The Garifuna: A Los[t] Angeles Culture
One of the most interesting classes I have taken thus far at USC is a General Ed course titled, “Exploring Culture Through Film.” It was an anthropology course, and it followed a variety of societies — most of them with lost or endangered cultures. While we primarily focused on colonialism and the likes of the Ju’hoansi tribe, there was a subsection in which we studied an endangered Los Angeles culture: The Garifuna people.
What makes something as intangible and philosophical as a culture “lost”, you might ask?
A foreshadowing to becoming “lost” is when the group’s greatest fear is that the the generations to come do not know where they come from. Their grandchildren’s identity and their value of their roots has disappeared from mind, or it has been emphasized so little that they are not aware of what their identity/roots are at all.
The Garifuna group is an example of an “endangered” culture locally in Los Angeles — their efforts, like many others, is to preserve their culture long after the existing generation. As this group blends into the greater popular culture of Los Angeles and the wider global system, another concern is that they will become homogenized forever. Many groups in other civilizations also fear this, for Westernization has had such a toll on minorities throughout history. The Garifuna in particular, however, hope to maintain their language, traditions, and celebrations in a way that is cherished and considered a long-lasting legacy.
Who are the Garifuna people?
After a series of revolts with European civilizations such as the British and French, dating as far back as the 1600’s, the British gained control over the Island of St. Vincent in 1763, home of the Garifuna. Once this conquest took place, the Garifuna were deported to several different locations in Central America, separating and exiling those who looked more African-looking versus Amerindian-looking. Today, Los Angeles hosts the second largest group of emigrated Garifuna people, who struggle to fit into the greater culture as well as resurrecting their own.
In a short documentary titled Clearing Boundaries, interviewers talk to Los Angeles Garifuna people who are still dealing with the aftermath of the diaspora. One man in particular answers that it is hard living in today’s world, especially in LA, as he looks “took black to be Mexican” but also “too Mexican to be black”. Many other Garifuna groups are conflicted with this.
As the Garifuna speak their own native language (see video above), today, teaching in school programs and using the Internet (Skype, Google chat) to communicate with international Garifuna groups is what restores their culture. All in all, language is a prime vessel to express their culture, as they actively resist being brought into the world system.
What the Garifuna want people to know is that their history is still alive. Within their cultural landscape, the Garifuna are still willing to participate and pass down their traditional elements, such as their native tongue, from generation to generation. Just because they were removed from their homeland does not mean they are “lost” entirely, along with many cultures that have been scattered and forced to migrate due to Western influences.
Music, dance, ritual, media, and language are all of the things that the Garifuna strive to protect, and they are engaging in their revolution more than ever as this electric and vibrant city grows and diversifies.
