Colorism in Trinidad and Tobago | Mickisha868

I'm sorry about this guy's hello

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from the title this video is just

addressing colorism Internet & tobago

point-blank period yes I noticed

colorism all over the world but I'm

addressing specifically colorism in

Trinidad Tobago and my experience as

well as my older sister's experience

donna's experience will colorism as well

so that's just a bit of background for

the video I'm a little bit of background

for myself if it's your first time on my

channel just came across this video once

again my name is Mike Isha

I am Trinidadian I was born in Trinidad

Tobago

on my left her not at the age of 9

my oldest sister Donna is two and a half

years older than myself and we got

turned out at the same time she was 12

and I was 9 so just to give you guys a

bit of a background on us and we go back

home all the time trying out is always

home for us

my mama's boy was born and turned out of

my dad was born in Sebago and my dad

raised us into entran dad

that's the little gist of who we are the

perspective that we're coming at this

from just so you guys are aware this is

an open discussion but we must sustain

myself um you guys are more than welcome

to join it in the comments below let's

keep it respectful share whatever

stories that you guys have experiences

that you guys have personally

experienced with colorism as well

so let's jump right into this video so

Donna hi guys how you guys doing today I

hope you guys are having a great day

it's gonna get a little touchy okay we

don't want to offend anyone okay and

just quickly so like I said I was born

in Trinidad Musa New York at the age of

9 I now live in South Florida and Donna

still lives in New York so I've been in

South Florida for the past five years

hence why we're doing this video this

way I'm and not in person together

also this coronavirus time so we all

know how that goes nobody wants to be on

an airplane right now anyway so just to

give you guys a background on why we are

set up the way we are set up so we're

just going to be going back and forth

within each other this is a conversation

so Donna what's your first memory of

colorism

my first memory of colorism is hearing

things like oh you're pretty for a

dark-skinned girl oh even hearing like

some people saying to me like oh you

know you look really nice if you were a

little bit lighter like doing like the

hand thing like oh I'm lighter than you

I'm darkening you as kids growing up you

know like oh she is black like tar black

like to them that's something that you

would hear you would hear sometimes

people from Trinidad referring to people

that are from Tobago as Oh black to be

going in one week that was a turn that

I've heard as a kid just things like

that you know the whole hair texture

thing oh this person has really nice

hair you know so this person is more

beautiful aesthetically but the person

with more kinkier here is Oh

her hair's ugly we don't know what to do

with her here and we're gonna just give

her a pearl or press it and then deal

with it later

so I'm I'm gonna stop you right there so

nice not as experienced but just hear

her talk about it just brings back

freakin men

like someone would tell me oh the inner

side of your hand is lighter so if you

go to America that's the color that

you're gonna be as if that's something

that you need to inspire to be lighter

Donna mentioned the hair and I know what

to do

we're here like I dad was a single dad

so of course he couldn't comb I hear

himself so he will hire people in the

neighborhood neighbors to braid our hair

you know in cornrows for the week and

we'll have people that's been being paid

to do I hear and they will say things

like Oh her hair so hard I'll compare

our hair textures against each other so

I just had to insert that go ahead on

what else do you remember from childhood

that people more than likely would like

would say things like oh my my great

great grandparent is from I'm not gonna

say any place but wherever that places

maybe people might be a little bit

lighter or have you know different

features so people would want to put

that out there so it's kind of like oh

I'm better than you because where my

grandparents is from all my hair texture

might be like this you know yeah it's

kind of that it's kind of a way to like

disregard your African heritage there

was a video that came out I would say

within the last 2 to 3 weeks where this

East Indian lady was basically against

the black lives matter movement in the

u.s. a lot of Trinidadians also had the

same point of view as her as oh trinidad

doesn't have

the same racist issues like America has

and I beg to differ to a certain extent

but the two main edna cities intranet

and tobago is african and east indian

those are the two main ones so turn and

survey goes population now stands about

1.3 million to me when you search turned

out in Tobago or if we're talking to

someone dare say oh how are you from

turn that you don't look Trinidadian

like Trinidadian has a look you know but

I can't blame anyone that has that

mindset about renown and Tobago because

of colorism because of what called what

ethnicity is shown okay when you google

transit bago or you look at carnival you

don't see a lot of African people and

you guys know you might not know but I

had a travel group last this year sorry

I had a travel group this year patron

ask carnival and I had a couple of my

participants ask me and tell me oh I

didn't know that turned out had so many

African people because of what the media

portrays what we put out there you know

what the people with the power and the

money put out what is what pictures are

used for advertisement for tourism and

things like that it's not an African

person you know so I can't really blame

people for having that type of outlook

on what the population of fernand's a

bagel is supposed to look but yeah go

ahead honest yeah sometimes like looking

back at just certain events like if you

go to trim that's a carnival right

and you look at some of the videos that

is shown online but some of the more

expensive parties you see one look you

know light ask in person even some of

the bands that you might want to play

Mass with right there was one man in

particular I'm not gonna mention the

me.they before you can even sign up for

this particular band they want to see a

picture of you so train granny this is

your business I can choose to spend my

money here or I can choose to spend my

money somewhere else but I mean for

someone that might be younger and not

have like a strong mindset might look at

something like that and say to

themselves what did you want with me

right it's my skin so bad that I can't

whatever like I can't be a part of this

band and it's not even just they might

say you know what we want a particular

size of woman over on a particular they

just want a look so when you play Mass

in this particular band everyone most of

them look a particular way and I think

there's like there's a bunch of bands

like that and there's a bunch of bands

if you look on there like a small clip

on let's say Instagram right of people

on the road you might see one or two

token black girls but I tell you this

whatever black girl use she has to be

snatched for the god some employers are

against natural here so they view

natural here as bad I know some people

of African descent that wouldn't put

that there after

on your applications or up African

descent or black on their job

applications because they have a higher

chance of getting the job that they put

a different race on there um I've heard

people say well if you move back to my

friends like if you move back home to

try nine you're gonna get a job so

easily and this is someone speaking to

someone that's what of a lighter skin

tone black but light skin you will have

you will get a job so easily you know

what I mean because you have here your

skin is like you know but best to

believe if there's a licen person a

dachshund person going through the same

position the Lycian person has a higher

chance of getting that job over the

dark-skinned person everybody knows but

people just don't talk about it or

acknowledge it so even like in like the

first time that we played math on

internet for carnival we noticed it you

know I mean we noticed when Donna was

referring to earlier by saying the the

bands will have a certain aesthetic that

they want shown even though this band

had a huge majority of black people in

the band this band will still he won't

get a picture the photographers will

bypass you okay

there was a influencing at spoken açaí

think of like last month when everything

was really jumping off and he even said

a lot of promoters will direct the

photographers and videographers not to

capture certain looks

so it's known okay it's a known issue

and just like racism in the u.s. is

known and people just act like it

doesn't exist or it was long ago it was

a long time no this is still happening

in turn and right turn and Tobago needs

the means to acknowledge that racism and

colorism and classism still exist in

Trinidad and Tobago to date I will say

that shrine and Tobago is paradise I'll

say that it's paradise but yes there's

wood like everywhere else there's

poverty and there's the working poor

there's cpap jobs but the middle the

minimum wage in turn on Tobago is not a

livable wage but it's better compared to

some of the other islands which is not

to say much because I believe that

everyone should have a livable wage but

let me continue so there's a demographic

intern in San Diego called the

one-percent Donny one elaborate so

they're about I would say about five to

ten thousand people right group and

family and they call the shots in front

of that so they own most most of the

businesses in Trinidad that the carrot

beside the white oak a lot of these

companies are owned by Syrians a lot of

these big supermarkets can see when the

franchise from all these franchise

restaurants are

by Syrians right so they call the shots

and they're only five to five to ten

thousand of them a 1% that call the

shots

decide what you might get paid for your

first little factual job right meanwhile

they're making millions of dollars not

to say that this hasn't happened in

other parts of the world but I've never

really seen anyone stand up and say you

know what let's let's let's make a

massive protest because this is not a

livable wage right and the only does the

demographic of people that work in these

establishment is mostly people of

African descent to go a little bit

further um Anthony Bourdain did a

special Internet um and tobago a few

years ago but he did a special ok

highlighting the different foods and

culture Tran and Tobago and he

interviewed some Syrian people and they

were very boastful of their power ok

and even though they they are a minority

in the population

they were extremely boastful of the

power that they hold so just like

there's lobbying in the US I believe I

don't know for a fact or not I believe

there's lobbying in turnout and tobago

as well and it doesn't matter who is in

power Katrina has two main political

parties the p.m. and the UNC right now

the P and M is in power and who knows

who's gonna be elected this

here I think some time receded should be

election but no matter who's in power

the Syrians are on top okay and I will

say the Syrians are looked at as white

people okay in trinny terms training

point of view okay we look at them as

white but they control the minimum wage

being what it is they control the hiring

they control most of the businesses

internal and tobago but I feel like a

big huge part of the problem is lack of

acknowledgment lack of acknowledging

that this problem exists in this problem

needs to be dealt with because you see

the vast people the vast majority of

people in turn I that went on social

media most of them were is Indian

descent to say Oh F black lives matter

and all of this utter garbage ok garbage

okay it just made me look at damn they

are so lost okay because at the end of

the day whether you're East Indian or

you're black in China and tobago the

Syrians the one-percent are still up on

top so it's like why are we fighting

each other you know that's just my

little take on it

it's a bagels population is mostly

African subtle right you might mainly

hear it within family members so family

members might say oh you know Suzie had

two kids there's a real-life one and

you're the one black boy

so it's and then you as that child that

might be the darkest skin child you feel

a little bit less than

because you think in your mind that if

you were a little bit lighter they would

appreciate you more and another thing is

I've heard this mostly from trainees

that live in the u.s. when you ask them

where they from not really where they're

from but they're their ethnicity they'll

say I'm not black

I'm Trini like nobody I understand

what's so bad in saying I'm Trinidadian

and I'm black okay but we hear this so

many times

oh I'm not black I'm sure the daddy in

like what you're still up African

descent

you're still Africa but as I get older

and I see how it is in the carnival

scene it's definitely intentional okay

it's definitely intentional and

definitely needs to be called out okay

we've seen it we've experienced it um I

don't know if it's ever going to change

we can try calling on these promoters

and needs band leaders and things like

that calling out the government calling

out businesses calling out banks you go

to a bank there's a certain look that

the tellers have it's just it's deeply

rooted and turn out into bagels culture

even though we don't have the solution

let's get the ball rolling with the

discussion and if everyone talked about

this right everyone should have an

opinion about this and when you see it

you

do something about it you say something

you speak up

even if it's not happening to you

directly you can speak up on behalf of

someone else that might not have a voice

so if let's say you are of a particular

class because this also classes I'm in

Trinidad right and you go to an

establishment and you see that they're

ill treating someone that might be

working there that might be a darker

complexion right and you you say no

that's not how you speak to her that's

unacceptable and maybe you record that

right and then that business

establishment would have to change that

they would have to do something to

change that but if we just say well

that's how it is you know I have a job

so it doesn't really affect me because

it you know I am already doing what I

need to do in my life I already made it

so I don't care about yeah that's not a

moderation that comes after me because I

have already made it in my life

right so and my kids will be good

because of what because you are of maybe

a particular class in Trinidad so you

feel in your mind that your kids will

never have to deal with some of these

situations another thing I want to touch

on is currently right now yeah yeah I

don't even know the boat system because

between Trinidad Tobago yes it's two

separate islands if you're not from

China it's two islands and to get

between islands you have to take a plane

on you have to take the boat the boat

costs way less than the plane does so

the boat is a more affordable way of

getting between the islands

and I'll say since I'll say since the

last two years two or three years since

the PM has been in power I'll say it the

boat system has been garbage rubbish

okay and the majority of the people that

use the boat system are of African

descent all right and the way the the

boat's cancellation not notifying people

when the ferries are not running when

the boat is not running treating people

like they're nothing okay and when you

ask people or while you don't protest

why you don't stand up oh that's just

the way it is you know we just gotta

fight it we just gotta bite the bullet

know some people used to use the boat

system because you can put your car and

see vehicles and stuff on the book to

get and just have your car with you if

you go to Tobago on vacation if you need

to do something internet you have your

car I think if the 1% was utilizing the

boat system the way everyone else other

ethnicities are utilizing the boat

system I guarantee it the boat system

will not be operating the way that its

operating today and especially now with

the coronavirus having people stand up

on the line coming back day after day

after day in a hot sun signing up trying

to get a boat ticket that is ridiculous

that is garbage so Donna what do you

think about so what is your point of

view on why the boat system is operating

the way that it's operating I feel like

it's a classism and usual and what has

the history of China and tobago tobago

is always the part that's kind of like a

stepchild a stepchild so that's how it

should

and a lot of people look down on I would

say it look down on Tobago like oh you

know like that's their problem

they don't allow and I'm not I'm not

signaling anyone else and I'm not saying

that that the majority feels that way

I'm saying a lot of people feel that way

because there's a stigma like oh you're

from Tobago I remember one year he

should I

we couldn't get plane tickets to go from

Trinidad to Tobago on Ash Wednesday so

we did the boat so we wasn't available

Lumina best so we didn't listen to the

radio right we don't know what radio

station to listen to because we don't

live there we get up a port to lead to

bagel right I'm never thinking mind you

guys two hours before the scheduled

departure time god they said there's no

sailing today I'm like what do you mean

no silly

mind you my flight back to New York is

the next morning the next

so what we had to do was and things like

this is I know this is kind of like

messed up because not everyone probably

would have been able to do something

like this we had to make a phone call

and speak to a family member and see if

that person could put in a word or kind

of like give us a hook up so we can get

on the plane but before you continue

when I tell you guys there were so many

people on that port with babies older PL

Durley people whole families just

sitting there waiting I didn't see I

didn't get any announcement we got there

there was a line of people waiting we

walked up and we're like oh we're on

this whatever it is at all the boat

cancel what like no regard no time no

regard at all the people that work at

some of these places I don't know if

they're underpaid and overworked most

likely that's what it is so they have a

they have an inner anger and not a lot

of compassion they're telling you listen

the bullet is canceled they don't care

you jump in the water and swim to

Trinidad it they don't business right

and it's not them that made the wolves

they're not the one that controlled the

system but that's just how it is and

that's my example as basically a tourist

in my own country that I was born in cuz

Trinidad is not like I wouldn't say oh

it's like one of the worst

Islands when it comes to something like

this because there's different big other

places in some countries that this whole

colorism thing is an issue so you might

bleach out your skin like spices right

just so you can fit in right so all of

these things like play a part in us as a

people and I feel like if we won't came

together all over the world right and

actually put our foot down and stop

letting these people oppress us because

in Trinidad it's not like the US right

if 40% of the population in Trinidad is

black do you know how much you could do

how much damage you can do as a people

even a 20% of that came together and say

you know what let's maybe boycott this

establishment maybe not try to go to

some of these events or whatever it is

come together and try your best and say

you know what I'm not I'm not standing

for this anymore you couldn't make my

issue is I feel like a lot of people

internet and tobago don't know the

amount of power that they actually do

have you know we need to get out of the

old school long time mindset of saying

oh that's just how this is it's gonna

pass that no fight have some fight in

you and another thing about your nan

tobago that most people don't know the

laws on the books is crazy they're crazy

outdated ok

everything needs a new reform not even

to talk about the issue with romaine

yard and how long some people have to

sit okay in remand yard and wait for

their case to be called it's ridiculous

it's disgusting and the majority of the

people that's affected but I hold a man

yard issue and the lack of justice and

the lack of a speedy trial is half

people of African descent there was a

Black Power movement in Trinidad in the

70s there was a time where people

actually wanted to stand up and do an

egg fight for me I feel like when people

protest everyone looks down and say oh

damn kind of people I don't want to be a

part of that I am of a particular class

I don't stoop that low

our family is not gonna go out there

with the people to fight for anything

and another issue that's a big issue

internet to be a go is the police

commissioner for a picture with a dead

suspect okay

the police apartment sure not Sebago

they're not the end-all be-all okay it's

not their job as somebody I think the

person was accused of killing a police

officer but you're not the magistrate

you're not you're just there to enforce

the law okay but the police kills him

and then the police commissioner decides

to pose with the body I think it should

have been a suspension or some some kind

of discipline where that is concerned

that's not okay so I feel like the

killing should be investigated by an

independent party I'm not shoving an

investigation took place but it's like

those types of actions shouldn't be okay

yeah we know there's a crime issue in

the country yes we know that yes yes

hands down yes and hands down yes we

need police okay but those types of

behaviors makes an entire department

look bad and that's coming from the top

the police commissioner is pulsing with

a dead body for a picture that could

never be okay there's so much more I

want to say so much more I want to touch

on him sure Donna has more that she

wants to touch on as well thanks for

having me on the channel and I

appreciate the fact that you let me have

you don't avoid a new channel to get my

point across about you know colorism in

Trinidad and Tobago thanks for coming on

a channel Donna and once again these are

some experiences that we personally have

experienced within our childhood with in

visiting true navigate participating in

all-inclusive events carnival events

carnival bands carnival parties still

having family members that live intranet

that are in the work force on different

levels our take on everything and just

letting everyone know that yes I believe

change needs to take place in Trinidad

Tobago and I do think that it's possible

to happen so guys yeah so no

disrespectful comments let's respect

each other respect difference of opinion

if you guys would like to see done and I

do more of these let me know in the

comments below thank you guys so much

for watching this video I hope you guys

enjoyed it and if you're not Trini I

hope you learned something some insight

into turned out in Tobago of course it's

not all bad just like anywhere in the

world is not all bad but let me know in

the comments below what you guys think

and I'll see you guys in the next video

thank you guys so much for watching me

we're not done they're gonna know the

name million people coming down that's

it

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