My grandfather was a white Jamaican born in seaford town. He moved to Canada in the 1950s and had children and that's why I'm just a white Canadian now but nobody knows we immigrated from Jamaica
I spent a good amount of time in Montego Bay but as a White American I never heard of this quaint little place. I'm a fourth German myself. These Ger-maicans are so simple and humble, really beautiful people. I'm touched. Seaford Town. Who knows? Maybe I have some distant relatives there. After all we are just one big human family. If we could just be one Big Loving Family 👪 ❤.
Wow! I feel so sad for the German-Jamaicans. This is enlightenment for me too a Jamaican of African descent. I wondered why they did not try to preserve some of the language. I think it is a result of the past as the African and other groups also lost their language preserving only a few words. I think it is important for the chocolate babies LOL as he said to know their German heritage. Thank God some one is now trying to record some history.
These leaders don't have a vision for the country that they lead, look at the continent of Africa, for example, the richest continent on the planet, In natural resources, yet the vast majority of people lives in poverty, the leaders allow foreign companies to come in destroy the landscape and take the resources for cheap, they don't even negotiate for the companies coming in to build Plants, Factories on African soil so their people can get jobs,and job training.
@@eegee2469 I was just about to comment that. Their way if thinking is low, no imagination. They could easily do deals witn American businesses to open factories but instead America goes to China.
The majority of persons of European descent in Jamaica have been quite successful and live fairly comfortably on the island. Many of their ancestors came under circumstances similar to these German-Jamaicans of Seaford Town. What had made their circumstances so different?
My Guyanese great grandmother who passed in 07' was of Dutch descent- her maiden name was Van Sluytman. She was adamantly Roman Catholic and was raised in a convent . I also took a DNA test last year and found that I am also *a quarter Irish* as well, which makes a lot of sense given that the older people in my family although of Caribbean descent are undeniably of European heritage ( they have blue eyes and straight hair and fare skin). I think it's amazing that so little is known about people like this.
I guess it is not just the Black Jamaicans who have struggles. It is a Jamaican thing. I have always noticed that over the years, when we celebrate independent and heritage occasions, we focus mostly on the African descendants, much to the alienation of the Chinese, Indians, Jews, and Germans.
yes very true.. but very seldom do they touch on the other heritages that make up Jamaica's population... they speak of what people in Foreign already know or have an idea of.... but this one seems to touch on what a lot of the people in America and other places do not quite know.. it breaks the stereotype and gives them a inside look of what it is really like in Jamaica. So thank you for that.
KarizmaticENT No, just that they're part of Jamaican heritage. Regardless of skin color they share the Jamaican culture and way of life. Isn't that a beautiful thing? Diversity makes a people stronger.
In several ways this is sad, actually, Nata Lee. Only a couple of which ways are that these persons of German ancestry are hated by prejudiced fools of dark skin complexion & simultaneously scorned by prejudiced fools of lighter skin complexions who are yet in European countries, America, or wherever who think of these people as less than honorable because these people's ancestors emigrated to Jamaica to do the labor that free African slaves no longer wanted to do. It is also sad that their disconnection from their German heritage is as vast as it is & that there is a fact that, due to their mortality & the lack of those of them or otherwise capable of & interested in telling & documenting the story of Germans in Jamaica, soon, if things continue along the trajectory that has been the case, they'll be largely forgotten &, in general, Germany in Jamaica. "Out of many, one people" is the Jamaican national motto, but some, even in Jamaica, are willing & even desirous for this one of the "many" to die out & have no trace. Very sad, indeed.
I was very happy with the trailer which has built my anticipation of the full documentary.. you are giving me a little piece of my roots back, wish my grandparents were here to see your work.. :)
I'm considered a "Germaican" as my friends call it. My grandfather is German. My grandmother is Jamaican, but she is of German decent. When i talk to her she mentions this town, but i've never really payed much attention to it. Now that i have, i think it's really sad that other people there don't know about their German culture, and i'm blessed to have a family who keeps in touch with their history. Because of that, i've experienced both sides of my family.
Hello David. I have been viewing your documentaries and this one is strikingly sad. I wonder if you or any other German descendant in Jamaica has made any attempt to contact any distant relatives in Germany? We see the Chinese and Indians in Jamaica bringing people to Jamaica giving them some modern presence but this obviously is not occuring for the German descendants in Jamaica. I would think reuniting with some may help restore some of the German heritage or at least understand it better.
I came across this video by accident. I love my Prussian/German ancestry and I love Jamaica. I will be traveling to Negril, JA June 7th-15th. I will be going out to Appleton and Y.S. falls with a private driver and would like to visit seaside. I tried to find out about visiting the museum in the video and didn't find much information. I was wondering if they like visitors and if I was to show up how would I set up seeing the museum and stuff?
B. Jamaican East Indians, Chinese & other ethnicities have a STRONG PRESERVATION of their culture because they kept in touch with their Native country & continued to practice things, wear the clothing, teach their children. I see no Clothes or anything [hopefully the documentary shows that] REMEMBER, GERMANS THOUGHT THEY WERE SUPERIOR so that could be one reason their children, when exposed to the beauty of others did not want to maintain that connection/pride in NEGATIVITY.
WOW That is so sad. After watching that puts everything in perspective. People need to Appreciate what they really have and not take things for granted. Thanks for sharing...
Very true I know many Americans of German heritage and none of them speak German. Even the Scot-Irish dialect of Appalachia is now slowly going away. It is important to know your heritage.
this makes me want to cry beacause seeing this is so sad nd i wish they still lived today beacause i wanted to meat them . i have a question do they still live today nd is thier still jamaican races today how did they all die out how did they get i jamaica ?
Many descendants of Irish and Scottish indentured laborers and slaves can be found around the world. Sadly it another piece of history forgotten or ignored by many.
i would love to come visit u all in the german town my granddad look like that lady in the film he always wanted to go visit germen that was is wish before he die but he didn't men but i highly respect all the german in jamaica wish i could come hang with u all one day. i have only three real german relative leave out of 9 men they dying sad to say but it's a fact an thanks for the documentary that u have made
I would love to see the full documentary. My Mother's father was mixed with German and Jamaican. He was raised in Jamaican then moved to Panama where he lived until he died. I was young so I never got to learn the history from him.
They will need a little museum to keep record of the documentation they are now making. I know it may not happen as some of Jamaica is not even being developed or revitalized right now because they are in such remote areas. Places like that is forgotten by the government. This just makes me wonder how a group like the maroons survived making a community without government help and managed to keep separated from the rest of Jamaica until today? I guest I will have to do more reading.
Great good works,be good to have a documentary on the Scots and Irish who's surnames and place names are the majority in Jamaica,Barbados etc,still good works thanks.
Carib Productions The Scottish people have amnesia when it comes to Jamaica,Panama and Caribbean history,I as a Scot with Jamaican ancestry had to dig deep although in Scotland the signs of history and wealth that was created is all around .There is also an element of shame involved.This must be addressed and balanced,looking forward,bless
Its strange because every other older person in Jamaica when you mention you are Scottish can tell you about their Grandfather or great grandfather who were Scots or the people who can tell you of the slavemaster side,tales of genuine love and also slavery with its consequences causing misery to this day.I have also met people who are proud of their connection with Scotland.It is the Scots themselves who have blocked this from our own history books until this time,"It wisnae us",was the cry well it was some of us .Education is a must,many thanks.
My family is different... My father family was american... But had a german origin from the state of Georgia, mainly Savannah... Obviousy the members of that side of My family were anglizced (von deckel to dekle) and they speak English... They probably had similar experiences with black, caribbean and anglo culture as the German jamaicans
My grandmother told many times My father that we were English obviosuly... But we have "dutch" heritage too, dutch means German in the usa.... They are forgotten as a group the germans of the deep south and caribbean... There are books about them... Y recommend the "Georgia dutch"
My son asked me today why do I look like this. I told him a little abt this. He as never been to Jamaica golden hair ,hazel eyes greenish yes, copper skin.
wrong , the majority of them would love to visit germany which is their ancestral land just likle the chinese jamaicans travel to china or the african jamaican travel to africa , but no one is in a hurry to leave jamaica, MY GRAND MOTHER IS GERMAN , my mother is mixed african arawak and german, and i went to germany and got a wife straight from germany, she has not been to jamaica yet but in a few months i will be taking her there especially to this part
I am of German-Jamaican decent (or, well, at least half) and most of us are up in Canada haha, still livin' close to one another in the same city. My grandparents moved to Canada in the early 60's to raise their family and i love looking up Jamaica (Seaford town mostly) to see where half my family came from/still are. I always have this crazy idea: a Jamaican family get together. It would be nearly impossible to gather up the family, but it's nice to think about.
Out of many one people is the national words that we are supposed to live by. But within the heart of each human resides a particular story longing to be spoken and shared. The only issue I have is when people who are predominantly African or Black and they long to be other. Is that healthy? Is that loving oneself? Is that at the end of the day worthy of your Black ancestors? No it isn"t. Yes we are many and yes most Jamaicans are mostly Black. Be proud my people of all of us. One nation under God!
You should consider making a video about the whites of Guyana. They are nearly extinct now, but my maternal side came from Guyana at the beginning of the 1900s. They were Irish indentured workers who worked on the plantation.
Not all Germans thought that. Not to mention these people came to Jamaica as indentured laborers far before the Nazi party was ever even in existence. It is too bad they did not keep closer ties with their native country though. Hopefully that bridge can be made. Many Irish and Scot-Irish Americans are trying to do that today. It's tough when many generations have gone by without contact.
I partially agree with what you're saying, I don't have a problem with integration. What we need to learn is tolerance and respect for cultures. I should be able to and proud to say I'm White, Black, Indian etc and boast about my heritage without others being offended. We also shouldn't think of others as less because of they are different. Specifically to Jamaica, it took all races, creeds and colours to build Jamaica Land We Love, "Out of Many One People"!
Hey did you see that VW Jamaica-Theme Super Bowl Ad? If you seen it, tell me your thoughts on it. Black Americans thought it was racist however I don't think so.
My family are Sephardic Jews, we don't live that far from Seaford Town. After englishising the names we fitted in better. We also do not speak Spanish or Portuguese. My mother said her grandmother spoke it fluently, but they couldn't be bothered to learn it, as there was no point. We have been on the island from Columbus.
Part of what made the United States great was the "melting pot". Yes, people left their homelands/cultures & eventually integrated into the American society. But, at the same time, they also brought aspects from their cultures into the American culture as well. Take New York City, for example. In one location, you have multiple cultures, each with its own identity, yet enriching the rest as well for the common good of all & this example is seen in the majority of the cities/towns in the US.
'Black Americans' is a crucible with all people of African decent lumped into it without distinction. I am Caribbean American/ Jamaican and we thought it funny.
if they want two know about ther German roots they just have go on the net & read books about germany our take a vacation ther make sombody teach about it.chineys jamaican styll know ther roots they styll keep in contac whit ther families abroad even some jacan indian & other race they just need two read books & go back two ther father land & get some answers its not hard if you dont do that then you just gona stay in one place & get no answers
C. When people groups exist in close proximity to each other, INTEGRATION IS INEVITABLE. This is from the foundation of the earth. Moses married a Black woman. European countries are made up of different ethnicities eg Czechoslavkia that came together so integration is NATURAL as long as the motive is real love & not an attempt to gain social acceptance with lighter hair, skin, etc
Why the Germans moved there as the man said in the video I don't know. But they made it harder for their descendants. They should have stayed in Germany where they would have been better off. They don't seem very happy that's for sure.
German nationality is transferred mainly by blood, technically they could still have it. Haitian folk singer Cornelia Schutt family immigrated to Haiti in the 1830's; her family still has ties with Germany and she was even born there.
This is so sad. The problem is that the younger generation don't care much for the German culture, and the German-Jamaican identity are dying out due interbreeding with other groups. I know if they were at least 100,000 German-Jamaicans, the culture would be strong like the ones in other German Diasporas (Southern Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Namibia, South Africa, UK, Canada, Australia, US etc). German-Jamaicans would known some form of German and have German schools in Seaford Town.
Based on this, my question would be...given the opportunity would these individuals leave JA and go back to Germany. Seems like the answer would be yes...how disappointing!
Wol Silita **What is so disappointing with them returning 2their Fatherland/Deutschland? WE DIASPORAN AFRIKANS SUFFER FROM AN IDENTITY CRISIS &A FRAGMENTED, SCHIZOID PERSONALITY DISORDER. UNFORTUNATELY, WE STILL BOAST IN & CARRY THE CURSED NAMES OF THE BRUTAL, HATEFUL & SADISTIC SLAVEMASTERS, (ENGLISH, IRISH, SCOTTISH,, SPANIARDS? etc...), NOT THOSE OF OUR ESTEEMED AFRIKAN BIOLOGICAL FOREPARENTS! MANY OF US HAVE 4GOTTEN THEIR SACRIFICE &SUFFERATIONS, (THE "MAAFA" -NOT HOLOCAUST, BUT "HELL-OF-A -COST"), WHICH ENSURES OUR CURRENT SURVIVAL. WE EVEN DENY OUR TRUE IDENTITY &CHOOSE RATHER, 2BOND WITH THE SLAVEMASTERS' (RSRCH: "THE STOCKHOLM SYNDROME"). &PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE 2THE ENGLISH CROWN, (WHICH CURRENTLY STILL ENSLAVES, IMPOVERISHES &OPPRESSES US). YET WE R OBLIVIOUS 2OUR ROYAL AFRIKAN/EDENIC HEBREW-ISRAELITE HERITAGE!! ADDTNLLY, WE IGNORE &ERASE OUR CONNECTION 2OUR BRETHREN, THE NATIVE- INDIGENOUS PEOPLE WHO INHABITED THE CARIBBEAN, CENTRAL, NO.&SO.AMERICAS, PRIOR 2THE TRANS-ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE. ALSO 4GOTTEN R The PROUD, FIERCE WARRIOR- MAROONS, WHO VALIANTLY DEFEATED THE INHUMANE BRITISH (&SPANISH?) ENSLAVERS &DEVELOPED &ESTABLISHED THEIR OWN SECLUDED HABITATIONS, 2ESCAPE THE BARBARITY OF SLAVERY. LASTLY, MANY OF US, (DUE 2SELF-HATRED &REJECTION), BLASPHEMOUSLY &DELIBERATELY CHOOSE 2COHABIT &CONJOIN WITH EUROPEANS, BCZ THEY DON'T WANT 2GIVE BIRTH 2DARK-SKINNED, WOOLY-HAIRED CHLDRN. HOW DEGRADING &SHAMEFUL!!! **It's perfectly natural 2identify &re-connect with ur roots. As the Hon. Marcus Mosiah Garvey stated: "A PEOPLE W/O THE KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR CULTURE (&ANCESTRAL PAST), IS LIKE A TREE W/O ITS ROOTS." THAT'S THE AFRIKAN PRINCIPLE OF "SANKOFA"!. WE ND SOME SERIOUS HEALING &RESTORATION B4 WE CAN RE-INHERIT OUR "STOLEN LEGACY" &RE-INHABIT OUR ILLEGALLY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES! THAT'S A VERY LARGE TASK, HWEVR, "THE JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILE, BEGINS WITH ONE STEP..."!! LET'S START TEACHING OUR CHILDREN THEIR GLORIOUS ANCESTRAL ROOTS, BCZ IT'S GUARANTEED THAT THEY'LL NO LONGER BERATE THEMSELVES, NOR ADULATE OR EMULATE THE UNWORTHY OPPRESSOR. INSTEAD, THEY WILL STAND TALL &PROUD, IN THE CONFIDENCE THAT OUR HERITAGE &LEGACY IS A GRAND &ILLUSTRIOUS ONE, PAR EXCELLENCE, BAR NONE!! 'NUFF SED!! ONELOVE -SHALOM.
He's ancestors were German, but he can't speak a word of German ? Most German Jamaicans aren't rich, like you'd expect white people in a predominantly black country would be.
A. "...white populations when they DO integrate with other populations. After time they cease to exist..." No this video shows that if you migrate to a country that's predominately of another race & you are a SMALL minority, unless you're going to intermarry your own relatives & end up with diseases, it's NATURAL to INTEGRATE. Preservation of CULTURE not COLOR is parent's responsibility to share with their children MOST JAMAICANS DO. Being JAMAICAN is their NEW identity not an APARTHEID one.
the dude whites are actually common in Jamaica, it's not that weird. They are there because of slavery but for some reason they fell on misfortune afterwards unlike the rest of the whites in Jamaica.
