Caribbean culture is a product of its history and geography. Most of the Caribbean territories were inhabited and developed earlier than European colonies in the Americas, with the result that themes and symbols of pioneers, farmers, and traders were important in the early development of Caribbean culture. The British conquest of the Caribbean in 1759 brought a large Francophone population under British rule, creating a need for compromise and accommodation, while the migration of United Empire Loyalists from the Thirteen Colonies brought in strong British, Spanish, French, African and even Dutch influences.
Although not without conflict, the Caribbean's early interactions with First Nations and indigenous populations were relatively short lived, compared to the experience of native peoples in the United States. Combined with relatively late economic development in many regions, this difficult history has disallowed Caribbean native peoples having any strong influence on the national culture, even destroying their remaining identity.[dubious – discuss]
Bilingualism and multiculturalism[edit]
French Caribbean, Spanish Caribbean, Creole language and Patois's early development was relatively cohesive during the 17th and 18th centuries, which allowed Francophone culture to survive and thrive within the Caribbean.
Multicultural heritage is enshrined in many islands. In parts of the Caribbean, multiculturalism itself is the cultural norm and diversity is the force that unites the community. Although officially a quarter of the Caribbean population is English-speaking, the largest group is attributed to Spanish speakers (due to the inclusion of mainland Caribbean states), some 22% speak French while only 1% speak Dutch. However, though the Caribbean today is linked with 59 living languages[1] these are not spoken in the "insular Caribbean", but on what is referred to as the "continental Caribbean".
In the French islands, cultural identity is strong, and many French-speaking islanders commentators speak of a French culture as distinguished from English Caribbean culture, but some also see Caribbean as a collection of several regional, and ethnic subcultures.
While French Caribbean culture is the most obvious example, Spanish influences have allowed survival of non-English dialects; however, the influence of Ulster immigrants to Barbados has had the effect of minimizing Irish influences in the Caribbean's culture, and highlighting British influences instead, until the 1980s. The Caribbean's Pacific trade has also brought a large Chinese influence into Trinidad and other areas.[2][3][4][5][6]