From Past to Present: How the Colonialism Chameleon Disguises Itself to the Detriment of the Caribbean

Despite the mounting pressure and stress of work, you somehow made it through the work year. Today you are sitting on a beach in the Caribbean sipping a rum punch. Your phone dings with a notification, the hurricane watch threatening your vacation island has now turned into a hurricane warning. You cut your vacation short, head to the airport and fly to a safer place. For you, the threat of natural disaster has been avoided; however, many cannot avoid the oncoming terror. While you safely arrive home, fishermen are worried about their entire existence being uprooted by hurricanes, becoming progressively stronger. Sea-side businesses and homes scramble to prepare for potential storm surges seeking to change lives one destructive wave at a time. The impending natural disaster is not a random happening, it is the culmination of historical shames and consequences. This is a story of consecutive colonialisms wreaking havoc in the Caribbean, secretly disguised in many forms like some sort of colonialism chameleon. First, let’s visit the past.

Chameleon visits the Caribbean

Following the genocide of the indigenous Taino and Kalinago in the Caribbean, spurred on by Columbus’ discovery of the Americas there was a ‘labour’ vacuum. The need for a stronger labour force with greater availability and replaceability set in motion the transatlantic slave trade. This brutal and systematic period of enslavement dehumanised entire generations creating societies of displaced peoples who fought for their freedom to develop what we know today as the Caribbean. Today most Caribbean nations are free and self-governed but the ‘colonialism chameleon’ is alive and well, having disguised itself through the tourism industry and dependency on polluters who share their negative externalities with the Caribbean.

Post Emancipation Chameleon

The 1970s saw many Caribbean nations becoming confidently independent but the plantations which once governed the islands were quickly replaced by hotels and governed by the same colonial groups who upheld the previous enslavement. Many islands became tourism dependent states, a very seasonal industry which leaving entrepreneurs and employees unsure recipients of a steady wage. At the same time, in an attempt for economic growth, Caribbean islands faced debt burdens which the IMF eagerly alleviated on the condition that austerity measures be met. Resultingly, mass layoffs in the public sector ensued leading to shortages at schools and hospitals, in an effort to decrease spending by islands trying to survive on their own for the first time. This upheld the continuing dependence on tourism as the revenue ‘bread and butter’. Many times the steady stream of tourists were the means of survival for many on the islands but as this industry expanded so did the types of tourism, most notably cruise ship tourism heavily damaging the environment .

Our Generation’s Chameleon

This brings us to the modern age and you may be wondering what does this have to do with hurricanes? The Americas and most notably the Caribbean have been devastated by hurricanes among other natural disasters so much so, most Caribbean citizens approach every summer (the start of hurricane season) in fear. The destruction of critical natural protection measures such as coral reefs due to tourism and other capitalistic exploitation has led to greater danger for those living on the islands, if faced with hurricanes made stronger. Capitalistic measures have propped up global warming which have been linked to creating stronger, more deadly hurricanes. Many of the same nations (G20) responsible for the horrors of colonialism now account for 80% of emissions, leading to devastating consequences for countries in the 20%.

Caribbean people, a diverse melting pot of cultures and colonial rule have survived, actually for the most part thrived. Despite this, many islands are in fear of the one natural disaster destroying these islands which struggled for their own survival for many years. Despite this, the ‘colonialism chameleon’ is not bothered by the consequences of its actions. The constant adaptation from colonialism to neo-colonialism is a view of exploitative powers and the message is quite clear. After disrupting societies for profit, exploiting them is fine however, if the consequences of their actions negatively impact these islands whether that be through social or climate tragedies, the Caribbean is on its own. As the Caribbean demands reparations, both the past actions and the future consequences of the west must be accounted for. So on your next Caribbean trip, as you encounter lovely, smiling people and witness the vast beauty of these islands, understand that you are interacting at the intersection of ongoing colonial history with real social and environmental consequences. That rum punch tastes sweet but its aftertaste carries 500 years of exploitation. The ‘colonialism chameleon’ doesn’t just hide in resorts; it lives in every tourist dollar that does not reach local hands.