We found Guyanese in Jamaica!

A Guyanese Diaspora Outside of NYC, London or Toronto!

Recently Guyana Tapestry had the amazing opportunity to visit the land of wood and water. And if you know anything about Jamaica, we need not reiterate anything of its breathtaking beauty. But you know what made it even more a thing, say gratifying? We caught up and chatted with Guyanese living in Jamaica. Of course, there are Guyanese living in Jamaica and there have been for some time.  

I know when we think about the Guyanese diaspora, we almost automatically think about New York, London, or Toronto. And yes, those are the largest enclaves of the Guyanese diaspora. But there are other diaspora stories — some of them much closer to home, such as Guyanese living in Jamaica. Granted, we could find no official estimates about the precise population size, but we learned from folks who organize and participate in various activities with the group that it’s a relatively small Guyanese community although spread across the island. Still, there are fascinating stories to be told of Caribbean migration, identity, opportunity, and connection.

Nuh true? When Guyanese moves to Jamaica, they are not just moving to another country. They are moving to a CARICOM sister state; moreover, two countries shaped by the enslavement of African peoples, Indian indentureship, colonial histories, migration, music, food, language, and the enduring bonds formed by the Treaty of Chaguaramas of 1973.

So, what brings a Guyanese to Jamaica?

For some, it’s education. For others, employment, business, family, or the search for new opportunities. And for some, Jamaica is a place where they unexpectedly find a second home.

But living in Jamaica as a Guyanese also creates an interesting question of identity. Without doubt, we blend in nicely eh… but then the circumstances arise when you must face the inevitable question, are you an immigrant? Are you a Caribbean neighbor? Or are you simply a Guyanese who has found a new place within the wider Caribbean family? The answer depends on who you ask.

There are many similarities, but there are also significant differences, of course. Some of the most obvious being, the accents are different and so is the food. The rhythms are different. Guyanese and Jamaican culture have their own distinct histories and traditions. But spend enough time, and the similarities begin to emerge, like the importance of family, the love for good food, the strength of the bonds of community, the entrepreneurial spirit, the music, the humor, and that unmistakable ability of Caribbean people to make a home wherever life takes us.

Guyanese are part of a much larger movement of Caribbean people crossing borders, pursuing opportunities, forming families, exchanging cultures, and creating new definitions of what it means to be Caribbean. So as Guyana Tapestry explored the lives of Guyanese in Jamaica, looking beyond the statistics and migration numbers, we encountered several inspiring stories. Although we find Ms. Bernadette Chung Maxfield’s life and times on the island particularly fascinating. Ms. Chung-Maxfield is a native Guyanese who has lived in Jamaica for some 40 years. She has lived through several of the natural disasters including the recent catastrophic and unprecedented Category 5 storm, Melissa recorded as the strongest hurricane to ever make landfall in Jamaica's history. Ms. Chung Maxfield sat down with Guyana Tapestry and answered some of our probing questions about why she came to Jamaica, what brought her to the island? What she found when she came? And after living in Jamaica for some time, how does she stay connected to community and culture? 

This is the story of a Guyanese in Jamaica. A story of migration, identity, and of two Caribbean nations discovering just how much they have in common. And ultimately, a story of what it means to be Guyanese—wherever in the world home may be. Stay tuned in for the next part of “Guyanese living in Jamaica: Ms. Bernadette Chung Maxfield’s story. Ensure you’re following us here on Instagram and Facebook and subscribe to the Guyana Tapestry YouTube channel.

Family, this is Guyana Tapestry and here we’re telling Guyana’s immigration story. Until the next story, one love GT.