Sean Paul: A bridge between worlds

I’m going to see Sean Paul today!

Sean Paul’s “Dutty Rock” was my first CD. He was introduced to me by my cousin when we were both in elementary school. I used to listen to him every day on my Walkman as I rode the bus to school. My family is Indocaribbean, from Guyana. It meant a lot to me to hear music from my cultural background becoming popular and being played on the radio.

Sean Paul was more to me than a fun party boy who wrote good dance music and pronounced words in a funny way. He was a bridge between the cultures I navigated at home and at school. He connected the two worlds I lived in. He made me feel normal.

I live with an invisible identity. Most people assume I’m Indian, which I am, but my family hasn’t lived in India for generations. And I’ve never been to my parents’ home country, Guyana, or to India. I’m American as the day is long. Did the pledge every day in school. I pay mad taxes. I’ve owned property. And my family, we are Caribbean people who happen to be of Indian descent.

This complexity in my identity is part of why I studied Sociology. 😅 I’ve learned to understand the intricacies of identity and cultural diversity. Today, I proudly display the Guyana flag on my LinkedIn profile to say: “We are here!” And to help others understand my unique background: Indian with a twist! (And the “twist” is colonization! 🥲).

But it hasn’t always been that easy having to explain my identity. I have shortcuts for how to say things now, but…