Aug. 17–23, 2012 • <strong>Caribbean</strong> <strong>Life</strong> • <strong>Brooklyn</strong>/Staten Island • Page 28Jamaicans ‘Glean’ notice in Canada & UKJamaicans living in theUnited Kingdom andCanada are no lessjubilant about theircontribution to enhancingcultural pride in the black,green and gold banner.Some claim that nationalsresiding throughout theworld have always knownthat their ‘featherweightisland has the heart andpunch of a super heavyweight.”According to a report inthe island’s Gleaner, “Whilelarger neighbors in the<strong>Caribbean</strong> and Latin Americahave been torn apartby revolution and civilwar, Jamaica is one of theworld’s longest-standingdemocracies.”The article cites Jamaicahas produced world leadersin politics; world renownedintellectuals and artists,and supplied millions ofimmigrants to build “developed”countries all over theworld.It is the third largestisland in the <strong>Caribbean</strong>,behind Cuba and Hispaniola— Haiti and the DominicanRepublic.Jamaica was the firstcountry to impose economicsanctions against theapartheid regime of SouthAfrica; it was the founderof the International BauxiteAssociation and spearheadedthe International SeabedAuthority, which both nowhave their headquartersin Kingston. The authorityorganizes and controlsall mineral-related activitiesin the international seabedarea beyond the limits ofnational jurisdiction, anarea underlying most of theworld’s oceans.Jamaica is the first countryto sign a grant agreementon a global fund tofight AIDS, tuberculosis andmalaria.The island nation haswon the most world andInside <strong>Life</strong>By Vinette K. PryceOlympic sporting medalsover all others in the <strong>Caribbean</strong>.In 1688, Jamaica was thefirst British colonial territoryto establish a postalservice. Black River in St.Elizabeth, then an extremelyimportant port, got electricityin 1893, before NewYork.Part of the island’simpact comes from thelarge number of Jamaicanswho have migrated to otherparts of the world.More or less twice asmany Jamaicans live outsideJamaica than reside intheir native land.The official count is 2.7million residents on theisland.It is estimated the Jamaicandiaspora is estimated tobe between three and fivemillion.These immigrants anddescendants predominantlylive in Canada, the UnitedStates and the United Kingdom.However, increasingnumbers Jamaicans arebecoming a growing populationin other parts ofEurope and in Africa.The island’s population isethnically diverse. Accordingto the University of theWest Indies, Jamaica’s ethnicmake-up consists of 76.3percent of people of Africandescent, 15.1 percent Afro-European, 3.4 percent EastIndian and Afro-East-Indian,3.2 percent Caucasian,1.2 percent Chinese. Thereare 424,000 Jamaicans ofJewish ancestries.Jews were among the firstimmigrants from Europe toJamaica. They arrived therewith Christopher Columbusfrom Portugal and Spainwhen they fled the SpanishInquisition in the 1400s.Jamaican workers helpedto build the Panama Canal.They worked in the sugarcane fields of Cuba; theapple orchards of the USAand Canada and enhancedBritain’s post World War IIrecovery in rebuilding thepublic transport system andthe health sector.A long list of Jamaicansimpacted the Canadianeconomy.If a child has surgery atToronto’s Hospital for SickChildren, it may well be performed,either by a Jamaicanor a doctor trained by aJamaican who is a professorof pediatrics at the Universityof Toronto.Most recent estimates ofthe number of Jamaicansin Canada are as high as300,000 people.Jamaicans first immigratedto Canada in 1796,when 600 or so JamaicanMaroons were deportedfrom Jamaica to Nova Scotiafollowing their rebellionagainst the British.In the last three decades,three ministers in theOntario cabinet have beenJamaicans.They include: JamaicanbornJames Curling, Ministerof Housing, Ministerof Skills Development andthe first Black to be namedSpeaker of the House.He was also the first BlackAmbassador to the DominicanRepublic.Mary Anne Chambers,born in Jamaica, and aformer senior vice-presidentof Scotia Bank, was the LiberalMinister of Training,Colleges and Universitiesand, later, Minister of Childrenand Youth Services.Margarette Best is ministerfor Health Promotions.Links between Jamaicaand Canada go the otherway, too.The Bank of Nova Scotiawas established in Jamaicain 1889, before it came toToronto. It was the first foreignoperation of a Canadianbank outside of the U.S.or the U.K.The impact of Jamaicanson other countries has beendescribed as profound.In Britain, Diane Abbottwas the first Black womanelected to that country’sHouse of Commons, as aLabor Party MP.
Grace Eye CareTry us and you will stay with us $40 $20 $10 Tue-Fri: Sat: 9am - 5pmClosed - Sundays & MondaysPage 29 • <strong>Caribbean</strong> <strong>Life</strong> • <strong>Brooklyn</strong>/Staten Island • Aug. 17–23, 2012T: Fax: 718-826-20221615 Cortelyou Road (Bet. East 17th & 16th St.)<strong>Brooklyn</strong>, NY 11226www.graceeyecare.netInsurances AcceptedDavis Vision, VSP, UFT, Eye Med, 1199, Vision Screening, Spectera, Wellcare, Amerigroup,Americhoice, HealthPlus, HealthFirst, Affinity,Neighborhood, Medicare, Medicaid,Metro Plus, Fidelis, United Health Care, Organizations of Staff Analysts, Cigna,NYC Management Benefit Fund, Verizon, 32BJ, Emblem Health & many more.
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