk girl on top of the bar can be asked to step down. A drunk bar dancing girl would look like a fool in many other countries, but why not here? The way employees are treated and their defiant actions in response, was interesting. I always wonder if someone at a fast food place spit in my burger, but never wonder about it at the "mom and pop" shops where the owner works there. p.s. I love our country, I carry a Canadian flag when I travel, love Obama, and hope things will change so we don't end up like Rome.

some guy 18, I am blown away by your perspective. I'd like to think that as a world traveler you have a wider view. It's unfortunate, but as a born American I feel that we tend to expect others to "come over" to us, and we rarely are taught to extend ourselves outward.

I hope that with the election of Barack Obama to the U.S. Presidency (our first Black-and-White president), we will see the example of someone who respects other ways of life as our own should likewise be respected. It will be interesting. Many around the world feel that America is "growing up", and I do, too!