Increasing Tribalism and the Quest to Get Along: A Case for Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago is a twin-island state that boasts a mix of Creole, African, East Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, French, and Spanish traditions, all culminating in a distinct culture. The island nation also embraces a panoply of musical traditions as well as an annual carnival that brings together all of these cultures, religions, and belief systems, with the expectation of mediating actual or perceived cultural differences. However, outside of these few cultural norms, the country seems to exhibit no sense of nationalism. While there has been no overt violence, conflict manifests symbolically through various spheres of life (e.g., politics, academia). This chapter examines where the country has been and where it appears to be going, with regard to equity and participation by its many cultural subgroups.