Naturals: Do you get mistaken for Caribbean???

[Pandora1975]

Ok, here's the background. Last month I got a customer service job. I deal with a lot of people daily. At least once a day, someone asks if I am Caribbean. Is this a normal thing for naturals? It has to be the hair, because this never happened before. I'm not upset because I have a problem with the question itself, but let me tell ya, its only been black me askin. The problem I have with this is why do these men act like they have never seen a midwestern girl with natural hair? I know they exist, cause I see em all the time. I'm on the hunt for em!

I guess I'm just perplexed. Any thoughts?

 

[HoneyA]

There are a lot of ladies here in the Caribbean (well at least where I'm from) with natural hair and their hair is always well styled. It's true but I don't know if that's the reason guys ask that question.

 

[BostonMaria]

Yes all the time, but its ok because I am Caribbean LOL

 

[rsmith]

I was walking around in the grocery store wearing my two strand twist and this guy asked me was I from the Islands.

 

[Neith]

Do more Caribbean women go natural?

My grandmother is from Barbados... most West Indian women I've been around have relaxers. Family and friends (of many different Caribbean countries) Excluding, like rastas... but everyone isn't the rasta type.

Then again, I've never been down to the islands. Maybe it's more popular there?

 

[Pandora1975]

I just think its odd is all. It happened 3 times yesterday. If they are hitting on me, that's one thing- I can shoot that down easily. But to me, this makes it seem like I am a cultural oddity around here, and I know that just isn't true. I trade hair secrets with girls I see at work all the time- mostly natural or transitioning. Maybe the guys around here aren't that observant? Like I said, I'm not mad or anything, just perplexed since that is like the one thing NOT in my family tree.

Thanks ladies. Just had to ask.

 

[MontegoBayBaby]

I don't know if its because your hair is natural. Its funny because sometimes people will naturally assume you are from the caribbean if your hair is long, if its really pretty, you have nice curls in it or like someone mentioned well styled. I don't know but back home in Jamaica many women do have natural styles, choose to relax their hair later than here and tend have long hair. No one has never asked u this before? Some people are also confused by how caribbean people speak and if you speak differently they automatically assume that's where your're from. But to tell u the truth, most people have no clue about caribbean culture/people and will assume certain people are for different reasons (most of them being really dumb). Do all caribbean people have long hair? NOPE. Natural hair? Nope.

 

[Neith]

I don't know if its because your hair is natural. Its funny because sometimes people will naturally assume you are from the caribbean if your hair is long, if its really pretty, you have nice curls in it or like someone mentioned well styled. I don't know but back home in Jamaica many women do have natural styles, choose to relax their hair later than here and tend have long hair. No one has never asked u this before? Some people are also confused by how caribbean people speak and if you speak differently they automatically assume that's where your're from. But to tell u the truth, most people have no clue about caribbean culture/people and will assume certain people are for different reasons (most of them being really dumb)

That's what I was thinking.

I've learned to pay no attention to people trying to guess my racial make up. They don't know what they are talking about most of the time. I've gotten it all.

 

[MontegoBayBaby]

Once a woman asked me if I was from sweden? LOL! I don't think she knows where sweden is.

 

[Pandora1975]

Nope- was never once asked this before I went natural. I guess it could be how I speak- although usually I'm told I "sound white" (that's a whole 'nother post for my blog one day). Honestly, the only thing that has changed about me is the hair. Ah well. Men are confusing. LOL.

 

[Neith]

Once a woman asked me if I was from sweden? LOL! I don't think she knows where sweden is.

I've gotten Portugal before.

See? Don't pay it any mind, OP.

Especially if it's men hitting on you. They just blurt out the dumbest things to get your attention anyways. They aren't thinking with the right head most of the time.

 

[Ediese]

Oops..I meant I do get ask if I'm Caribbean because I am West Indian. I don't think it's only my hair though, my speech and other factors contribute to that.

I think we have a pretty interesting number of relaxed and naturals back home. My mom, a lot of my cousins, brothers are all rastas. They bugged me for years to stop relaxing. I never felt that I could do it back then. When I visisted home last year, everyone was amazed at how pretty my hair is since deciding to be natural. I mostly wore it in buns during my visit. It was a thick, cloud of hair. My mom had to feel my scalp to see if it was real. lol

 

[glamazon386]

Yes... It happens all the time.

 

[music-bnatural-smile]

they ask me if i'm mixed first not carribean... which i am both... kind of i guess lol

 

[AfroKink]

Yes all the time, but its ok because I am Caribbean LOL

Me too!

I don't know if its because your hair is natural. Its funny because sometimes people will naturally assume you are from the caribbean if your hair is long, if its really pretty, you have nice curls in it or like someone mentioned well styled. I don't know but back home in Jamaica many women do have natural styles, choose to relax their hair later than here and tend have long hair. No one has never asked u this before? Some people are also confused by how caribbean people speak and if you speak differently they automatically assume that's where your're from. But to tell u the truth, most people have no clue about caribbean culture/people and will assume certain people are for different reasons (most of them being really dumb). Do all caribbean people have long hair? NOPE. Natural hair? Nope.

Agreed
In the Caribbean I find that the girls who do relax do so later, like after secondary school. I also think the relaxed to natural ratio is almost 50:50. When I was back in the Caribbean this summer I noticed an increased number of ladies wearing their hair in locs (not rastas). I find that in the Caribbean naturals where more 'contained' styles (locs, twists, braids, cornrows, china bumps aka bantu knots, puffs) and less of the afros and wash n gos for those with afro textured hair.

off topic- your hair looks waistlength now, not MBL (as it says in your siggy)

 

[BillsBackerz67]

My west indian friends tell me I look like Im from where they are.

 

[Creatividual]

I've been mistaken for West Indian, African, South American and anything else you can think of before and after I've been natural and I think I sound pretty American. LOL. I've been told I just don't look American. Hahaha.

 

[Kerryann]

they probably trying to figure you out to find out where you are from men do stuppid things like this

 

[Lucie]

People always tell me they can tell I am from the islands. There are lots of naturals in Haiti. Hair length varies.

 

[exubah]

Here in the Bahamas, although technically we are not "Caribbean" (it's just semantics, we are culturally), I am seeing more and more of our young population going natural. It's a beautiful thing even though I am relaxed. The older ladies tend to keep their natural hair boyishly short (like two of my aunts). There is a mixture of locs, two strand twists and the puff but not so much the W&G afro.

 

[cmw45]

When I wear my hair in it's natural state or a braidout it's usually East African, usually when I am in D.C. where there are quite of few East Africans so it makes sense. I went to Bermuda with a bunch of other women from my Sorority, serveral people from the Island thought I was from there until I started speaking.

As the descendant of Black North American Slaves (I believe the coast of South Carolina...I'm only back to about 1841 in my families geneology)...there is a history of implied racial mixing. My features are the result of said mixing but people are always going to associate them with which they are most familiar. It makes sense. I never get offended, I just explain my actual descent and it usually leads to an interesting conversation. A recent conversation with the woman braiding my hair has me itching to visit Senegal.

 

[JinaRicci]

Pandora- maybe it's because you look different to them and they're trying to place you? I don't think women wear more natural hair in the Caribbean but again we can't generalize all the islands.

I've lived a couple different places & grew up on St. Croix- there were more relaxed heads in my classes than there were naturals.

 

[Pandora1975]

I'm just gonna stop analyzing it. If they are hitting on me, they're wasting their time. If they really believe that, then they are just wrong. I broke my cardinal rule- I tried to figure out the motivations of others. Maybe when I finally get that dream vacation I'll get asked if I'm American constantly. At least I'll be able to say yes


Thanks again ladies. Good to know that I am not the only one this happens to.

ETA: I don't know what styles women in the islands are currently wearing first hand, and so was not directly intending to stereotype. However, that stereotype does exist, and so I figured that was what the people asking me about it were basing it on. Like I said, the only thing about me that has changed is my hair. Maybe I'll flat iron in a couple of weeks or so and see where it gets me.

 

[cmw45]

Here in the Bahamas, although technically we are not "Caribbean" (it's just semantics, we are culturally), I am seeing more and more of our young population going natural. It's a beautiful thing even though I am relaxed. The older ladies tend to keep their natural hair boyishly short (like two of my aunts). There is a mixture of locs, two strand twists and the puff but not so much the W&G afro.

My friends from Florida have the same problem (I grew up in Georgia). Southern Floridians are definitely "Carribbean," but I dare you to tell a Northern Floridian that they aren't from the good ole South. Lmao.

That's wonderful!

 

[Nayna]

It depends. Men usually mistake me for west Indian a lot. Not necessarily women and if they do it's more cus my face and less cus of my hair. Like if on the rare occasion I do a wash and go I get it a lot. I'm interested in this trini guy and he called me a coolie. I asked if he's blind because my hair isn't even close and he should know better. Now he calls me his African coolie, lol. But I think a lot of people just think of island people in different ways.

 

[Taina]

People confused me all the time, anywhere i am. I'm dominican, i've always lived in Dminican Republic untill 4 years ago, when i was there working in American Airlines, people from the states asked me if i was African American and that my english sound like if i was from the south ... i don't even know how they sounds like. And one time, somebody told me that my english sounds like is i were from england (c'moooon are you kidding? .. i love how they speak tho).

And now living in Mèxico People think i'm cuban :S

 

[fyb87]

People usually ask me if I am from Brazil (I get this one the most), The Dominican Republic, Hawaii or India (when I wear my hair straight). But, I've always gotten that rather I was natural or relaxed. It can be both aggravating and hilarious. Aggravating when they think I'm lying when I say I'm black and from the U.S.

 

[1QTPie]

Yes. The DR. I get asked if I am Dominican regularly. It happened when I had relaxed hair, but even more as a natural. I think it's the hair because I don't look like any Dominicana I've ever seen. It happens the most when I stretch my hair and wear it out. Not in it's full shrunken state or when I wear puffs or buns.

 

[Hairsofab]

I'm a girl with midwestern roots, and I haven't been asked if I am carribean at least here on the west coast. My sister is natural, and she has gotten asked if she is Jamaican a lot in DC.

 

[LunadeMiel]

Yes... but I'm from Haiti so