Hylton Dennis | Will the diaspora get a divorce, with full custody?

The Government, like the Opposition, wishes that Jamaica never had the apparent nuisance of a diaspora while welcoming its financial benefit.

Only days ago, I was convinced of this by a former minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade. The Cabinet alumnus commented inter alia: “What causes some people some concern is that Jamaicans who migrate send money to family members and maybe friends and want to be in Parliament by virtue of contributing to their family’s welfare.”

This is the only contribution of the diaspora acknowledged and the only basis perceived for the effrontery of wanting a place in the Legislature. Considering who said it … WOW!

More was said, including: “No income tax is paid, no GCT unless they visit. The issue is, why are they entitled to be a part of the governance structure not being residents? They pledge allegiance to another flag; essentially regard their new home as a superior place of abode. Of course, many enjoy only permanent residence status abroad, but the expectation between both is razor thin. Many are not well concerned with Jamaica’s development per se but simply with immediate family comforts.”

Rhaatid! What a piece of nastiness and nonsense!

In the tribal political culture of Jamaica, the sentiment is entrenched or widespread. Too many returning residents have ended up dead for their remittance to build ‘boasy mansion’ house back in the poor community they hailed from; that never got built; was not the grand size money sent should have built; or for what was built as required that lecherous, parasitic family members decided to capture.

RETIREMENT DRIFT

This led to a different safe-retirement drift to other islands and the southern USA, especially Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Texas. Consequently, too, it meant death of the Jamaican fairy tale dream of a Vision 2030 accomplishment of Jamaica being perceived as “the ideal place to live, work, raise a family and retire comfortably”. The diaspora was never the target of this projection. It was Asians, Europeans, and other nationalities that currently patronise the tourism industry. For this is the pinnacle of glory of the typical narcissistic Jamaican politician.

Imagine your own sister, long after the start of the lockdown for the COVID-19 pandemic, during the mutation stage when booster shots were added to the vaccines, calling you randomly, sensing your longing to return home, to beg you not to come to the family home to stay but to check into a hotel instead.

Escalated morbid germaphobia of the diaspora became a feature of the COVID-19 pandemic protection protocol. Surely the remittance money was not sprayed or handled with latex gloves on purpose. Neither were the barrel contents. None of those still in the penal proxy independent colony became less anxious to be filed for to migrate to their families in the USA, the UK, and Canada, especially.

Just weeks ago, while making what has now become my regular appearance on Jamaican national television news panels by Zoom, the subject was the brain drain of the island’s teachers, nurses, and other specialised workers. I rubbished the brain drain description, contending that education of these workers is too expensive in Jamaica, leaving many heavily indebted and bonded to the Government to accept the marginal pay offered for their employment while they can command exponentially fabulous salaries and benefits overseas, be released from bond, and realise many material aspirations decades sooner. Therefore, an intelligent government would prioritise educating many more Jamaicans to export to the lucrative offshore job markets.

TRANSLATION

My translation to the diaspora of this message is that where you lay your head the most is your home, and Jamaica wants you to ‘tan a yuh yaad ova deh so!” The fact that you only got permanent resident status rather than citizenship naturalisation is your problem. Even though you are still regarded as a Jamaican, carrying a Jamaican passport, easily subject to deportation for breaking the law, the Jamaican Government otherwise deems you to be without a state. They place your heart and affection outside of the land of your birth and belonging with your belonging minus the cash remittances.

Your name has been removed from the Jamaican family house title behind your backs. Now that you know, tell them: “We want a divorce!” Petition as well for full custody of your “barrel children”, envied because their bellies not ‘bang’ because of malnutrition.

From 1776, when its 13 letters matched the same number of existing colonies, E pluribus unum, the Latin translation of axiom “Out of many one”, was the traditional motto of the United States of America long before Jamaica adopted it when it claimed its Independence in 1962. This motto, replaced in 1956 by “In God We Trust”, appears on the reverse side of the Chief Seal of the USA, which became a 50-state federation. Its proposition is that: “the One is made up of All things and All things issue from One.”

Jamaica copies but we do not commit to the character or image of the idolised object. Our imitation is not flattering.

Politicians are comfortable with portraying members of the diaspora as pariahs. Fortunately, they can’t call them mendicants and parasites although the way they jealously regard their ‘sovereign’ throne seats in the Gordon House of gangsters and connivance, they might just take it that far. The ‘wretched of the earth’ sit among them. Selah.

- Hylton Dennis is a publisher and a former vice-president of the Press Association of Jamaica. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and denscriptions@yahoo.com.