BGCSE Coursework Question: 2 Study Sources C & D

Explain the impact migrants had on social and economical development of The Bahamas in the twentieth century. (15 marks)

Migration has always been in existence from the beginning of time. The Loyalist were the first who arrived to the Bahamas with their slaves in the late 1700's to our current date. There were many that migrated to The Bahamas such as; Chinese, Lebanese, Greeks, Haitians and the Jews. A single migrant may engage in three types of migration in his or her lifetime. These include, long stay residence short stay residence and return migration. The migration dynamic reflects the interplay of international, national and highly personal circumstances, Migration is a universal phenomenon. Millions of immigrants made The Bahamas their permanent residence, But how did these migrants impacted The Bahamas, socially and economically in the twentieth century. First I will be discussing the Chinese. The Chinese first began arriving in the late 19th century, but most immigrants arrived in the 1920's and quickly proved to be enterprising businessmen. According to (Gayle Saunders from-islanders in the steam), there were numerous that were skilled framers and they also contributed a lot to The Bahamas. There is where the Chinese who partnership and opened up their own restaurant. I can infer that Charles Chea and Henry Wong opened a Chinese restaurant on Bay Street which is still in operation today. So Economically, it provides Jobs for our native Bahamians, Chinese-Bahamians have a long history, dating back to at least 1879. Chinese originated from Cuba – explaining why Hispanic surnames are not uncommon and start in the laundry and cleaning industries. The Chinese were indeed hard-workers, they believed in being successful which they were. The Chinese mainly left their country because their country had fallen apart they wanted to be free. The main surnames used by Chinese-Bahamians are Chea (Pronounced in The Bahamas like the Irish "Shea") and Wong. Ethnic tensions persist between Chinese-Bahamians and others. Business owners in particular have historically felt threatened by the success of the Chinese community in the country. Leading to Chinese-Bahamians being somewhat socially ostracized. This has in turned led to more social self segregation by the Chinese-Bahamian community, Personally I felt like the Chinese came to The Bahamas and used their heads firstly, they worked collectively as a team one accord. Also our Bahamian people felt threaten. We as Bahamians are too relaxed. However, migration, poverty, ill health and sheer ignorance had a serious effects on the majority population, especially those crammed into Over the Hill Nassau, the delicate equilibrium was sustained by other factors than subtle social subdivisions, even (perhaps especially) when economic conditions deteriorated in the 1930s. Second, the Greeks- Greeks were considered poor but they were indeed great with their hands. The very first arrivals seem to have been simple fishermen, sponsored by mainland Greek sponge merchants seeking to expand the business worldwide. This group of individuals viewed a vision to succeed. The second wave of Greek immigrants Aegean is landers marginally less impoverished but still sponsored, whose intended function was to act as a sponge processors, agents or middlemen for the Greek-dominate international market were disliked by the Bahamians sponge fishermen because they drove down wholesale prices and feared by Bay Street because of the likley hood that they sought to invade the most lucrative aspects of Bahamian sponging the ownership and outfitting of sponging vessels. The Greeks knew what they wanted so therefore they work towards it. I personally call them wise because they find ways to arise on top, which left the Bahamians jealous. The Greek were "looked down on" and rejected. Thirdly The Lebanese- The Lebanese came to The Bahamas at the same time as the Greeks as part of the diaspora that saw many as a million people escape from Turkish misrule in Syria. When the Lebanese migrated to The Bahamas they started off as peddlers, itinerantly selling pins, buttons, cheap tex-tiles, trinkets even rice, sugar and grits in tiny quantities at the lowest prices. With their exiguous profits as well as a network of suppliers and backers, successful Lebanese peddlers graduated to owning shops concentrating on dry goods rather than groceries. As the 1920s, Lebanese were to be seen peddling goods in the out islands or on the sidewalks and wharves in Nassau. But by then, three or four Lebanese owned business which had already occupied fixed premises by the turn of the century had begun to dominate the lower end of the dry goods market in Nassau. Most remarkable in its way was the ouwade family. Which had opened a shop in Nassau as early as 1894, changed its name to baker, and within three generations had managed to join Bay Street oligarchy, with two brothers in the House of Assembly. The Lebanese also owned K.S Moses which is still around today. Lastly, Haitians-''Migration is indeed an age old response to different opportunities either within or across international borders, to be managed by government as an opportunity, not solved as a problem'' (According to Gayle Saunders from islanders in the stream). It is likely that there has always been an interaction between The Bahamas and Haiti for Great Inagua Island, the southern-most island of The Bahamas chain, is only 55 miles away from lle de la Tortue, off north-west Haiti. The Bahamas would exchange for fruits, vegetables and produce. Haitians were said to be annoying and a consistent also expensive problem. To conclude, intra-regional and extra-regional migrants are neither the least educated of the society, nor the poorest and least employable, reinforcing the observation that international migrations is a selection of the fittest. Migration is highly selective in all its aspects and at all its locations the places of origin and destination.