The African diaspora in the Spanish Caribbean – namely, in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico – fomented the emergence of a syncretic identity. Likewise, this historical period brought forth similar ethnobotanical hybridity. This study endeavors to highlight the role of plants in the medicinal and spiritual practices that have come to characterize Afro-Caribbean cultures, as reflected in Santeria and traditional medicine (curanderismo). Of central focus will be the degree to which, according to social circumstances and the ecological profile of the Caribbean, West African plant knowledge was appropriated in the Spanish colonies, and how related customs were adapted to the new environment.
Involuntary dispersal of Africans to the Spanish Caribbean is historically rooted in colonialism as of the 16th century. Many indigenous peoples, belonging to groups such as the Tainos, did not survive this era, given the harsh working conditions established by the Spanish, violence, as well as infectious diseases to which non-Europeans were not immune. As such, the Spanish sought African labor as a replacement. Atlantic slave trade to the islands of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico thrived during the better part of the following centuries - until formally abolished completely in 1838 (in Cuba – the final cite to cede emancipation of enslaved peoples).
In Cuba and the Dominican Republic, the number of surviving indigenous peoples was insignificant; in contrast, Puerto Rico retained a sizable Taino population. As such, the environment in which Africans were introduced to the islands was largely dominated by the culture and customs of the colonists, criollos, and mestizos. Customs therefore, were largely characterized by ‘...
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...ora in the Spanish Caribbean, this is apparent, as demonstrated through the strong attachment to plants and associated practices. Maintaining pieces of this was integral to easing the process of assimilation in the new world: otherwise culturally diffuse, enslaved Africans achieved solidarity on the basis of conceptualizing their new physical space according to their traditional model – of understanding plants in any context; likewise, they fomented an identity surrounding a nature-based religion and medical practices. The relationship with plants arguably served as an agent of unity and resistance against loss of tradition, culture, and knowledge across the Atlantic. Rather than being a strictly geographical phenomenon, the human bond with plants can be seen under a lens of race. The uniquely Afro-Caribbean ethonobotanical legacy serves as tribute to this.
Middleton, Karen. "Who killed 'Malagasy Cactus'? Science, environment and colonialism in southern Madagascar (1924-1930)." Journal of Southern African Studies; Oxford. June 1999: 215-248.
The history of Africans in Mexico is an oft-neglected facet of the cultural complexities of that country. In 1519, Hernando Cortes brought 6 African slaves with him to Mexico; these individuals served the conquest as personal servants, carriers, and laborers.[1] In the years to come, slavery would become a critical component of the colonial economy with approximately 2,000 slaves arriving each year 1580-1650; it is estimated that a total of 200,000 Africans were brought to Mexico during the colonial period.[2] Given this large number of slaves, the lengthy period of their importation, and the inevitable mixing of races, which took place throughout the colony, the historical and cultural significance of bozales, criollos, mulattoes, and zambos is far-reaching. The colonial period provides an excellent starting place for an examination of the significance of these groups not only because the institution of African slavery was introduced to New Spain at that time, but also because the regular influx of native Africans combined with the close attention paid to color-based castas in official records allows historians to trace the influence of African culture more readily during that period.
Kamara, Mariatu and Susan McClelland. The Bite of the Mango. New York: Annick Press Ltd., 2008. Print.
"Creole Materialities: Archaeological Explorations Of Hybridized Realities On A North American Plantation. " Journal of Historical Sociology 23.1 (2010): 16-39. Academic Search Complete. 27 Apr. 2014. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'. Web.
The early years of Spanish rule began with the gradual development of a settler society as well as the native Taino Indians. The Taino population was soon drastically reduced and the structure of this society, diversified with the introduction of African Slave laborers. Race is therefore a core element in the discussion of the Puerto Rican identity. The early settlers came from Europe in search of riches that were soon diminished and therefore a natural need for other economic means had to be developed by the people who decided to remain behind. Some of the people who remained in Puerto Rico were coerced into doing so because of...
Dominicans and African-Americans are similar in their African origin, but they are different “in their newfound slavery-induced cultures.” Dominicans were Africans mixed with Spanish culture. Through slave settlements, Dominicans were settled in Hispanola. In Hispanola, Dominicans were influenced between two ethnic groups. As a new ethnic group formed, their African traits were mixed with Spanish traits (Saillant-Torres 131).
In the histories of Colonial Latin America there is one common aspect and that is the importation of slaves as a labor force. The resulting consequences for the territory are vital if we are to understand the development of the society. In Puerto Rico these consequences deal mainly with African influence on the peasantry, the corrective measures taken thereafter to negate the African influence, and the results of these corrective measures.
From Africa to Brazil is a cultural, identity and, an Atlantic slave Trade article written by Walter Hawthorne with its focus on tracing back the African Slaves in Amazonia, Brazil to their origins or ethnic group in Africa. And how the Slaves of upper Guinea contributed to the Atlantic trade exchange i.e. through the ignored fact that Africans in the trade transferred architectural aesthetic and rice-growing techniques to the new world. In this article, Hawthorne argued for the thesis question. Were the slaves traded to America from the rice producing regions of upper Guinea or not.
The Black Legend and White Legend: Relationship Between the Spanish and Indians in the New World
In analyzing the influence of Africa in Puerto Rico, it would be irresponsible to refuse to acknowledge the initial introduction of African slaves to the island of Puerto Rico that by which serves as the main vessel of contact and cultural integration. By the turn of the 18th century, inhabitants of the island where being substituted for African slaves due to the high death rates resulting from “ war, disease, slavery, emigration,” etc. (Duany, 188) Most of the slaves to whom where enslaved were predominantly, but not limited to the Yoruba and Bantu cultures of West Africa. D...
Foley, Eric. Cultures of the World Dominican Republic. New York: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 1995. Print.
...his cauldron of powerful themes were heavily evident in the ways in which Spanish conquistadors treated Native peoples of the Americas. In the book Wonder and Exile in the New World by Alex Nava the elements of wonder, exile, deprivation and to an extent religion are shown to be driving forces that led to many beneficial and negative transgressions. The analysis of the adventures of Cabeza de Vaca and Las Casas proves that such elements do have the power to revolutionize a person’s way of life. In all, by understanding the different themes and concepts entwined in Nava’s book it is easy to comprehend a new appreciation and identification about the fact that many components throughout history have been at play in shaping today’s modern world.
The Spanish culture is rich in history. They demonstrate a sense of family, religion and community in order to maintain their heritage. My paper will review briefly the Spanish culture and evaluate the contrast and similarities between them and African Americans. This flow chart will range with differences and similarities on religion, socialization and there place in the future of our country. This journey allowed me to learn a great deal.
Being a resident of South Carolina, African-American Culture was chosen as part of the applied learning project for the Intercultural Nursing class, because African-Americans make up more than a quarter of this state’s population. According to the 2010 United States Census Bureau, the total population for South Carolina (S.C.) is 4,625,364, with 27.9% being of African-American descent. The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding and sensitivity to issues and cultural variances or phenomena that are unique to the African-American Culture. Another goal is to identify nursing interventions that are important for the nurse to consider in caring for this population. These phenomena’s include variances in social organization, communication, space, perception of time, environmental control, and biological variations associated with the African-American culture. (Giger, 2013 and South Carolina minority, n.d.)
The Plantation society theory tries to explain the social Caribbean structure in relation to the plantation experience. According to Professor George Beckford “plantation societies are characterized by the existence of a right social hierarchy based on labour, racial and cultural differences, large areas of land denoted to production, Authoritarian management centralized, among other things”. The plantation model stresses on the existence of two classes – “a white/free class which owned the means of production and a black/slave class which owned labour”. This model shines a spotlight on the traditional Marxist argument which speaks about the unequal distribution of wealth and power. The plantation society model serves to authenticate the assertion that occupation was linked through race. Although wealth and power can be inherited, they are also the products of occupation.