Living in south Florida exposes you to many different cultures on a regular basis--from visiting a “jammin” Jamaican club in Miami to visiting a Cuban restaurant in Hialeah, SoFlo has it all (and I mean that in a good and bad way). How can it be bad? Of course only a tourist would ask that question. Unfortunately being from the islands carries certain stereotypical stigmas that most of us cannot escape. Some of these stereotypes are silly--”You people eat nothing but fish,” “You guys are great swimmers” and “How does it feel to live on the beach?” And some of them are as a result of false media portrayals--”You smoke weed and practice voodoo at the same time? Wow that’s cool you have to show me that sometime.” Let’s be realistic here-- all islanders have certain traditions that they uphold that the media never mentions.

One of them is their strong sense of family. In our culture our families represent the strongest form of solidarity in our lives, period. It is also common to see multiple families living together in one home especially if finances are an issue. This paints a whole new picture about island culture. Intrigued? Here are five other truths about our culture.

1. Yes we eat fish and just about anything else.

Fish is one of the main staples of island food but obviously there are many others. Vegetables, meat, cheese, bread and even certain American dishes are also part of the menu when enjoying a good meal. (I have a friend from Jamaica that loves sushi.)

2. We don’t all live on the beach and most of us cannot swim.

Most islanders do not have a significant amount of cash to live directly on the beach-- that is the lifestyle mostly for tourists. The majority of islanders live inland. As far as swimming, most of the islanders that make their living from the ocean or those that were taught to swim are the ones that swim well.

3. No, we don’t smoke weed all the time.

In Jamaica weed is used for medicinal purposes only if you are are part of the Rastafarian religion. In fact there are other religions that use plants for medicinal purposes too. This also brings me to another point, not all people from Jamaica are Rastafarian.

4. No we don’t all practice voodoo or witchcraft.

Contrary to belief, voodoo did not originate in the Caribbean but was introduced into the Caribbean by African settlers. The Voodoo religion actually has nothing to do with casting spells, cursing people, etc. It’s a polytheistic religion where believers worship the gods and goddesses of nature. Witchcraft and black magic are also not part of the voodoo religion-- that’s a misnomer. A large majority of islanders are either Baptist, Protestant, Catholic or part of other mainstream religious groups

5. Mothers are the center of the universe.

Ideally this is how all cultures should view the parental role, but this is not always the case. Often times mothers take the role of both parents. So as a result the mother is the one that solidifies the entire family, and if the mother falls ill or falls on tough times, the family is expected to care for her physically, emotionally or financially no matter the cost.

So knowing all this, what do you think of islanders now?