Understanding Your Position

Before setting foot on Caribbean soil, examine your position:

Check Your Expectations

- Not just beaches: People live full, complex lives here - Not frozen in time: Contemporary societies facing modern challenges - Not your canvas: Existing cultures don't need external salvation - Not monolithic: Each island has distinct identity - Not simple: Complexity requires patience and humility

"Visitors often seem disappointed we have traffic jams and smartphones," laughs tour guide Josiane Luce. "Sorry we're not your tropical fantasy. We're real people in a real place."

Historical Awareness Matters

Basic historical knowledge prevents offensive ignorance: - Understand slavery's impact without voyeurism - Recognize ongoing colonial relationships - Appreciate resistance and resilience - Avoid romanticizing or catastrophizing - Listen more than you speak about history

"When tourists ask if we're grateful for French 'civilization,' I wonder what planet they inhabit," sighs museum guide Henri Petit-Frère. "Basic history prevents such violence."