The Garifuna people are a mixed-race group native to the Caribbean, with half a million members in Central America. They have a unique blend of African, Indian, and Catholic beliefs and traditions, including dance, music, and storytelling. They have faced discrimination and poverty, with some relocating to other areas of the world.
The Garifuna people are a group of mixed racial ancestry who live in Central America, especially in Belize, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua. About half a million people are considered members of this cultural group, with some Central American governments offering special protections to the Garifuna people in a desire to protect their culture and heritage. Like many minority ethnic groups, the Garifuna struggle against racial and social prejudices.
This group is native to the Caribbean, specifically on the island of Saint Vincent. The Garifuna people are descended from enslaved Africans who intermarried with native Carib and Arawak Indians, leading some people to refer to them as “Black Caribs” historically. Much of the African heritage in the Garifuna comes from escaped slaves, who used to intermarry with the natives to protect themselves from being recaptured and sold. The Garifuna also claim some French and Spanish ancestry, which illustrates the complex racial mixing that was common in the region during the colonial era.
In the late 1700s, the Garifuna were forcibly removed from Saint Vincent, as they were seen as a political threat. They were essentially drifting and pointing roughly inland, settling as they landed and founding small communities. Some of these communities survive today, while others have broken up. A diaspora from Central America has led many Garifuna to settle in American cities such as Los Angeles.
These people are culturally distinct from other Central American racial and ethnic groups. While their mixed heritage is not particularly unusual, their cultural traditions reflect a unique blend of African, Indian and Catholic beliefs that have been preserved over the centuries since their expulsion. The Garifuna also have a rich tradition of dance, music and storytelling that has been heavily influenced by African traditions, and are generally a very peaceful group.
Due to their mixed heritage, the Garifuna people have faced discrimination from a number of other groups. In Central America, many Garifuna settlements are located on poor quality land, reflecting their relatively impoverished state, and many Garifuna lack access to education and other tools that could be used to improve their living conditions. Some organizations and governments have attempted to remedy this by promoting anti-discrimination legislation and providing rural health care, education and other programs that are supposed to help improve the lot of the Garifuna. Some Garifuna have chosen to relocate to other areas of the world rather than face conditions in Central America.
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