Who Knew That There Were People Of African Descent In Central America? (Information, Video, & Comments About Afro-Costa Ricans)

Ahshea1media, May 3, 2016
-snip-
CLick http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/11/two-examples-of-costa-rican-song-rice.html for the 2017 pancocojams post entitled "Two Examples Of The Costa Rican Song "Rice And Beans".

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases a video about Afro-Costa Rican. Information about Costa Rica and Afro-Costa Ricans is also included in this post.


The content of this post is presented historical, cultural, and educational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are working to preserve the culture of Afro-Costa Ricans and thanks to all those who are asociated with this showcased video. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE CENTRAL AMERICAN NATION OF COSTA RICA
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Rica
"Costa Rica … literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica (Spanish: República de Costa Rica), is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, and Ecuador to the south of Cocos Island. It has a population of around 5 million[5][6] in a land area of 51,060 square kilometers (19,714 square miles). An estimated 333,980 people live in the capital and largest city, San José, with around 2 million people in the surrounding metropolitan area.

[...]

The 2011 census counted a population of 4.3 million people[100] distributed among the following groups: 83.6% whites or mestizos, 6.7% mulattoes, 2.4% Native American, 1.1% black or Afro-Caribbean; the census showed 1.1% as Other, 2.9% (141,304 people) as None, and 2.2% (107,196 people) as unspecified.[1] By 2016, the UN estimation for the population was around 5 million.[5][6]

[...]

The 2011 census classified 83.6% of the population as white or Mestizo; the latter are persons of combined European and Amerindian descent. The Mulatto segment (mix of white and black) represented 6.7% and indigenous people made up 2.4% of the population.[2] Native and European mixed blood populations are far less than in other Latin American countries. Exceptions are Guanacaste, where almost half the population is visibly mestizo, a legacy of the more pervasive unions between Spanish colonists and Chorotega Amerindians through several generations, and Limón, where the vast majority of the Afro-Costa Rican community lives."...

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INFORMATION ABOUT AFRO-COSTA RICANS 
From https://thecostaricanews.com/learn-about-the-afro-limon-culture/#:~:text=Afro%2DCosta%20Rican%20culture%20is%20not%20an%20imitation%20of%20the,Lim%C3%B3n%2C%20on%20the%20Caribbean%20coast. Learn About the Afro-Limón Culture: An Integral Part Of Our National Heritage
..."The influence of the inherited customs of West Africa and the Antilles has definitively marked what Afro-Costa Rican culture is, both in architecture, gastronomy, and music and in its traditions. Afro-Costa Rican culture is not an imitation of the African tradition since it has its own particularities within its territorial, social and cultural dimension. The maximum expression of these occurs in the Province of Limón, on the Caribbean coast.

Limón is outstanding for being bilingual since the province speaks Spanish, English, and even Mekatelyu (native dialect). In the architecture, you can see the clear Afro-British influence of Victorian style, which comes from the Antilles and Jamaica. Costa Rican Caribbean cuisine is rich and very peculiar. In gastronomy, there are many dishes cooked in coconut milk, such as rice and beans or sauces with curry and other spices that accompany fish and seafood. Here we use species such as pepper or powerful hot chili peppers, such as the so-called Panamanian chili and which are an important part of dishes such as “Pati”. Among its most common desserts is the sweet “Plantintá”, the pineapple or banana filling and the “Pambón”, which is black bread with spices.

The rhythm of the Caribbean is the “Calypso”, a great musical genre that is present in the daily life of this region and is considered the main expression of the cultural identity of Limon, which is considered a rhythmic culture. The Calypso comes from Trinidad and Tobago, but the Lemon calypso has a great influence on the Jamaican mind. It entered Costa Rica through the port of Limón in 1872, in the hands of the Jamaican workers who were hired for the construction of the railway. Music for the working class, of small bands that gather around the singer who composed in a spontaneous way with very little time before beginning the concert, which used to be in beaches, bars, canteens and street parties. The lyrics of the calypsos is differentiated by its social criticism, full of humor, in addition to also rescuing important cultural aspects such as food, traditions, stories and the relationship between people of African descent with the whole world. It is said that the best thing about Limón is its people

Our beloved Limón also has religious diversity, where Protestants stand out, as Anglicans, Baptists, and Methodists, as well as syncretic cults and Catholicism....Among the different syncretic cults, the existence of brotherhoods is mentioned, as well as the “Pocomía” and the belief in the “Obeah”, which is the man with supernatural powers that act as a shaman, witch or healer. In the oral tradition, the stories of Brother Araña stand out as a cultural hero and trickster of western and Caribbean African mythology identified with the god Anancy

The carnivals of Limón take place from October 8 to October 16 and are highlighted by costumes, masks, parades, colorful parades, floats in the streets, and banquets. The carnival has its origin in the syncretism of the Spanish festivals with the indigenous pre-Columbian festivities and also the African festivals. Carnivals are very important because of the cultural unity that they promote among the peoples and families of this area, as well as promoting tourism. On August 31 of each year, Black and Afro-Costa Rican Culture Day is celebrated."...

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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDnAd24unJw&ab_channel=Ahshea1media

These comments are given in relative chronological order with the oldest dated comments given first, except for replies. 

1. bago510, 2017
"The whole Caribbean coast of Central America is full of Black people In Belize and Nicaragua they have Creoles in Honduras Belize Guatemala and Parts of Nicaragua they have the Garifuna people and there culture and in Costa Rica and Panama they have the Black people who came from the Caribbean Islands to work on the Rails and Canal."

**
2. Kenneth Castillo, 2017
"As a Tico and a Tico with roots in Limon I thank you for this video.  The video is simply amazing and informative and a great documentation of Limonenses."
-snip-
Here's information about the Costa Rican referent "Tico" from https://www.ticolingo.com/what-is-tico/#:~:text=Tico%20is%20an%20idiomatic%20term,of%20other%20Spanish%2Dspeaking%20countries.&text=For%20instance%2C%20in%20standard%20Spanish,often%20say%20%E2%80%9Cun%20poquitico.%E2%80%9D

..."Tico is an idiomatic term used for a native of Costa Rica. Costa Ricans are usually called ticos by themselves as well as by people of other Spanish-speaking countries.

 “Tico” and “tica” (male and female) are colloquial terms that Costa Ricans gave themselves, due to their linguistic tendency to add the diminutive “tico” to the end of words. For instance, in standard Spanish ‘un poco’ means ‘a little’, the diminutive is “un poquito” (a little bit), but Costa Ricans often say “un poquitico.”

 What is unique to Costa Rica is the use of this suffix to also denote affection. Words ending in -ico, -ica, -tico, -tica do not only mean “small”, but they also depict affection and similar endearing feelings too."...

**
3. Phillip Ockletree, 2017
"I am very thankful for your video. It was a complete eye opening experience. I am a first generation born in the United States of America and my family is from Costa Rica, Limon and I feel as though I have lost most of my tradition. After watching this I realize I do have culture and I am eager to travel there to further explore my tradition.  I would would to reach out and network as much as possible"

**
4. Javon Greene, 2017
"Just seeing this. I was a member of the UNIA’s Harlem, NY chapter. I was also active in the UNIA-affiliated African Orthodox Church. Ironically, coming up as a Pan African, I’ve never met a Costa Rican who wasn’t black until I visited the country. One love to all the Garveyites and all brothers and sisters in Limon. The area is a big part of our history."

**
5. Private Person, 2017
"As a PROUD TICO born in Costa Rica and raised my whole life in California, I AM SO PROUD OF MY AFRO LATINOS in COSTA RICA and THANK YOU for this video. I am sharing with as many people in my Latin Studies Class and my family"

**
6. zone zion, 2017
"Great job on this documentary. I agree with all the speakers we should keep the culture strong and continue teaching our history it is very important not to forget who we are.. In addition I would recommend that we invest in the development of limón by creating black businesses.. blessings to all"

**
7. nejolo, 2017
"There are Afro Salvadoreans!  She's wrong about that one.  Enslaved Africans were brought to El Salvador.  Their is a video on You tube title Afro salvadoreans.   So there you go. Here's a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzwFhPKfaCc
-snip-
This comment was written in response to the woman giving a ted talk who said that there were Black people in every Central American country except El Salvador.

**
Reply
8. nejolo, 2017
Another documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xA6G0lnGg4

And another:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zum9-LDfz58

**
9. Arts Veiman, 2018
"Strange this is really an eye opener as Ive always considered the Afro caribean culture was not only well accepted but  that Costa Rica was proud in a multicultural heritage, and promoted itself as a country with very little racism."

**
Reply
10. OrganicSoulJazz, 2018
"Big Up Costa Rican🇨🇷🇨🇷🇨🇷 Gente from🇵🇦🇵🇦🇵🇦"

**
11. Corta Caña, 2017
"For the black community Cosa Rica is the wrong place to move because their social and moral issues against minority."

**
Reply
12. Ahshea1media, 2017
"costa rica is proud to be very white.  But the state of Limon is something completely different.  It is truly like another country"

**
13. mark dietrich, 2018
"She says at 20:20 'they came to Costa Rica before Columbus..'  And he came in 1502. How is that even possible for Blacks to have come there before the Spanish conquistadors, who conquered the country? They were the ones who introduced slavery. So what the hell you mean by 'before Columbus? Makes absolutely no sense. Are you even listening to yourself?"

**
Reply
14. Anthony Rodney, 2018
"mark dietrich Your comment appears just reactionary, seemingly nurtured by Eurocentrism, yet void of facts.  I would have suggested you read a scholarly book or two on the subject, or at least do some further research, before commenting. Try, for example, 'They came before Columbus' by Ivan Van Sertima or The First Americans were African by David Imhotep. 

Of course, the presence of Africans all over the Americas long before Columbus is very well documented.  If fact, Africans, the world’s first people, from whom all others are derived, were on every major land mass, or every habitable continent, before any other people, which would hardly be surprising in a non-Eurocentric world given their enormous head start.."

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Reply
15. Glimmering Sea, 2018
"You never know. History as we learn it in society is always biased. This biased history makes it seem like the world started in the Americas when the Europeans from the main lands came to the Americas. There is archeological evidence that others were here before the Europeans. Among them the Chinese or Asians and the Vikings. Why not the Africans? What if they had been here and mixed with the natives way before? In the ancient world there was trade and great inventions, so why not?!"

**
16. Phill, 2018
"Costa Rica has been very blessed with this wonderful culture, please continue spreading English language and culture. Thank you people from Limón !"

**
Reply
17. Catch the Wave, 2020
"That’s cool, Just don’t Americanize it more than it already is."

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18. james catholic, 2019
"My father was born and raised in Puerto Limon, but he's pale Blue."
-snip-
"Blue" may be a typo for the word "Black".

**
Reply
19. Ahshea1media, 2019
"Limonese people look different but still have that beautiful spirit."

**
Reply
20. james catholic, 2019
"@Ahshea1media Very true, my friend! Cahuita is paradise to me. My grandfather was a politician/representative of Limon in Parliament in the 40's and 50's. He always fought for the province and especially for worker's rights as many were being exploited."

**
21, Esteban Solmat, 2019
"I loved the way you capture the essence of Limon in that video, unfortunately the news have given Limon a bad reputation for years that has affected its true self. Lemon is such a magical province, one of a kind. I am from Costa Rica and even though my parents raised me celebrating cultures, including the black culture of my country, Limon was invisible in way like one of the ladies said in the video, so for years I missed out the magic of their culture, but once you get to know the real Limon it will make you fall in love to the point you want to move there, and that is exactly what happed to me, now own a house in the magical place called Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Southern Caribbean. The combination of cultures from around the world with the historic legacy/ traditions of the black community makes the Costa Rican Caribbean such a unique place.

**
22. MistaMacCapone, 2019
"Its extremely important that African descendant peoples realize there are places we can go outside of the u.s. We have this brainwashing thinking the u.s. is the only bastion of hope for us."

**
Reply
23. joypainsunshinerain, 2020
"Yes so true. In my experience in a lot of the older generation of blacks are scared to go abroad."

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Reply
24. Chef Bridgette Coleman, 2020
"Very true

I PLAN to move to costa Rica. This is so inspiring"

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25. Rsap Green, 2019
"Limon Costa Rica, is where my father was from...his grandmother came from Jamaica... I'm proud of my history."...

**
26. WildBlackRose, 2019
"Haven't finished the video but I want to say this... I am costarrican,  my grandfather is from Limon, my family is literally  black, brown and white, being said that the government have forgotten my beautiful province but between us THERE IS NO RACISM, as a costarrican with  native brown family, black and white I can say it proudly.  Thanks for an amazing video ❤"

**
27. marilyn peoples, 2019
"Wonderful video, but a little confusing in your opening discussion re: Marcus Garvey you use images of Malcolm X.

**
Reply
28. Irysh Poatit, 2019
"That was Malcolm X's voice speaking about Marcus Garvey - marveling at what he was proposing so many years ago....

**
29. Boa123, 2019
"8:10 who is this woman? Where can I find more videos of her talks"

**
Reply
30. Ahshea1media, 2019
"Her name is Epsy Campbell Barr.  She is currently the vice-president of Costa Rica.  She is the first Black woman elected to that high of a position in all of NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA and the Caribbean as well.  She is really dynamic, down to earth and a good person.  Spread the word!! And thanks for watching!!"

**
31. kaydenpat, 2019
"Great documentary, Brother!!  You should go throughout Latin America documenting African-descended Latino culture.  Keep up the good work!

Love the singing and music at the end.  Beautiful!"

**
32. Adventure Time Loui, 2020
"This was so refreshing and inspiring! All of the white US expats I’ve been watching spoke about limon as if it was “dangerous” and an “undesirable” place to be, but they have never probably even spoken to any Afro-Costa rican. Now I want to visit this beautiful and thriving community🥰😍 this is the inspiration I needed being part black. I want to understand about my ancestors and the diaspora! Thanks for this! We all need to stay united even across borders!"

**
33. Mark Ramcharan, 2020
"As a Jamaican I wish we could have more contact with these Jamaican descendants I have been to Costa Rica the pasific side and they know so much about Jamaica ,told us about limon wish I had known about it before,on my wish list."

**
Reply
34. SUNSHINE GIRL, 2020
"For real I found out the other day and research about them. They are apart of us along side Panamanians, Nicaraguans, Hondurans and Guatemalans. They even featured The descendants of Jamaicans in Costa Rica the other day on Jamaican television. We love you guys, stay strong it’s in our blood to overcome any obstacles. Great to know you guys apart of this great nation Jamaica, be proud and stand tall because you’re descendants from the Kings and Queens lands."

**
35. Haat Praat, 2020
"In many ways we - descendants of Jamaican immigrants in the UK are like many in Costa Rica. We are part of the Jamaican diaspora."

**
Reply
36. Audley Mclean, 2021
"Jamaica has one of the largest diaspora per-capita in the World, the Chinese has the largest, but not necessarily on a per-capita basis."

**
Reply
37. Audley Mclean, 2021
"It's always hard for Jamaica to beat Costa Rica in soccer, Costa Rica almost 5times the size of Jamaica, population? Jamaica aprox.3 million[ [Costa Rica aprox.5 million. so that might be the reason."

**
38. Elijah TK, 2021
"I can see our Ghana flag being displayed there. Woow, Ghana's flag is best in the diaspora. Love from a Ghanaian in Asia."

****
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Two Afro-Costa Rican Calypso Songs By Walter Ferguson: "Callaloo" & "Cabin In The Wata"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents information about Walter Ferguson and showcases two Afro-Costa Rican Calypso songs by Walter Ferguson: "Cabin In The Wata" and "Callalo".

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Walter Ferguson for his musical legacy. Thanks also to the transcribers of these lyrics and thanks to the publisher of these sound files on YouTube.

Hat tip to Hever Orias Sarmiento for sharing information with me about Walter Ferguson.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT WALTER FERGUSON
From

"Although Walter Ferguson Gavitt was born in Panama, in his childhood his parents decided to try their luck and moved to Costa Rica. From then on his life and his talents as a musician are intrinsically tied to Costa Rica’s rich culture.

Walter Ferguson was born in 1919 in Guabito, Panama, but his family soon moved to Costa Rica and he grew up in Jamaica Town, a district of Puerto Limon. His parents lived in Cahuita, and with time he managed to reunite with them and to claim his own space. His father, Melsha, who was a cook in the luxury hotels of Panama City, traded in his cooking pots for a machete and banana seedlings that he planted in Cahuita, attracted by the concessions to supply to the United Fruit Company.

He spent his childhood between cacao plants, almonds tree and fantastic stories of pirates and ghost ships that the area’s folklore is saturated with. Ferguson developed special skill in the use of the slingshot with his left hand, a fact which, on more than one occasion, saved him from being bitten by serpents. “People think that I’m protected by witchcraft because I never miss,” he said reminiscing about his early years.

[...]

His musical trajectory begins with a lute that his brother gave him. He then learned to play and master the clarinet. He later played in his first musical group called “Miserable,” known for its varied Caribbean repertoire like guaracha, rumba and bolero and in which he shared many experiences with Calypsonians like Ollé and Rají.

[...]

Ferguson considers himself to be the man of a thousand stories. Through his ironic and powerful Calypsonian expressivity we’ve gotten to know Anancy, Tacuma, Kiaky Brown and by all means to Doctor Bombodee.

Walter Ferguson’s lyrics reflect his characteristic humor, irony and, without a doubt, his great sincerity and oftentimes had a great deal to do with the challenges of being the King of the Calypso. His voice is gentle and his lyrical style is up-front-honest to the core and this is what enthralls his listeners.

Walter, in Panama, has become something of cult for those who enjoy his honest proposal. It is Calypso pure and simple, with a quality of production that we deserve ourselves and that really honors a personage who would almost be forgotten in his native Cahuita, Costa Rica. Ferguson has always emphasized in his interviews that Lord Cobra, Lord Panama and Lord Kontiki were always targets of admiration for him. But, it was with Wilfred Berry, Lord Cobra, that he always wanted to sing. His desire, however, never crystallized.

He explained in an interview that one night he borrowed a guitar to try it out “to see if it was any good.” He was singing “despacito,” when a fellow worker challenged him to face Lord Cobra, very famous in Panama. “He had a very brilliant voice, very beautiful. I do not know where he got that name,” he said about Lord Cobra. In spite of all the hype, however, the duel never took place, as, usually, when Ferguson was in Panama, Lord Cobra was performing in Costa Rica and vice versa.

Much of the information for this article was taken from an article by Rainer Tuñon Cantillo in TragaluzPanama.

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SHOWCASE EXAMPLES
Example #1: Callaloo [Walter Ferguson]



Heredia por Media Calle, Published on Jan 31, 2011

CALLALOO

EVERYBODY GOT ITS OWN OPINION
SOME MAY BE RIGHT, AND SOME MAY BE WRONG
BUT CALALOO, EVERYBODY LOVES CALALOO
A BLESSING FROM ABOVE

YOU EAT IT IN THE MORNING, AND YOU EAT IT IN THE DAY
YOU EAT IT IN WHEN YOU FEEL THAT YOU WILL BREAK AWAY
CALALOO, EVERYBODY LOVES CALALOO
A BLESSING FROM ABOVE

YOU EAT IT IN THE MORNING, AND YOU EAT IT IN THE NIGHT
YOU EAT IT WHEN YOU FEEL THAT YOU WILL LOSE YOUR SIGHT
CALALOO, EVERYBODY LOVES CALALOO
A BLESSING FROM ABOVE

I KNEW A WOMAN SHE NAME WAS SUE
SHE WOKE UP ONE MORNING ALL BLACK AND BLUE
SHE CALL TO HER SISTER HER NAME WAS LU
BEG HER TO COOK HER SOME CALALOO
CALALOO, EVERYBODY LOVES CALALOO
A BLESSING FROM ABOVE

GOOD FOR YOUR BELLY AND GOOD FOR YOUR SIGHT
TIGHTEN EVERY JOINT THAT IS GETTING SLACK
BUT CALALOO, EVERYBODY LOVES CALALOO
A BLESSING FROM ABOVE
-snip-
Here's information about "calaloo" from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callaloo
..."Callaloo recipes
A Jamaican breakfast including callaloo (bottom right)
Callaloo in Trinidad & Tobago and other eastern Caribbean countries is generally made with okra and dasheen or water spinach Ipomoea aquatica. There are many variations of callaloo which may include coconut milk, crab, conch, Caribbean lobster, meats, pumpkin, chili peppers, and other seasonings such as chopped onions and garlic. The ingredients are added and simmered down to a somewhat stewlike consistency. When done, callaloo is dark green in colour and is served as a side dish which may be used as a gravy for other food.

Callaloo is widely known throughout the Caribbean and has a distinctively Caribbean origin, created by enslaved Africans using ideas of the indigenous people along with both African (okra) and indigenous (Xanthosoma) plants. (See Palaver sauce for the West African dish.) African Americans invented a version of the original West African dish known as collard greens. Trinidadians have embraced this dish from their ancestors and over time have added ingredients such as coconut milk to modify its flavour. Callaloo is mostly served as a side dish, for Trinidadians, Bajans, and Grenadians it usually accompanies rice, macaroni pie, and a meat of choice. In Guyana it is made in various ways without okra."...

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Example #2: Cabin in the wata [Walter Ferguson]



Heredia por Media Calle, Published on Feb 3, 2011

Canción costarricense "Cabin in the wata" de Walter "Gavitt" Ferguson. Video acompañado de paisajes del Caribe Sur de Costa Rica.
-snip-

Lyrics: Cabin In The Wata

(Walter Ferguson)

THIS MODERN GENERATION
EVERY DAY THE PEOPLE GETTIN' SMARTER
THEY MADE ME TO UNDERSTAND
BATO BUILT A CABIN IN THE WATER

CABIN IN THE WATER
MISTER BATO WAS THE AUTHOR
I KNEW HE WAS A DIVER
BUT I NEVER KNEW
THE FELLOW WAS A BUILDER

THE MISTRESS OF THE NATIONAL PARK
BATO TOLD HER IT WAS A RUMOR
SHE DECIDE TO TAKE A WALK...
LO AND BEHOLD! A CABIN IN THE WATER

THE BUILDING WAS QUITE ERECT
IMAGINE IT WAS STANDIN' IN THE SEA
THE LADY CALL HIM AN ARCHITECT
BUT YOU HAVE TO PULL IT DOWN
INMEDIATELY!

THEY CAME INTO BIG DISPUTE
BATO TOLD HER:
-"ME BORN COSTA RICA"
-"YOU COULD HAVE BORN IN ETIOPIA
ME NO WANT NO CABIN IN THE WATER"
KIAKY BROWN WAS TELLIN' ME
ABOUT THE CABIN IN THE WATER
BATO BUILT SOMETHING IN THE SEA
MUST BE BUILT IT
WITH THE DEVIL AND HIS DAUGHTER

From https://www.justsomelyrics.com/342066/walter-ferguson-cabin-in-the-wata-lyrics.html

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Five Videos About Afro Costa Ricans (information, videos, comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides information about Afro Costa Ricans and showcases five YouTube videos about Afro Costa Ricans in Puerto Limón, Costa Rica.

Selected comments from one of these videos' discussion threads are also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for cultural and educational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

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INFORMATION ABOUT AFRO-COSTA RICANS
From http://minorityrights.org/minorities/afro-costa-ricans/
"The Spanish began to ship Africans to Costa Rica in the 1500s to substitute for indigenous labour. Most of this initial group eventually became part of the mestizo population.

A second wave began arriving in the 18th century from the Caribbean as free seasonal tortoiseshell fishermen. Subsequently they brought their families to the the Caribbean Talamanca Coast and created self-sufficient farming/fishing and /trading communities that included their own schools. They maintained relations with Jamaica and had little or no contact with the Pacific coast.

The main influx of Afro-Costa Ricans arrived, in the 1890s, as migrant workers from the Caribbean. They were initially involved in the construction of the railroad from the Central Plateau to the Caribbean coast port of Limon. They stayed on to work on the banana plantations and enclaves of the United Fruit Company (UFC now Dole). In the early 20th century few Afro-Costa Ricans travelled to the capital and they retained their English Creole language and culture.

In the 1970s crop disease brought an end to Atlantic Coast cacao cultivation. Fledgling Afro-Costa Rican agricultural prosperity declined along with the end of the country's cacao industry.

Many Afro-Costa Ricans migrated abroad or to the cities and gradually adapted to Costa Rican society. Some remained in the Limon area mostly finding work at the port but this opportunity shrunk significantly with the advent of containerized systems and port privatization.

Currently most of the Afro-Costa Rican population lives in small communities within the Caribbean Coast Province of Limon. In the City of Limón, where a third of the population is Afro-Costa Rican, the community has remained separate in barrios which are 90 per cent black. In the rest of the country, considerable ethnic mixing has taken place. In Limón, Creole English remains the dominant language, although the new generation is bilingual since they receive Spanish-language education.

Despite political participation (since 1949), the economic position of Afro-Costa Ricans has changed little. A small minority have achieved financial success (mostly as professionals) and increasingly become involved in national politics notably Epsy Barr-Campbell former head of the Afro-Costa Rican women's NGO, and president of the Citizen Action Party (PAC).

Afro Costa Rican areas traditionally receive much less investment than the rest of the country. Limon is ranked as the second most disadvantaged province in the country."...

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Additional information and comments about Afro Costa Ricans are included in some of these featured videos, in a quote that is given after Video # 4, and in selected comments from the discussion thread for Video #5.

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SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1: Afro Costa Ricans


unique5589, Published on Sep 16, 2010

This video is about the African presence in Costa Rica. It includes a brief history of Afro Costa Ricans and famous Afro Costa Ricans. It is in English and Spanish.

The term Afro Costa Rican is referring to someone of African living in and/or from Costa Rica and/or having roots in Costa Rica. Of course, African descendants have other roots and lineages too.
All comments that I find offensive, racist, stereotypical and negative will not be approved. Please be respectful.

It should be noted that many persons of African descent in "Latin" America and the Caribbean do not refer to themselves as, "Afro + nationality" but either as "negros", "afrodescendiente" or by their nationality.

Please visit http://www.afrolatinos.tv/ to see more images of Afro Costa Ricans.

Thanks Unique5589

***
Example #2: DÍA DEL NEGRO PUERTO LIMÓN 31-8-2011.mp4 [Africans Day (in) Puerto Limón]



Carvajaleventoslimon, Published on Sep 9, 2011

Lindo desfile del día del negro se llevó a cabo en las calles céntricas de la ciudad de Limón, buena organización, muy colorido, mucha participación y bien ordenado, felicidades a los organizadores.
-snip-
Google translate from Spanish to English:

Cute parade of the day of the black took place in the downtown streets of the city of Limón, good organization, very colorful, lots of participation and well ordered, congratulations to the organizers.

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Example #3: CARNAVALES LIMON FERRETERIA KIN BAILE 3



Ferreteriakin, Published on Oct 26, 2012

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Example #4: LOS PAYASOS [The Clowns]



Carvajaleventoslimon, Published on Oct 17, 2013

Los tradicionales PAYASOS, SIGLO 21.Octubre 17, 2013. Puerto Limón Costa Rica.
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Here's an excerpt about the payasos carnival tradition in Puerto Limón Costa Rica:
From https://bishopstravels.wordpress.com/tag/black-history-in-puerto-limon/ Its Carnaval Time in Costa Rica!!!!

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Bishop The Eastside Nappyhead
..."The Puerto Limon Carnaval was so different. Puerto Limon is a small city on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica and home to an Afro-Caribbean Costa Rican population. Many of the black people there speak english as a result of immigration from the Caribbean Islands in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Immigrants went to Costa Rica to work on the banana plantations, turtle fishing and constructing railroads. Many stayed in Costa Rica and bought a long with them a Caribbean way of life in regards to music, dance, food, language and celebrations. The Carnaval lasts all week, starting with with what they call “los payasos” -clowns it seems like local youth run around in strange costumes after a loud song goes off…hitting people and running again. The atmosphere is very exciting and extremely colorful in the backdrop of this Caribbean Central American city."

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Example #5: LIMON, COSTA RICA: BLACK PEOPLE IN CENTRAL AMERICA



Damien M., Published on Jun 1, 2013
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Here are selected comments from this video's discussion thread. These comments are numbered for referencing purposes only:
1. XaishaMonae, 2014
..."Quick question, do the people in Limon mostly speak spanish or patois?"

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Reply
2. Damien M., 2013
"+XaishaMonae Its about 60/40 patois/spanish depending on who they're talking to. If they're amongst themselves u may hear alot of patois.. but in commercial places of business it will be spanish. They Take pride in being African descendants so they don't talk spanish all the time.."

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3. Derwin King, 2015
"Hello sir, I am currently living in Heredia and studying at La Universidad Nacional. I agree that Limon is isolated. It is referred to in a way that makes it seem like a separate entity. People have cautioned me about the safety there as well. I believe that the issue with racism in this country is that people pretend it doesn't exist altogether, so the issues that do exist (however small they are in comparison to the US) are not addressed or solved. People consider the hiked up foreign prices to be a form of racism (which is an ill-informed and incorrect opinion) but I think that's a result of Costa Ricans feeling an intense Big Brother-like omnipresence from the United States. Afro Costa Ricans are still subjected to forms of racism whether implicit or explicit. Thankfully, they are not experiencing it on the murderous level that African Americans do in the US. It's still an issue though."

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Reply
4. tanya mullings, 2017
"There is propaganda against limon, but its a very safe place and a very important turistic point"
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In another comment, tanya mullings wrote that is “n another comment, this

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5. yorsha100, 2017
"Let us clarify a little the history of the arrival of the black people to Costa Rica.There are two moments in history which are different periods. In the first moment they arrived like African slaves brought by the Spaniards during the period of conquest and period of the colony also came brown people product of the mixture of the Spanish with the African slave these arrived like free. This is around the year 1561. The majority of these slaves were established in the province of Guanacaste working on the cattle ranches. Others were established in Cartago. By 1650 the Puebla de los Pardos was created in order to reduce the territory to mulattos, free blacks and browns because of discrimination. Historians report that these groups continued to generate mix and came a time where the black person was no longer evident because of such a mix. I am opening a parenthesis here according to a genetic study that was carried out on the genetic composition of the Costa Rican individual of the Central Valley that is considered white people but in reality in their great majority they are product of the mixture, these have 4.6% of African lineage. The second moment occurs with the construction of the railroad to the Atlantic in the late nineteenth century, arriving the first Jamaican black people around the year 1870 to our Caribbean coast they arrived as free since slavery had been abolished in Jamaica around the year 1834. Black people arrived most of them from Jamaica, from other islands such as Trinidad, Haiti, Saint Lucia and the Bahamas. Although there was a first moment with the African slaves, the black people of the second moment consolidate the Afro-descendant presence in Our country establishing its culture and the characteristics that define it."

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6. BrooklynSpanishTchr, 2017
"This is great. Thank you. I lived in Costa Rica for four years and now teach Spanish (middle school). My students have so much trouble understanding that racism exists elsewhere and that there are Black populations outside of the US. I plan on using your video to start dialogs in my class!"

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