Jamaica Here, Jamaica Everywhere

Jamaicans are aware that the level of influence they have in the world way outstrips the size of the country or the size of its population. There is a phrase that sums up Jamaicans’ understanding of the place of themselves and their country in the world. In the mass media and in private conversation, the explanatory phrase, ‘Wi likl bot wi talawa’ always comes up. It may translate into something like ‘We are small but we are strong’. The word ‘talawa’ does not translate well into English. The entry for this word in the Dictionary of Jamaican English (Cassidy and Le Page 1980, p. 436) says, ‘Sturdy, strong, not to be underestimated; tough, stubborn’. Amongst Jamaicans who travel, there is an oft-repeated statement that there is no place in the world, however remote, where you would not be able to find a Jamaican.