Diversity

Belize is the most diverse place I've ever been other than a few cities in the U.S. I'm amazed at all the different colors of people and languages spoken on the street and the general acceptance there seems to be for everyone.

I have seen many different ethnic groups represented in Belize and this is just my understanding after a few weeks here. These ethnicities include:

• Creole (Kriole) - often mixed race, originated with escaped slaves intermixing with native Carib Indians
• Garifuna - also descendents of escaped slaves & natives but now a different ethnicity
• Mayans - usually broken into 2 groups - those from Mexico & those from Guatemala
• Mestizos - mixed Mayan & European ancestry
• Hispanics - often migrant workers from Honduras and around Central America that work in citrus fields, similar to Mestizos but recent arrivals to Belize
• Chinese - have been here several generations, often own the grocery stores & small shops
• East Indians - not to be confused with the West Indies, often own appliance & clothes shops
• Lebanese - also own shops
• Mennonites - live in secluded communities but often seen in town selling produce, make great ice cream & other dairy products
• Ex-Pats - retired Americans that want to live somewhere warmer that is English-speaking
• Tourists - yeah I see a lot of these too & I hope to not be confused as one

Although English is the official language of Belize each of these ethnic groups has their own language that can commonly be heard including: Creole, Garifuna, Spanish, 2 Mayan languages (Kekchi & Mopan), Chinese, Hindi, and Low German (spoke by the Mennonites).

There also is a wide diversity in religions with Christianity being the majority but not always Catholicism. It seems to me that there are many more Protestant faiths represented than in the rest of Central America. I've heard a lot about Jehovah's Witnesses that come here and have created large groups of followers.

Of course there are some stereotypes about different groups and I am sure some discrimination but overall I am learning it is very common for individuals to marry outside their ethnic group and many groups work and live together. The one discrimination I have often heard of is migrant workers from Honduras and Guatemala that often only speak Spanish and may have trouble communicating in Belize. They are often working in jobs that Belizeans won't do and paid very little. Since they aren't citizens they don't have many of the rights that other groups have in Belize. Sounds similar to the U.S. huh?