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"When someone asks you where you're from, what's the first thing that comes to mind?" This seemingly simple question opens a window into the complex world of cultural identity for Caribbean people living in diaspora communities. Your answer likely depends on who's asking, where they're asking, and your unique migration journey.

The Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model (CDEM) provides a way for understanding how our cultural identities form and evolve outside the region. Unlike academic theories, this model emerges from real lived experiences – my own family's migration story, countless conversations with community members, and insights gathered through years of podcast interviews. It offers six interconnected lenses that help us articulate what many have felt but struggled to express about our complex cultural journeys.

In this deep dive into the first lens – "Where You Start Shapes the Journey" – we explore how your starting point profoundly influences your relationship with Caribbean culture. Whether you migrated as an adult with established cultural connections, came during formative teenage years like I did at 14, arrived as a young child with few concrete memories, or were born in the diaspora with varying degrees of cultural connection, each starting point creates a different foundation with unique challenges and strengths. The model acknowledges that even within families, different starting points create entirely different relationships to culture. My brothers and I all left Jamaica together, yet our age differences mean we each carry very different connections to our homeland.

The model also considers what was happening when your cultural journey began – the decade, political climate, and social context that shaped how freely Caribbean culture could be expressed in your new home. Someone who migrated during the dancehall explosion of the 1990s had vastly different opportunities for cultural expression than someone who arrived during earlier decades when Caribbean cultural visibility was more limited in diaspora spaces.

Understanding your starting point isn't about determining who is "more Caribbean" – it's about gaining clarity on your unique journey and extending grace to others whose experiences differ from yours. As we continue exploring the remaining lenses in future episodes, you'll discover how location, cultural anchors, identity shifts, professional expression, and embracing multiplicity all build upon the foundation established by where you began.

How has your starting point shaped your cultural journey? Reflect on this question as we continue unpacking the language and framework that helps us make sense of our beautiful, complex Caribbean diaspora experience.

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In this riveting conversation, food security activist Peter Ivey reveals that approximately two-thirds of Jamaica's population experiences food insecurity despite the island's abundant natural resources. As founder of Mission Food Possible and CEO of The Reggae Chefs, Peter is fighting to reconnect communities with their culinary heritage and build resilient local food systems.

"I didn't choose food security," Peter explains, "it chose me when I realized I probably was food insecure my whole life growing up in Jamaica." His organization identifies the most valuable local produce in different parishes, then trains school canteen workers, parents, and community leaders to create nutritious, affordable meals using these ingredients. The impact? Over 60,000 people, mostly children, now have improved diets and communities are regaining lost culinary skills.

Peter's mission reminds us that food security isn't just about having enough to eat – it's about maintaining the cultural knowledge, skills, and connections that allow communities to thrive independently.

Links & Resources:

• Mission Food Possible: missionfoodpossible.com
• Follow Peter on Instagram: @peteriveyofficial
• Email: info@missionfoodpossible.com

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Support How to Support Carry On Friends

1. Donate: If you believe in our mission and want to help amplify Caribbean voices, consider making a donation.
2. Get Merch: Support Carry On Friends by purchasing merchandise from our store.

Connect with @carryonfriends - Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
A Breadfruit Media Production

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What happens when you follow your dreams across the Atlantic? Tahia Hobson is a Jamaican-American professional currently based in Paris, France. With a 20-year career in healthcare behind her, she recently made a bold pivot to luxury marketing, fueled by her love of culture, service, and personal growth. We talk about cultural identity, starting over, and finding Caribbean community abroad.

Tsahia documents her life, studies, and insights at tsahiahobson.com

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Support How to Support Carry On Friends

1. Donate: If you believe in our mission and want to help amplify Caribbean voices, consider making a donation.
2. Get Merch: Support Carry On Friends by purchasing merchandise from our store.

Connect with @carryonfriends - Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
A Breadfruit Media Production