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With its distinct culture, people, and linguistic markers, the Caribbean might be the last place you would think to look for the Irish. But much in the same way the spirit of the Dutch is alive and well in New York City in street and place names, so too do the Irish have a presence in places such as Montserrat, Jamaica, St. Kitts, and elsewhere throughout the British Caribbean. In Jamaica alone one will find Irish Town and Dublin Castle in St. Andrew, Clonmel and Kildare in St. Mary, and Belfast and Middleton in St. Thomas. Not to mention the surplus of Irish last names including Collins, Murphy, Madden, Mulling, McCarthy and McDonnough. How did the Irish wind up in the Caribbean, so far from their emerald island? The surnames above may not carry the prestige of a New York Astor or a Schermerhorn, but they tell of a history that is no less important.
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The Irish were desirable “slave stock” because they could be obtained for free and sold for a profit, whereas traders needed to pay to have Africans “caught,” minimizing their profit margins. And because they were cheaper in this sense, the Irish often suffered harsher punishments from their plantation masters. It is estimated that between 30,000 and 80,000 Irish were sold as laborers, contributing to a massive population reduction in Ireland. In 1652, Ireland’s population was 616,000, down from 1,466,000 in 1641. Of course, this change was not solely due to to the slave trade—famine, wars, and disease certainly played a role.
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The Caribbean is unique in this way. Its role in the colonial power struggle has brought together people from many different backgrounds, resulting in a cultural mixing not truly seen elsewhere. In Trinidad, for example, the combination of Africans, Indians, Chinese, and others has created blended cultural artifacts in the forms of food, festivals, music, religion, and clothing. Intermarriage between groups has strengthened these blended artifacts giving them a particular authority in these areas. Trinidadians, being enthusiastic rum connoisseurs have taken to Guinness, that popular Irish brew, and created their own version of the Guinness Float (Guinness and ice cream: Guinness mixed with carnation milk—I can vouch that it’s really quite good.
So in the middle of the parades and happy hours today, if you can spare a moment, think about the ways we are all connected via histories and relationships that may not be so apparent at first glance. And go ahead and enjoy the holiday however you choose to mark it—after all, we are all a little Irish.
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. . . During a televised discussion, a young political science student stood up and directed a probing question to one of the world's most powerful women. Will growth in one of the world's fastest developing economies be inclusive, the student from Delhi University asked IMF chief Christine Lagarde, or would it be restricted to the "Hindu male population"?
The question was a reference to the newish government led by the Hindu nationalist BJP party. It was clear that the student was no fan of the government's policies, and party supporters were among those quick to react. The hashtag #NDTVGirlAsks has been mentioned more than 20,000 times on Twitter (NDTV being the network broadcasting the discussion).
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The vast majority of tweets under the tag were against the student, and the dispute became the latest talking point for India's increasingly divided online political culture, where liberals are constantly on the look out for Hindu nationalism and government supporters jump to the defence of what they claim are conservative Indian values. India's culture wars have even played out through children's comic strips - as BBC Trending reported previously.
The student, who asked to be identified only by her first name, Paroma, says she wasn't aware of the online chatter about her until a friend pointed it out. "These comments come from deep-seated ignorance and insecurity about the fact that someone is questioning the whole development paradigm on which the new government came to power," she told BBC Trending in an email. "I have read deeply misogynistic comments. Some said that my grey matter was washed out with my menstrual cycle. These comments go on to prove that these fears that I have ... are not misplaced."
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