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CARIBBEAN TODAY


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 Caribbean community in the U.S. can


CaribohDt no longer be ignored ~ Mitchell


Georgia State
Representative
Billy Mitchell
(Democrat-
Stone
Mountain) says
his stint as a
United States
government Mitchell
employee in the
Caribbeani was the best year of
his life. That declaration, com-
ing from a politician whose
constituency has one of the
largest Caribbean communities
in the U.S., may raise some eye-
brows. But Mitchell has had a
close up look at Caribbean cul-
ture and its influence on the
U.S. Last month he shared
some of those insights with
Caribbean Today's Managing
Editor Gordon Williams.

GORDON WILLIAMS: How
would describe the evolvement
of the Caribbean influence in the
United States up to this point?

BILLY MITCHELL: I'm very
impressed. How I would
d,%t ribi it, it is certainly having
a great impact on our economy,
certainly our community
involvement. Fact of the matter
is I'm so proud at what the
Caribbean community has
been able to contribute to our
community at large because, as
a result of what they are doing,
we have better businesses.
Certainly we're talking about a
community that is better off for
their involvement in just our
general community at large.

G.W.: How do you think the
Caribbean people, the people
who have come to the United
States, specifically to Georgia,
and specifically to your con-
stituency, have managed to
merge into the American socie-
ty? And also, how do you think


the American society has
responded to the Caribbean
community, especially because
it is growing?

B.M.: You know, I've often said
that the Caribbean community
in particular has been able to
take advantage of the American
way more so than a lot of
Americans because I believe
they appreciate the opportuni-
ties. And it's such a good thing.
I like to say businesses, particu-
larly small businesses, is the
backbone of any governmental
structure in the community.
And the Caribbean community
has come in and certainly has
really grasped that concept.
And as a result of that our
cities, our state, is a better place
to be as a result of that. And
that's why I am so proud to see
what's going on there. They've
made certainly a great contribu-
tion to our communities.

G.W.: Do you think the
Caribbean community fully
understands, or fully grasps, the
growing influence that it has been
having in the American society?

B.M.: You know, that's a very
good question. I would perhaps
say that, because I have found
that the Caribbean is a hard
working people, they're interest-
ed to make certain their families
are intact and their businesses
are growing. As a result of that I
don't believe that they fully
understand their impact that
they have on our community. I
think that's going to increase as
more C(irila,,,i, involve them-
selves in the economy and in
business and in our community,
which is a very good thing.

G.W.: Do you think that there
is anything specific that they
need to do in order to fully


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understand their influence in
the American society?

B.M.: You know one of the
things that they ought to do is
what I'm seeing being dis-
played here (at the launch of
Atlanta's Caribbean carnival
last month). They need to sup-
port the Caribbean initiative,
the Caribbean heritage,
because it is a very fine her-
itage. They need to support
Caribbean businesses. They
certainly need to encourage
other Caribbean businesses to
support other businesses as
well. That in itself will kind of
help develop even more oppor-
tunities for them.

G.W.: The American society in
general, how has it embraced
the Caribbean presence, the
growing Caribbean presence?

B.M.: You know one of the
things about America is that
we are all immigrants. Despite
what some may feel, we are all
immigrants, and the fact of the
matter is I think the city of
Atlanta, the Atlanta metropoli-
tan area, embraces those who
can come in and contribute to
the community. And certainly
the Caribbean community has
certainly done that. And I
think, by and large, they have
embraced them. As a country
of immigrants we understand
what it takes to really ingrati-
ate yourself, get involved in the
community, and they have
done that, certainly as best as
any group. And I think, by and
large, the Atlanta community is
certainly welcoming.

G.W.: Your bio tells me you had
a significant role to play in the
establishment of Caribbean
American Heritage Month. How
far do you think that has gone to
establish the Caribbean presence
here in the United States?

B.M.: I think it has gone a
great deal. I must say to you
that in trying to get this legisla-
tion passed, we've had other
initiatives that were on the bal-
lot. As a matter of fact, proba-
bly the most controversial, at
the same time, was the initia-
tive to get the state to apolo-
gize for slavery. That failed.
However, when I came forward
with this initiative to recognize
Caribbean Heritage Month, we
got widespread support from
every corner of Georgia, from
every political persuasion,
because they recognize the
value of the Caribbean com-
munity. And that made me
proud, that that wasn't some-
thing that I had to go and twist
arms to do. They recognize the


value and as a result of that we
were able to get this passed in
short order.

G.W.: You said you had some
experience living in Jamaica
for a year as an employee of
the U.S. government...How
much did that change, or affect,
your view of the Caribbean and
Caribbean people? You talk
about the physical beauty of
the area, but in terms of how
you perceive the Caribbean
people and what they're aiming
for when it comes to the
United States, how did that
year of experience affect that?

B.M.: You know that's another
great question. As a matter of
fact, I always say that that per-
haps was the best year of my
life. I've got great friends... I go
back and I see them often. As
a result of being there, I
thought this would be just a
year of me just getting involved
and maybe going to the beach-
es and the like. But I really
enjoyed myself. I saw a side of
the country that a normal
tourist would not see and I was
a better person for that. And I
was so struck by a number of
things, even the athleticism.
You know Jamaica produces
more Olympic athletes per
capital than any other country
in the world for that matter?
The culture, the education. As
a matter of fact, I've often said
that the education system in
Jamaica is far superior than the
education system that our
(American) youth are going
through. This notion of uni-
forms there I could tell you
what school a student went to
by the colors that their uni-
forms were. And these are the
kinds of things that I think if
everyone in this country saw
they would appreciate Jamaica
so much better and try to
implement what they are doing
there as well.

G.W.: Generally Caribbean
people, though, what do you
think the Americans have
learned from them? You, as
one man, has learned a lot
from a year in the Caribbean.

B.M.: You know, one of the
things I think that they are cer-
tainly teaching us is that, you
know, hard work pays off. How
you can come and work hard
and you can do just about any-
thing that you want to when
you work hard and you are
industrious.

G.W.: You are a politician, you
are in the political circle. What
is the feedback on the circuit,
outside of public comment? Is


there a general movement
embracing and recognizing
more, from a political stand-
point, the Caribbean contribu-
tion in the United States?

B.M.: I must say to you, politi-
cians doing what politicians do,
voters are important to them.
And as more and more
Caribbean voters are around,
certainly they recognize that
they must avail ili i11 Mh lL
more. They must certainly cater
certain bills, certain laws, cer-
tain advocacy towards the
Caribbean community. And
that's just the fact of the matter.
Wherever there are con-
stituents that need to be served,
that politicians will certainly go
that way. But I tell you, I can
even say that I learned some-
thing about politics in Jamaica
because they take their politics
very seriously in Jamaica, which
is the way it ought to be. We
certainly should take it serious-
ly because just about every
aspect of our lives is affected by
politics and it's good to see that
the numbers that the Caribbean
community has because they
deserve to be represented as
well.

G.W.: So, from the political cir-
cles in America, they are cer-
tainly, now, starting to take full
notice of what's going on the
Caribbean community?

B.M.: Oh, no question about
that. I had a conversation with
Vin Martin, the honorary con-
sul general (for Jamaica in
Atlanta). He's a constituent of
mine. Lives in Stone Mountain.
That's one of his endeavors
that he'd like to encourage as
well, that there be more politi-
cal participation by those in the
Caribbean. When you're
involved, you're involved more
politically, it's easier to ask for
services that you deserve and
be heard.

G.W.: It (the Caribbean) com-
munity is no longer a communi-
ty that can be just overlooked
or ignored (in America)?

B.M.: Absolutely not. As a
matter of fact, you will find
other communities... the
Hispanic community has
learned that they're getting
more involved. Other commu-
nities have learned. The fact of
the matter is, when you're pre-
sented with the kind of num-
bers that the Caribbean com-
munity now has, they're a com-
munity that cannot be ignored.

Cover photograph of Mitchell
by freelancer Dale Nicholson.
0


June 2008