Interview with Dexter Tyson, creator and manager of Caribbean Facebook page: CaribScope

When I started with my blog "Caribbean2World", my goal was to show that the Caribbean has a lot to offer. Besides sun, sea and sand, we have a rich history, culture and interesting people. The way we approach life in the Caribbean is really something unique in the world and  little by little we have remarkable Caribs who every now and again provide us with an opportunity to showcase ourselves to the world. Just take the last Olympics in London 2012, where: Jamaica, Bahamas, Grenada, Trinidad and The Dominican Republic achieved some incredible results and gold medals. I felt proud to be Caribbean. 

So, when exploring the web for inspiration, interesting stories and content for my blog I found out that I am not alone in my quest. One of the most exciting Facebook pages I recently became a fan of is: 

CaribScope 

Only 6 months old, and already has more than 1700 fans. The topics they post are right up my alley and it is therefore that I want to introduce you to them. Like their page and join us in our journey on learning what the Caribbean has to offer 2 the world.

Thank you for agreeing to this interview. Let's start at the beginning. From which part of the Caribbean are you?

I am from St. Thomas, U.S Virgin Islands, but I was raised on the island of St Kitts for the first 8 years of my life. My father is from St. Kitts and my mother is from the island Nevis, next door.

What inspired you to start your FB page Caribscope?

I have since long had a passion for the Caribbean. I just have this complaint that we are not taken serious and that our story is understated and overlooked. We are just thought of as a tourist destination; a place for rum, sun and fun. Images are conjured up of us lying around in hammocks, drinking rum and smoking weed all day. I want to change this image. I want the stories of our history to be told and the stories of our contributions to the world stage. I want to do and see documentaries about our region. I have always maintained that we helped to build the world and shaped and sustained the fortunes of Europe in a myriad of wars. 

I have to also point out that this page was a brainchild collaboration with a Jamaican friend of mine (Leighton Scarlet). He keeps a very low profile, handling the administration side of things. I am the one who provides the content and engage the fans.

Do you have a special or specific purpose for the page?

Yes, to, in my own small way, do the above ---promote more than just pretty beaches and share interesting tidbits about us to the world. It is certainly a labor of love; a love for my people, a love for my people and a love in telling about us.

Which Islands of the Caribbean have you visited?

St. Croix, St. John, St. Kitts, Nevis, Puerto Rico, Tortola and Jamaica. I visited Jamaica at least 20 times in the 90s and early 2000s.

The Caribbean has a tumultuous past. Nowadays we have Spanish, English, French and Dutch Islands. All of this creates one of the most interesting melting pots in the world. What do you consider to be the most important factor binding us together as Caribbeans?

As crazy as this may sound, it is our common history under colonialism, coupled with a common dominant culture that originated in Africa, for the most part. I love the fact that you can go from island to island and find the same foods with different names, for example.

How important do you feel is the pre-columbian history of the Caribbean for todays culture and people? Where according to you can you still find most of this in the Caribbean?

Sadly, the story of the pre-Colombian peoples take a backseat to those who came after and became the dominant culture. This would make sense because they are a minority today, however, it is no excuse to overlook them. To find the survivors, you have to go to a place like Dominica or St. Vincent where pockets of Kalinago people still live. Apparently it is a dying culture and it would be unimaginable that in 200 years, they could all be gone.

English: Scene of the Battle of Vertières during the Haitian Revolution (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Is there anything out there, of which you think the world should know more about?

(This could be a piece of history, culture, or anything you find important)

Oh yes…I believe the Haitian Revolution is very understated in terms of the world stage and important revolutions. It is because of the Haitian Revolution, a large portion of the U.S exists today via the Louisiana Purchase. While the upside of the Revolution was that the Haitian slaves won their freedom, the downside and lesser known story is that France, along with other European nations and the U.S, gave the new nation a cold shoulder and hamstrung their growth by placing a massive indemnity on it and making sure Haiti was set up to fail from the start. We see the evidence to this very day.

Can you name some important and inspiring people from the Caribbean who you recommend us to get to know more of? And why? (these can be a historical and current persons)

Tim Duncan from St. Croix comes to mind. Consummate athlete and person. I am also fascinated by Toussaint L’Overture, the Haitian leader who got the Haitian Revolution on the way. There is also Fidel Castro. I really don’t agree with how he went about suppressing expression in his country, but I like how he thumbed his nose at the U.S for all these years and has outlived about 5 presidents. Since I consider Venezuela, technically, part of the Caribbean, I also had a great deal of respect for Hugo C. Chavez. I am all about challenging establishments if they are corrupt and watching the poor/weak rise up to challenge the elite. Chavez, at least from where I sit, did this. He may have been in Venezuela, but he was a champion to the poor and weak everywhere. Oh, and how can I forget the great Eric Williams of Trinidad. Talk about an intellect and with an impressive track record.

Any other bloggers, Facebook pages or websites promoting the Caribbean you recommend?

I am not sure of many, but I know they are out there. As a Virgin Islander, I tend to come across more pages about the Virgin Islands because most of my FB friends are from my home islands. So far I love your blog and I really, really, really love the name.

And last but not least, what is your secret insider’s tip of the Caribbean?

I can’t say really. I don’t really have any, so to speak. Whatever secrets we have, I want them revealed to the world because I believe our ‘secrets’ could be to the world’s enlightenment and benefit. If anything, for those visiting our islands, I would say that we are more than rum, sun and fun. I suggest, before visiting, grab a book that gives a deeper history of our islands other than some travel magazine blip that talks about Columbus and then races past slavery to get to beach and rum talk.

Your current Caribbean Island infrastructure is a product of your aspiration

During our latest marketing meetings we have been discussing the current state of our Islands infrastructure and how this affects tourism. More and more we have been getting reactions from tourists that our Island is losing its identity and becoming a destination just like everything else. We have the same architecture, the same franchises etc.

The internationalization (Americanization) of our Island can be considered both a good thing and a bad thing. Some people don’t like to find things they can find back home and others appreciate the comforts provided that are “just like home”. Fact is, we can’t change what we are right now. Problem is that we could end up in a “blame game” pointing fingers at who is at fault for letting our infrastructure develop into what we have now.

English: Logo for Esso (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In my opinion we are all responsible for our Islands infrastructure, design , look, feel and development. As a small Island we have been influenced strongly by neighboring countries and cultures. Especially the U.S.A. This is mainly the result of Aruba housing one of the largest oil refineries in the Region from the 1920’s to the mid 80’s. This refinery was run by Esso, a large US corporation. Esso invested large amounts of money into the Island and trained most of its local workers. They even built a colony for its expats which was a copy of what they had back home. These factors determined the aspirational benchmark for locals. This went on even after the refinery lost its importance and during my youth in the late 80’s through the nineties.

The point I am trying to make is that we were looking at the US as a target. A target for how we wanted to design our world (Island).  Whatever we saw on TV or in the movies, was something to aspire to and all local things became inferior or not worth it (in our minds). I remember when I was a little kid, we would rent videos that were just cartoons that were recorded via Satellite dish TV (by the few people who had one).  These videos included the commercials, mostly of toys. And our desire for these  toys grew and all the American brands such as Mattel, Hot wheels, Tonka and Fisher Price became “wannahaves”.  The same happened to our parents and ourselves when we turned adults. At some point I remember how proud we were to be able to tell a tourist that we have all the popular American fast food chains on the Island. This made us modern, and we felt that we were part of the developed world. We aspired to be like the US, and we made sure that our Island was developed in just that way.  

Currently a trend in tourism is “authenticity” and culture. Tourists want to escape what they have at home and experience new things and exotic cultures and locations. This puts us in a slight disadvantage, as we have been building and designing our Island to be a kind of copy of Miami.

Funny thing is that through social media I am seeing that especially my generation (30 -40 yrs.) is longing for originality, typical Aruban Nature, architecture, products etc. And we are all now complaining about the “Americanization” of our Island. Point is, we al wanted to be like that…..so we have only ourselves to blame. And yes, I mean you, all of my fellow Islanders who used to be brand conscious, and behaved like we were in a perpetual “saved by the bell” kinda world or teens wearing sporting goods of US teams that we have never heard of or seen playing and as if we were walking the streets of New York. Did we not all want to go shopping once a year at all the Malls in Florida? Well, that’s how we ended up with an Americanized Island.

So we should stop complaining and make sure that if we are now into different things, such as local criollo and typical things, we just have to do it. Restore your grandparents cunucu houses instead of building something new, Start making pan bati instead of driving to Wendy’s drive through. Have a beer at your local rum shop instead of going to South Beach. Teach your kids to play marbles (kiniki) instead of taking them to watch  cars, Toy story etc.

We are all responsible for what and where we are now. If we want to change…..we just have to be that change.

Claiming a (our) spot

Throughout history many regions, countries, continents and societies had their claim to fame and some still do. The Chinese had their various Dynasties, England their empire and industrial revolution, and currently we are living in the age of democracy and technology mainly distributed by the USA.
All my life I had been reading and learning about all these amazing nations and their people. The accomplishments and contributions to the world. I can remember that we always looked up (and with good reason) to other "western" cultures and never questioned and worse of all, rarely pushed and stimulated our own creativity and contribution to this world.

Working in the destination marketing business, promoting the Caribbean and my home country Aruba"target=_blank" , we always define our unique selling points such as: nice beaches, excellent weather, good food, friendly people etc.
It is actually while having deeper converstaions with our audience that we truly promote our "unique" people, customs, technologies and philosophy. Also our role in this worlds history. Two examples I love most are the contributions of two tiny islands and their people to the founding and defense of the USA.

The first country in saluting and accepting the newly formed United States of America
In the North-west part of the Caribbean you;ll find St. Eustatius, one of the Dutch Antilles. Their nickname is "The Golden Rock". It was given to them for making a fortune on selling and providing weapons for the American freedom fighters under George Washington. As soon as he won the war against Britain, the (then Dutch) Governor saluted an American ship with 11 canon shots, officially recognizing the newly formed United States of America. Read more: http://www.statiatourism.com/history.html

The largest producer of Fuel for the American and Allied forces during WWII
During the years the world was at war, a small Island called Aruba, under Dutch rule was host to a large American Oil refining company: LAGO Oil & Transport Company
The production of this facility provided 75% of the Fuel for the Americans in the Pacific.
Read more: http://www.bevrijdingintercultureel.nl/eng/antillen.html#wo2

The nice things about these stories is that all the people involved were a mix of Europeans, Americans, Africans and indigenous people and all other possible mixes that one could find on the islands.
Therefore one of the unique selling points of the Caribbean, at least in my opinion, is that the Islands are too small for anyone to be left out. Every person on those Islands have been directly or indirectly invloved. Wether it was people in high and official positions or common citizens performing tasks that were just small gears in a much large machine, but nevertheless very essential.

Caribbean people are known to be humble. But after learning more and more about our history we can be proud and claim our spot in the range of nations and regions mentioned earlier who contributed to this world.
And the uniqueness of being small will help us stay down to earth, becuase in the Caribbean there will always be someone who knows you and your background and be telling you:
"I know you, I remember you stealing fruit from the neighbour in your underpants after school. So you are a Director of a company now? nice......I think we still have that picture of you playing in the field with all the other neighborhood kids"