Mark Winston Griffith

Jamaica’s First Woman Prime Minister

Quick: After the Dominican Republic and China, what country of origin is most represented in New York City?

Answer: Jamaica

Most people know (hopefully) that Liberia, Germany and Chile recently elected woman heads of state. You would think, then, that it would be big news that just a few weeks ago Jamaica elected its first woman prime minister, Portia Simpson-Miller.

You would think wrong.

For all the talk about New Yorkers being so cosmopolitan, how do we ignore some of the biggest news in the English speaking Caribbean in years? If you believe that the New York Times is the paper of record, then Simpson-Miller's victory, in which she routed four men with PHds in a party election, never happened.

The immigration debate that is heating up across the country should be informed by more than a notion of how to keep people out. We might start by understanding the history and culture of our neighbors and the immigrant communities that are already here.

Mark Winston Griffith: Author Bio | Other Posts
Posted at 1:27 PM, Mar 27, 2006 in Media
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