Looking Glass: Xenophobia? Pt.1
By Bryant Bethel -
Nassau, Bahamas:


It seems that with each new round of prosperity, old fears of foreign "take-over" flush through the national psyche and spill out over the land. Invariably, the usual vitriol, dialogue, debate and diatribe follows. But these fears will not dissolve overnight as the roots of the problem are partly structural and its dimensions are huge, requiring a national commitment to change at every level. A threat of marginalization by foreigners, real or imagined, whether cultural or economic, cannot therefore, be easily erased. Who we are and what we are today has been shaped by a specific history, geography, politics, sociology, economics and our responses to them all.

The fact that, for centuries up until the 1960’s, the vast majority of the people of The Bahamas have had no tradition of wealth or power only serves to compound the challenge. As the attention pivots mainly around the issue of immigration, a perceived lack of focus on the part of consecutive governments seems to have led to a rachetting up of cries from the people via talk shows and other public fora.

As a result of sentiments currently being expressed, there is a growing number of "thinking" Bahamians willing to use the term "xenophobic" to describe Bahamian attitudes toward foreigners today. But is this so? What does it mean to be xenophobic? Is there a "foreign" threat? Is this the real issue and is there a solution or cure?

The American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy defines xenophobia as, "An unreasonable fear, distrust, or hatred of strangers, foreigners, or anything perceived as foreign or different". According to Wikipedia.com, "For xenophobia, there are two main objects of the phobia. The first is a population group present within a society, which is not considered part of that society. Often they are recent immigrants, but xenophobia may be directed against a group which has been present for centuries. This form of xenophobia can elicit or facilitate hostile and violent reactions, such as mass expulsion of immigrants, or in the worst case, genocide."

There is absolutely no denying that in Bahamaland today there is everything from fear, distrust and resentment of foreign workers and foreign employers though not all foreigners per se. Whilst most Bahamians are genuinely friendly and receptive to foreign visitors, in my opinion, Bahamian fears are aroused by the foreigner who remains and competes for jobs. So to apply a broad term like "xenophobic" to the attitude of Bahamians toward foreigners is perhaps not very useful, as important dimensions of the issue may be covered up. It is more precise to say that many Bahamians are threatened by foreign competition for jobs, cultural dilution, power and benefits in this society.

From history we know that for centuries, the majority of Bahamians have lived in poverty with only episodes of prosperity such as sponging, wrecking, bootlegging and so on. Slavery, with its exploitative nature, systematically impoverished the black population leaving them ill-prepared to accumulate wealth and excluded from the halls of political power. Nevertheless, the people plodded on through to Majority Rule in 1967, and on to Independence in 1973.

In the years immediately following Independence, the PLP made good on promises of empowering the local population, blacks in particular, through education and job opportunities. However, Government could not achieve this alone. To keep pace with an expanding population and employment needs, the Government needed the active participation of the Private Sector – a fact not lost on a former Minister of Finance and architect of the modern Bahamian economy, Sir Stafford Sands.

It seems, Sir Stafford, understood Bahamian History and Geography 101. The fact is, that historically, The Bahamas has never been an economically viable place, capable of generating enough native capital to produce full employment and sustainable economic growth across the board. We have always lacked the traditional resources which attracted foreign capital or even a sizeable population.

So, during the 1960’s, Sir Stafford Sands, designed a two-wheeled bicycle to carry The Bahamas forward. One wheel represented The Bahamian Government, real estate, human resources and laws as the "means of production", while the other wheel represented foreign invested capital or a kind of "ownership of production". On this bicycle he then rested the industries of Tourism and Financial Services, having their locomotion constrained only by the ability of both wheels to turn in unison. And so it was Sir Stafford Sands and the UBP who first established the paradigm that has created consistent wealth for Bahamians for over a generation.

That said however, ironically, it is this same business model that has probably preserved and accentuated the anti-expatriate sentiment in the country. As was the case with hotels, the model traditionally brought a few wealthy, highly skilled individuals (usually foreign White) together with larger numbers of Black unskilled or less skilled local workers.

Given the history of both groupings and the nature of the relationship, it was almost unavoidable that feelings of resentment would be directed toward the foreign, White bosses. At the turn of the last century, it was a well-known fact that the American developers of the British Colonial Hotel and others, overtly discriminated against local workers and effected Jim Crow policies on site.

Even today, I believe a visit to the Labor Board or a review of some HR files will reveal racist and exploitative events at the hands of foreign bosses or business owners. This I believe, have provided a basis for some of the anti-foreign sentiment, as Bahamians object in disgust to being treated in such a manner in their "own" country. And so, the roots of distrust or resentment are real.

Again, Governments in the last century, sought to utilize West Indians in the development of The Bahamas. Again the resentment of Bahamians was aroused, as the positions of many of the West Indians were superior - as were their skills. Moreover, many Bahamians considered them arrogant or opportunistic according to historian, Dr. Gail Saunders. Others viewed the West Indians as hindrances to personal advancement and empowerment or even instruments of oppression as may have been the case with the West Indian policemen.

The arrival of the Haitian, orchestrated by UBP and elite, White Bahamian, businessmen to work farms in Abaco and Andros, also gave rise to new opportunity to fear foreigners. In the case of the Haitian, fear of increased competition for the benefits of The Bahamas and Haitian solidarity against Bahamians to somehow usurp national authority and sovereignty is not unspoken.

The fact of a constant influx of large numbers of illegal Haitians, a language barrier and customs that Bahamians perceive as inferior, have only served to heightened concerns. Moreover, Bahamians are aware that Haitians, though generally docile, are exploiting their borders in droves and they will continue to exploit them if there is no firm response from Bahamian authorities. However, the fact of cheap, Haitian labor has constantly been the Achilles Heel to any sustained effort to deal with the issue of illegal immigrants. And this is where a national commitment and plan must come into play. To be continued…

(Write me at bryant.bethell@gmail.com)

14 August 2007