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Are Those Your Kids

Raising Biracial Kids in Today's World

How Growing Up In a Jamaican Family Has Influenced My Parenting

January 18, 2016 By Diedre 14 Comments

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Both of my parents were born and raised in Jamaica, but came to the states as adults. I never really thought about how my Jamaican family was different from others until I was told me no about something that most other parents said yes to. My father was in the Air Force, so many of my friends had parents from different countries, which brought about their cultural norms.

As an adult no longer surrounded by other military families, I have settled with my family in the south. Many people I encounter live close to family, and have for generations. This highlights the stark differences between my Jamaican upbringing and theirs.

Here are a  few things I have noticed:

 I Love Jamaican Food

There are no international markets near me, so when I want to eat Jamaican food or season my food with Jamaican spices, I have to ask my mother to purchase for me, get it from Atlanta, or my grandmother mails it to me from up north. Sometimes I just have a craving for authentic Jamaican food!

Once when my uncle came to visit from New Jersey, I cried because he ate the last bit of ackee and saltfish (national dish). I didn’t know when we would have a chance to eat it again, and I thought it was unfair because he ate it all the time in New Jersey.

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My Daughters Love Jamaican Food

Their favorite Jamaican food is porridge. Americans make fun of me all the time if they happen to hear me mention it.

Believe me, if you had it, you would understand why baby bear was crying when Goldilocks ate all of his!

My southern friends make fun of me for not liking grits; but I blame it on porridge! You don’t have to take my word for it, listen to a few Bob Marley songs and you’ll hear all about his love for cornmeal porridge.

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I Love Music

Jamaicans love to sing…all..the..time!

My mother sent me to Jamaica a few times as a toddler, but the first time I remember was in July 2010. All the resort staff was singing, as well as people in the community. I felt such a connection to my roots! Now it made sense to me why I have always done that.

And guess what, my kids make up songs and sing all the time too!

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 I Have a Need to Keep my Culture Alive

Growing up, I always remembered my parents being friends with other Jamaicans, or people from other islands.  Eating Jamaican food & listening to reggae makes me feel at home wherever I am. I want to make sure that my girls take pride in our Jamaican family.

When my husband & I married, it was important to me that he had a love of my culture. I remember him playing Bob Marley on the way to a date & thinking, “This relationship is off to a good start!”

 

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 Family is Important

I have a close relationship with my parents. In fact, I talked with my mom about this post last week as I was in the planning phase. I still look to my parents for guidance.

Jamaicans utilize their family resources and look to their elders for guidance.

This is essential for survival-a similar family trait to Asian and Hispanic cultures.

 Diversity

Jamaica’s motto is Out of many one people. No matter the skin color, if you were born in Jamaica, you are a Jamaican. I have met many Jamaicans of different ethnicity, but the culture, the food and the music tie them all together. I hope to instill this in my children.

 

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I hope that as my children grow, I can share my love of Jamaican culture with them. On my first visit as an adult, I felt a strange connection with the land that I can’t explain. Everything that I heard my parents and grandparents talk about as a child, came to life for me the moment I stepped off the plane.

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How many of you were raised in a culture besides the American culture? Do you seek to share those cultural pieces with your children? I can’t wait to hear from you!
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Comments

  1. Shawna Ayoub Ainslie says

    January 19, 2016 at 4:21 pm

    I was raised with Lebanese food and culture. I definitely keep what I can alive in my home! Especially when it comes to food. 🙂

    Reply
    • dacounsel says

      January 20, 2016 at 12:20 am

      Thanks for sharing Shawna! Can you find the spices you need I your town?

      Reply
      • Shawna Ayoub Ainslie says

        January 20, 2016 at 3:06 am

        No, I can’t! Do you have suggestions?

        Reply
        • dacounsel says

          January 20, 2016 at 9:28 am

          The only suggestion I have is to stock up when you visit a big city. I live in a small town & if it wasn’t for my mom, I’d never have authentic Jamaican seasonings. Is there an online shop that you could purchase from?

          Reply
          • Shawna Ayoub Ainslie says

            January 20, 2016 at 11:52 pm

            The trick is finding the right spices to my ancestral village. So many mixes of the same ingredients but different ratios and sourcing. It’s exhausting. I need a Lebanese connection. 🙂

          • dacounsel says

            January 21, 2016 at 1:48 am

            Oh my, that is tricky! Wish I had one for you.

  2. Julia says

    January 21, 2016 at 3:20 pm

    I’m not from another country, but I moved from Vermont to Texas a couple of years ago and there are definitely some foods that were common at home that are much more difficult to find here. It took me a year to figure out that the only place to find my favorite cheese was Wal-mart!

    Reply
  3. Yanique Chambers says

    April 2, 2016 at 3:10 am

    Corn meal porridge is my absolute favorite! I was born in Jamaica but left when I was 8 years old. I’ve only been back once when I was 12. However, I’m from NY so indulging in Jamaican food and culture is a lot easier than it would be if I lived in the South!! My kids love when my mom and MIL (both born in Jamaica) make fried dumplings and sweet plaintains. Yum! I want to bring them there to visit because it’s so important for me to have them know their culture and history.

    Reply
    • dacounsel says

      April 2, 2016 at 3:28 am

      I took my daughter when she was 2, and I was pregnant with my youngest. I definitely want to take them back as they get older. I’m right with you, retaining culture is super important.

      Reply

Trackbacks

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Hi, I’m Diedre!

Hi, I’m Diedre!

Lifestyle + Mom Blogger

Welcome to Are Those Your Kids! This blog was created to share my experiences in motherhood, from the perspective of a mom with biracial kids. I discuss all things education, culture, multicultural resources, curly hair and motherhood.

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