TRINIDAD CULTURE

TRINIDA WAS NAMED BY CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS ON HIS THIRD VOYAGE IN 1498. THE INDIGENOUS NAMED IT SERE LAND OF HUMMINGBIRDS.

THE FOLKS HERE ARE OF AFRICAN DESCENT AS WELL AS EAST INDIAN. THOSE OF EUROPEAN ANCESTORS ARE FRENCH CREOLE. TRINIDAD IS 1864 MILES IN AREA. THIS ISLAND IS SEVEN MILES FROM VENEZUELA. THIS ISLAND HAS 3 MOUNTAIN RANGES THAT RUN EAST TO WEST. THE INDIANS NAMED IT SERE LAND OF HUMMINGBIRDS. THE FOLKS HERE ARE OF AFRICAN DESCENT, AS WELL AS EAST INDIAN. THOSE OF EUROPEAN ANCESTRY ARE FRENCH CREOLE. TRINIDAD IS 1864 MILES IN AREA. THIS ISLAND IS 7 MILES FROM VENEZUELA. THIS ISLAND HAS 3 MOUNTAIN RANGES THAT RUN EAST TO WEST. SUGAR IS GROWN IN THE CENTRAL AREA.

THEIR POPULATION IN 1990 WAS OVER 1 MILLION. THEIR OFFICIAL LANGUAGE IS ENGLISH. TRINIDAD IS MULTI LINGUAL. TRINIDAD. WITH ABOUT 5 VARIOUS LANGUAGES. THEIR MOTTO IS TOGETHER WE ASPIRE, TOGETHER WE ACHIEVE. SOME PUBLIC HOLIDAYS EMPHASIZE GROUP PUBLIC HOLIDAYS. FOR 300 YEARS THE SPANISH WERE IN TRINIDAD. NATIVE AMERICANS DIED ONCE THEY CONTRACTED EUROPEAN DISEASES AND WERE MOVED TO THE MAINLAND TO WORK IN MINES. SOME SURVIVORS WERE SUBJECT TO SPANISH MISSIONS. AFRICAN SLAVE POPULATION WAS SMALL TOO. IN 1780 THE SPANISH BUILT PLANTATIONS HERE. THEY GREW SUGAR AND COCOA. AFRICANS CAME FROM THE WEST AFRICA. HERE THE GOVERNMENT MAINTAINS SIGNIFICANT HOLDS. A LAND ORGANIZATION IS NAMED AFTER A ROTATING CREDIT ASSOCIATION.

THEIR IS CONSIDERABLE FORMAL AND INFORMAL MARKET AND COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY IN IMPORTS AND LOCALLY PRODUCED GOODS. THEY HAVE AIR-CONDITIONED MALLS. THEY HAVE REGIONAL OPEN AIR PRODUCE MARKETS. SOME INTERNATIONAL TOURISM IS UNDEVELOPED HERE.

FIRMS OWNED BY ETNHIC GROUPS TEND TO HAVE MEMBERS OF THAT GROUP EMPLOYED. BLACK AND INDIANS HAVE LOGGED BEHIND OTHER RACIAL GROUPS. STATUS SYMBOLS TEND TO BE WESTERN WESTERN SYMBOLS OF MATERIAL POSSESSIONS, HOUSES AND DRESS.

HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT ESPECIALLY FOR YOUTH IS A CENTRAL PROBLEM, SPRAWLING. SINCE THE 80'S CRIME IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM.

WOMEN ARE NOW LAWYERS, JUDGES, CIVIL SERVANTS, AND CALEPONIANS. GENERALLY THEY EARN LESS THAN MEN. SEXUAL HARASSMENT HAS BEEN A SOCIAL ISSUE SINCE 1980'S. WOMEN PARTICIPATE IN CARNIVAL WHERE THEY DEMONSTRATE THEIR SEXUALITY.

MARRIAGE PRACTICES DIFFER BASED ON ETHNICITY. FOR MIDDLE AND UPPER CLASS GROUPS A FORMAL RELIGIOUS SANCTION IS THE NORM. EAST INDIAN WOMEN WERE BETROTHED IN ARRANGED MARRIAGES THE AGE FOR INDIAN WOMEN INCREASES WITH THE PROPENSITY TO ENTER NON CO RESIDENTIAL RELATIONSHIPS. ARRANGED MARRIAGES GREATLY DIMINISH. INDIANS GENERALLY DON'T MARRY BLACKS.

MANY UPPER CLASS FAMILIES ARE MULTI GENERATIONAL. MANY WORKING CLASS AFRO-TRINIDAD HOUSEHOLDS ARE FEMALE-HEADED. THE EASTERN INDIANS AND UPPER CLASS OTHERS, HAVE PATRILINEAL INHERITANCE.

MIDDLE CLASS PARENTS READ NATIVE AMERICAN CHILDCARE BOOKS, AND FOR ALL GROUPS THEIR FAMILIES AND NEIGHBORS STILL HELP WITH RAISING KIDS. CAR SEATS ARE NOW POPULAR. BY AGE 2 MANY TODDLERS ARE SENT TO PRESCHOOL. BACKCHAT TO PARENTS IS NOT PERMITTED. A HARDENED CHILD OR ROWDY YOUTH IS EMBARRASSED TO THE FAMILY. GIRLS ARE ENCOURAGED TO EMPHASIZE PHYSICAL BEAUTY.

THIS SOCIETY PLACES HIGH VALUE ON HIGH EDUCATION. THERE ARE PARENTS WHO MAKE SACRIFICES FOR KIDS AND HIGHER EDUCATION. MANY PARENTS AND WOMEN ARE HARASSED. THEY USE TRINIDAD TIME TO REFER TO HABITUAL LATENESS. IT IS COMMON TO ADDRESS FOLKS WITH A GOOD MORNING! THEY HAVE PLENTY OF RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY. IN 1900 THE MAJORITY OF RELIGION WAS ROMAN CATHOLIC, WITH 20% OF THE POPULATION. MOST INDIANS ARE BUT MANY ARE CHRISTIANS, RASTAFARIANS, MUSLIMS, AFRO CHRISTIANS, BAPTISTS AND JUST FOLK BELIEFS.

ON HOLY THURSDAY NIGHT 1000'S OF HINDU PAY HOMAGE TO A CARVED WOODEN STATUE! TWO WEEKS LATER CATHOLICS PARADE THE SAME STATUE THROUGH THE STREETS. LATER CHINESE CAME TO HONOR THE MADONNA STATUE.

THERE IS A NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE, BUT PRIVATE MEDICINE SERVES A LARGE SHARE OF THE POPULATION. BOTH ARE BASED ON THE WESTERN BIO MEDICAL MODEL. THIS COUNTRY HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST AIDS RATES IN THE WORLD! DRUG ADDICTION IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM HERE.
THEY CELEBRATE THE SAME HOLIDAYS WE DO, PLUS CARNIVAL. IT ATTRACTS MANY TOURISTS ANS SCHOLARS AS WELL. HERE THEY DANCE, PLAY MUSIC, AND HAVE DRAMA. TRINIDAD HAS MANY AUTHORS. THEY HAVE STEEL BANDS AND LIVE CALYPSO.

BY 1961 THEY DEVELOPED A UNIVERSITY FOR ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL/SOCIAL SCIENTIST

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