Show Them We Haven’t Got a Tail Rational
Can You Find Comfort and Happiness in a Landscape Where the Majority Culture Excludes You?
Unlike Stuart Hall, prominent New Left writer and activist, I feel as though I am uneducated.
As Hall says: “Yesterday's deconstructions are often tomorrow's orthodox clichés”, so
perhaps instead of understanding the psychology behind my feelings, it would make more
sense to learn about my own history, and grasp understanding from what I already have. I
find it difficult to speak on behalf of Jamaican culture and the black experience as I know as
little about being Jamaican as I do about being English and consequently, have avoided my
culture and insecurities surrounding my race for the majority of my life.
This research video is a resistance to this feeling. This film argues my claim that by growing up in Britain, the culture and history has denied black people (myself included) the right to not feel ashamed of their race. By discussing this complicated situation with my grandmother, June Roper (who I will be referring to as ‘nan’ throughout) as well as my auntie, Marie Gilzene, topics were brought to the table that we could all relate to and recognise as shared experiences and emotions, despite living across different generations. These methods of gathering oral histories, as well as auto-ethnographical processes may not have directly answered my question but have at least brought me some insight and comfort. However, this process
This research video is a resistance to this feeling. This film argues my claim that by growing up in Britain, the culture and history has denied black people (myself included) the right to not feel ashamed of their race. By discussing this complicated situation with my grandmother, June Roper (who I will be referring to as ‘nan’ throughout) as well as my auntie, Marie Gilzene, topics were brought to the table that we could all relate to and recognise as shared experiences and emotions, despite living across different generations. These methods of gathering oral histories, as well as auto-ethnographical processes may not have directly answered my question but have at least brought me some insight and comfort. However, this process
has helped me to understand my own anxieties and project
an outcome to the question I propose at the start of my film.
The feeling of difference lies not only in political fear and danger from authorities or bigoted individuals, but it resides in an overwhelming feeling of shame. This feeling of shame can often feel like it exists in a vacuum, with nowhere to place the blame. However, In Rola AbiHanna’s Essay ‘Examining Acculturation’, they perfectly describe the feelings I have been trying to find the words for.
“I didn’t know at the time that I was acculturating to my new home and community. I didn’t even understand what that meant; I’m not sure I do even now. I just remember how I felt, always different, even though I had a citizenship card with my name and a picture of a little girl with pigtails and two missing front teeth that said I was supposed to be the same, just like all other Canadians. I knew I didn’t feel completely Lebanese anymore either.” (AbiHanna R. 2014)
The Theory of Acculturation, most often examined and criticised from the work of psychologist John W. Berry, has long been popular in the space of anthropological research around cultural studies. In Berry’s initial essay ‘Acculturation: Living Successfully in Two Cultures’, he argues that “the orientation of immigrants towards the new society bases itself on two dimensions... the desire to preserve ethnic culture, and the wish to interact with members of the majority group” and “At the group level it involves changes in social structures and institutions and in cultural practices. At the individual level, it involves changes in a person’s behavioural repertoire” (Berry, 2005).
In Aieka Yasheva Smith’s essay ‘I Have Two Flags in My Heart’, she found that “Whilst many Jamaicans have found ways to improve their lives in Britain, they struggle to feel a sense of belonging to that country” (Smith, 2023), suggesting to me that research surrounding acculturation cannot be wrapped up in a single chart and “the concept of acculturation here implies that the study is of cultural change and not the change of individuals within cultures.” (AbiHanna, 2014). If I could ask Berry about his theory, I would ask how the act of integration can be applied to an individual, when surely, it is up to the culture surrounding them to allow them a place in society.
It is important to recognise within Berry’s theory, as stated by himself, that “despite a large turnover in membership with each new generation, cultures and their institutions remain relatively stable. Thus, a culture does not depend on particular individuals for its existence but has a life of its own at the collective level of the group” (Berry 2009).
It is difficult to assess whether the way I feel, and the way my nan feels, is something that we can use cross culture psychology to analyse. It is also important to mention that in the graph that visualises Berry’s theory (Figure 1), integration is deemed as the most positive. However, after speaking to my nan, a person who spent her adult life attempting to integrate, it would seem that the nature of British attitudes and history of discrimination means those from “non-native” backgrounds will inevitably struggle to both connect with their original culture whilst also connecting with the new culture they inhabit.
Throughout the research essay, and particularly as my nan and I conclude our conversation, it is evident that those feelings of discrimination and intolerance do not simply disappear as the culture shifts. These are lingering emotions and trauma that aren’t forgotten and have severe repercussions on future generations ability or motivation to ‘integrate’ into the majority culture they now inhabit.
I figured that the best way to criticise and form my own judgment of Berry’s theory was to talk to my nan, June Roper, a Jamaican woman who immigrated to Britain as a young girl with her sister during the 60s. This was a time with high racial tension in Britain due to a sudden growth of black people immigrating to Britain. By speaking to my nan, it was a privilege to analyse her words as a primary research method. Her story recounted experience of violence and trauma, but all lead her to a feeling of resilience, disillusionment and separation. This story helped to develop a deeper understanding of my own personal struggles of integration and unpacked reasons why I may have been ashamed or anxious to embrace my Jamaican culture.
The feeling of difference lies not only in political fear and danger from authorities or bigoted individuals, but it resides in an overwhelming feeling of shame. This feeling of shame can often feel like it exists in a vacuum, with nowhere to place the blame. However, In Rola AbiHanna’s Essay ‘Examining Acculturation’, they perfectly describe the feelings I have been trying to find the words for.
“I didn’t know at the time that I was acculturating to my new home and community. I didn’t even understand what that meant; I’m not sure I do even now. I just remember how I felt, always different, even though I had a citizenship card with my name and a picture of a little girl with pigtails and two missing front teeth that said I was supposed to be the same, just like all other Canadians. I knew I didn’t feel completely Lebanese anymore either.” (AbiHanna R. 2014)
The Theory of Acculturation, most often examined and criticised from the work of psychologist John W. Berry, has long been popular in the space of anthropological research around cultural studies. In Berry’s initial essay ‘Acculturation: Living Successfully in Two Cultures’, he argues that “the orientation of immigrants towards the new society bases itself on two dimensions... the desire to preserve ethnic culture, and the wish to interact with members of the majority group” and “At the group level it involves changes in social structures and institutions and in cultural practices. At the individual level, it involves changes in a person’s behavioural repertoire” (Berry, 2005).
In Aieka Yasheva Smith’s essay ‘I Have Two Flags in My Heart’, she found that “Whilst many Jamaicans have found ways to improve their lives in Britain, they struggle to feel a sense of belonging to that country” (Smith, 2023), suggesting to me that research surrounding acculturation cannot be wrapped up in a single chart and “the concept of acculturation here implies that the study is of cultural change and not the change of individuals within cultures.” (AbiHanna, 2014). If I could ask Berry about his theory, I would ask how the act of integration can be applied to an individual, when surely, it is up to the culture surrounding them to allow them a place in society.
It is important to recognise within Berry’s theory, as stated by himself, that “despite a large turnover in membership with each new generation, cultures and their institutions remain relatively stable. Thus, a culture does not depend on particular individuals for its existence but has a life of its own at the collective level of the group” (Berry 2009).
It is difficult to assess whether the way I feel, and the way my nan feels, is something that we can use cross culture psychology to analyse. It is also important to mention that in the graph that visualises Berry’s theory (Figure 1), integration is deemed as the most positive. However, after speaking to my nan, a person who spent her adult life attempting to integrate, it would seem that the nature of British attitudes and history of discrimination means those from “non-native” backgrounds will inevitably struggle to both connect with their original culture whilst also connecting with the new culture they inhabit.
Throughout the research essay, and particularly as my nan and I conclude our conversation, it is evident that those feelings of discrimination and intolerance do not simply disappear as the culture shifts. These are lingering emotions and trauma that aren’t forgotten and have severe repercussions on future generations ability or motivation to ‘integrate’ into the majority culture they now inhabit.
I figured that the best way to criticise and form my own judgment of Berry’s theory was to talk to my nan, June Roper, a Jamaican woman who immigrated to Britain as a young girl with her sister during the 60s. This was a time with high racial tension in Britain due to a sudden growth of black people immigrating to Britain. By speaking to my nan, it was a privilege to analyse her words as a primary research method. Her story recounted experience of violence and trauma, but all lead her to a feeling of resilience, disillusionment and separation. This story helped to develop a deeper understanding of my own personal struggles of integration and unpacked reasons why I may have been ashamed or anxious to embrace my Jamaican culture.
By listening back to the conversation we had, there is no doubt in my mind as to why she still has reservations about her safety and comfort in Britain, even after 60 years of living here. From her childhood experiences in school, being seen as less intelligent than her white peers, to traumatic treatment during the birth of her first child (excluded from the research video out of sensitivity to her story), it is clear she has constantly faced discrimination, and her presence has always been faced with bigotry and adversity. One might argue that times are better now, but as my nan stated, “people think I’ve forgot, but I haven’t forgot”. It is the permanent subconscious fear, brought on by years of discrimination, that impacts your ability to feel comfortable as a minority.
“Cockroach neva right before chicken”
“One will never be judged fairly by one’s enemies”
These discussions developed a deeper understanding of where I stand in the question: Can one feel comfortable in a non-native landscape? Considering my positionality and having grown up in Britain my entire life, do I as a black person feel wholly welcomed into Britain? The question of whether the discrimination and trauma from my grandmother is something that can be tracked across generation through psychological study intrigues me. It makes me question whether Britain built a culture that imbues feelings of otherness into our DNA?
Visiting Tate Britain’s Exhibition, ‘80s Photography in Britain’, was important in the making of this video essay. The exhibition included work by one of my favourite artists, Ingrid Pollard, who makes work engaging with the black experience in the British Countryside. Her piece ‘The Cost of the English Landscape’, reflected my own feelings towards the British countryside and highlighted the issues of exclusion that encompasses the black experience in Britain. Other artists such as Al-An deSouza, Joy Gregory and Rosini Kempadoo, are also referenced in the video as contributors to building the narrative of Britain’s history of ‘othering’ minority groups. Overall, the decision to include my walk around the exhibition highlighted how the exhibition encouraged me reflect on my own experience as a minority in Britain, and how stories of marginalisation have been told.
The making of the video was a product of my photographic practice of self-portraiture, combined with a collection of archival video footage of Jamaica. The footage was projected onto my back, using a multi-channel screen. By projecting these videos, I emphasised the urgency to connect back to my roots and feel closer to Jamaica. Throughout the video, faces appear on my back, cars drive through my body, and flowers and water flow across my
body. It is mirroring how conversations with my nan enlighten me with knowledge of a past I have tried to ignore and felt disconnected from. “It makes sense that the culture you work so hard to push against may be one that you lose a connection with as you age” (AbiHanna, 2014).
“Day Longa dan Rope”
“Time will Right or Avenge All Wrongs”
John Akomfra’s film, ‘The Stuart Hall Project’ gave me a deeper sense of clarity about the concepts I was wanting to explore in my video – belonging, desire and integration. Stuart Hall was a Jamaican born, New Left activist, and was a well renowned participant in newsletter publishing, and debates surrounding discrimination, acculturation and Caribbean diaspora. Akoma’s film is a collection of Hall’s work and storytelling. The film made me question the ideas of what belonging means, if it were truly something I desired, and whether integrating myself into Britain was my way of fulfilling my desires. In the chapter: ‘From Colony to Post Colony’, Hall discusses how people from Colonial Jamaica grew up thinking everything from England was better than Jamaica, and that the work they participated in during the colonial era would be rewarded when they ‘return to the motherland’. This was of course met with scrutinization and racist backlash. Jamaicans were now “Colonizing in Reverse” (Bennet-Coverley,1966). It was thanks to this perspective that I finally could verbalise my thoughts as ‘unfulfillment’. This sense of Incompleteness derives from a lack of agency in how embraced you feel within a society. However, this unfulfillment can be a productive feeling that directs you towards one’s own natural desire for identity.
In the chapter ‘Minimal Multicultural selves’, I felt that an important aspect of my dialogue when answering my question was the use of collective pronouns. When one has multiple origins, (a “world origin” as Stuart Hall describes), where do you call home? When you use the term “we” or “us”, can you rightly ascribe yourself to a group that you are somewhat detached from? I feel both removed from Jamaica and ostracised from Britain. Whilst making this video I questioned: Can I speak for the experience of all black people as I am so detached from my own cultural practices, but in the same breath, can I then speak on behalf of British people, as the British culture surrounding me has yet to accommodate for my more complicated position?
Elements of this research video have always been hard for me to manifest, which may be why I had avoided it so much. Throughout this project there have been moments of reassurance, sparked by the words of others who can verbalise thoughts I find difficult to speak on. I have always come back to this Jamaican proverb, which validates any doubts I may have about this project. Perhaps if I had known more about Jamaica, or even had visited the island, this essay may have had a completely different perspective.
“Before monkey buy trousers, him affi know whe fi put him tail”
“Make sure the fashions of others suit you before you rush to adopt them.”
Bibliography
AbiHanna, R. (2014) Can One theory really explain all experiences of migration? Available at: https://infonomics-society.org/wp-content/uploads/ijcdse/published-papers/volume-5- 2014/Examining-Acculturation.pdf (Accessed: 21 January 2025).
Berry, J.W. (2005). Acculturation: Living successfully in two cultures. International Journal of Intercultural Relations
Berry, J.W. et al. (2009) A Critique of critical acculturation, International Journal of Intercultural Relations. Available at:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0147176709000595 (Accessed: 22 January 2025).
Bennet-Coverley L. (1966) Colonisation in Reverse
deSouza, A.-A. (1992) Indian Aphorisms. London.
Pollard, I. (1989) The Cost of the English Landscape. London.
Smith, A.Y. (2023) I have two flags in my heart: Diasporic citizenship of Jamaicans living in Britain, SSRN. Available at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4331751 (Accessed: 22 January 2025).
The Stuart Hall Project [DVD] (2013). BFI VD998.