I’m an African American woman from the U.S., and I’ve been living in the Dominican Republic for the past few months. I’ve really enjoyed the Caribbean aspects of life here: the music, food, social energy, and overall rhythm of daily life.
I’ll be moving to Panama soon with the Peace Corps, and I’ve heard that Panama has a strong Caribbean influence, especially in certain regions. I was wondering how that shows up in everyday culture. In what ways does Panama feel Caribbean, and in what ways does it feel different from places like the DR?
I’d love to hear how people who’ve lived in or visited Panama would describe the vibe!
Panama city and colon are very Caribbean. It makes me feel like I'm in DR but with more indigenous and metizos. If you enjoyed DR, you will definitely enjoy panama. Legitimately, my favorite place to visit in central america. I have so many awesome memories there. Don't get me wrong, costa rica near limon is awesome, for a mulatto like me, but panama city is where I really enjoyed to no limits.
If it is in the Caribbean, it is Caribbean. You may mean to ask how similar is it to DR.
The region should honestly move past this idea that Caribbeanness is defined by only certain areas within it.
Well, Panama isn’t in the Caribbean.
Yes it is. And this is an example of one of those tired conversations where some Caribbeans think they can tell others what they are.
No, it isn’t. Look at a map. And I’m not from the Caribbean.
Im from here. And yes it is. Then stop telling natives how their own region is defined, note the name of this subreddit.
Why are you typing comments and then deleting them lol.
I’m not saying anything about how the region is defined. I’m saying that the country of Panama is not in the Caribbean. Stop pretending that maps don’t exist. If you’re not actually from Panama, then you’re understanding of Panama’s geography comes from a map.
There is a large West Indian community there, from when many Islanders went over there to help build the railroads and canals. Places like Colon and Rio Abajo, in particular.
Many of them still speak English, and with a Jamaican or Barbadian accent, etc., as the case may be. Many traditional Caribbean foods are still prepared and sold there, such as the beef patties.
Edit: interestingly, I met a guy from there recently. Initially, I thought he was just a black guy then I heard his accent and he sounded Jamaican or something. He explained that he was from Panama, and I immediately recognized him as a descendent of the Afro-Antilleans who compose most of Panama’s black community.
Eventually, I asked him where his ancestors were from Africa. I found that to be very surprising, as my understanding is that all of the workers were from the Caribbean. So, I guess somehow he got absorbed into the community, even though his roots were on the continent. Because he spoke English with a Caribbean accent.
What does “just a black guy” mean? 😂 why do Americans think they’re the only FULLY ACTUAL black people in the western hemisphere? 😂
For starters, there are around 300m Americans who don’t identify as black. So, your comment is very weird.
Second of all, black Americans are the vast, vast, vast, vast majority of Black people in the United States. So, at first blush, absent some sort of indicator to suggest otherwise, most Americans, regardless of ethnic background or ties to other countries, will assume that a black individual is a black American.
And this is why stereotypes exist, particularly among Caribbean and African communities. They see Black people acting up on TV and, without knowing whether or not any of those black people may be of Caribbean or African lineage, they assume he or she is black American and the judge accordingly.
The Caribbean influence is real, especially in certain regions, but Panama’s Black population is more diverse than just canal era migration. Afro Colonial communities make up a large share as well
Afro colonials are the minority. But that’s why I said the Antilleans compose “most” of Panama’s Black community.
Edit: I hear you. I just wanted to clear up the misconception that all black Panamanians are of antillean descent or conflating caribbeaness with antilleaness (since colonial descent people on the Caribbean coast are also culturally Caribbean in their own way). And coloniales are the majority of Afro descent people in Panama
How are coloniales Caribbean? For starters, they don’t speak English; they speak Spanish. Their ties are to the Spanish colonial regime, hence the name. People don’t just become magically Caribbean; it is because of actual Caribbean people exerting influence in other areas.
In fact, there was division between them and the black newcomers. My understanding is that colonials often feel overlooked in discussions about Black Panamanian. Nothing to suggest that they are the majority there.
You don't have to speak English to be Caribbean. And they are Caribbean the same reason why DR and Cuba is, because they live on a caribbean coast. that doesn't mean that they have to be antillean or an islander. (disclaimer I'm talking about colonial communities on the Atlantic side specifically, not *all* colonials since they don't all reside on the Atlantic coast). Any who, I've spoken to many colonials that live on the Atlantic coast, and they feel like they are caribbean too simply because they live on the Caribbean Sea and have for generations. Makes sense to me. You just have to clarify that you don't mean Antillean and that you mean Caribbean in a broadly geographic and historic sense.
I'm very aware of the divisions. I'm Panamanian myself so I know what I'm talking about. The divisions really don't exist today because those issues have been largely solved and people intermarry between the two groups now. If anything Panamanians are united by being apart of the nation of Panama rather than their particular origin.
As a Panamanian, there absolutely is data to prove that most black panamanians are colonials. The afro antilleans are still there but in small numbers. yes they have their descendants here but many of them emigrated to the US. Colonials never left. Panama is their home before antilleans got there and now after. Even if Antilleans did not emigrate in large numbers to the US in recent years Colonials would still make up the majority. Most black people here are honestly a mix of both but the afro colonial is for sure the majority, even if by a small margin.
I even read an article by a scholar showing the demographics of the Afro-descent population in Panama and the majority of them are actually of Colonial descent. Here is the proof and the article that I retrieved the data from.
https://preview.redd.it/ckrcrh9urkbg1.png?width=1690&format=png&auto=webp&s=407f38a195951e92a0ed3b5b9310d83f9c04a356
As a Panamanian, it's not hard to believe that colonials are the majority. They were here first and arrived in larger numbers (during the slave trade). They hardly emigrate and are more connected to the hispanic world as you've stated. So if anything they would emigrate to Spain, or rather study there and come back which is what many do (rather than emigrating to the US and staying there as Antilleans do). For that reason people falsely attribute the majority of Afro-Panamanian culture to the Antilleans when really it is from both origins.
Sigler, Thomas J., K. Ashley Amen, and Kaitlin A. Dwyer. 2015. "The Heterogeneous Isthmus: Transnationalism and Cultural Differentiation in Panama." Bulletin of Latin American Research 34(2):229-44.
I mean, do Black Panamanians stop being Black Panamanians once they immigrate? If we look at Black Panamanians as a whole including those who live abroad it’s pretty clear that Black Panamanians of Caribbean descent are the majority. Not to mention that many Black Panamanians are of mixed colonial and Caribbean descent. Also colonial Afro-Panamanian is closer to the culture of the Pacific region of Colombia than say Afro-Cuban or Afro-Puerto Rican culture.
Just because a large share of Afro Panamanians outside of Panama are of Antillean descent does not mean they are the majority overall. It simply means they were the group that emigrated in larger numbers. That tells us about migration patterns, not about the demographic composition of Black Panamanians within Panama itself.
The claim I made is about the population inside Panama, which is what census data measures. Using the diaspora to override in country demographic data is analytically incorrect. If we are going to speculate about diaspora numbers, which you are doing without evidence, then we would also have to speculate about Afro colonial descendants abroad. At that point it becomes guesswork rather than demographic analysis.
You cannot assess Afro Panamanian demographics by focusing on who left. You have to look at who stayed and continues to live there. Afro colonial communities are very much present, but they are often overlooked precisely because they are Spanish speaking and more embedded in the Hispanic world rather than the US centered Caribbean diaspora.
Cultural proximity to Afro Colombians also does not negate Caribbean identity. Afro colonial cultures on Panama’s Atlantic coast developed on the Caribbean Sea and are Caribbean in a geographic and historical sense. Caribbean does not have to mean Antillean, island based, or culturally identical to places like Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic. Caribbean cultures are diverse and locally rooted.
The bottom line is that population claims require actual figures, not diaspora impressions or vibes. The data I shared reflects self identification within Panama and shows that Afro colonial and Afro Panamanian categories make up a substantial and often majority portion of the Black population. Expanding the category to include emigrants changes the question rather than answering it.
By the way, I want to acknowledge that you proved me wrong regarding the population. I read the graph. It was always my understanding that colonials were in the minority. And there’s hardly any information on them in English. So, I stand corrected.
I’m not talking about geography; I’m talking about culture. The Caribbean culture of Panama is Anglophone and most heavily influenced by Jamaica.
Perception depends a lot on who you are around. If your social world is mostly Afro Antillean, then Jamaican influenced culture will feel dominant because that is what you see, hear, and recognize. Jamaican culture has been made especially visible and legible, and people often confuse visibility with majority.
That does not mean it is the only Caribbean culture in Panama. Afro colonial costeno cultural forms are present in everyday life in ways that non Panamanians often do not recognize as Caribbean because they are Spanish speaking and locally embedded. Congo dance and Congo music are a clear example. If you have spent time in clubs in Panama, you know Congo music is often played at closing as a social cue, similar to how slow music is used elsewhere to signal the night is ending. That is a distinctly Afro colonial practice, not an Anglophone one, yet it is part of everyday Caribbean life in Panama.
So yes, Jamaican culture is one important Caribbean influence, but it is not the sole or defining one. What feels dominant often reflects social networks and exposure, not the full range of Caribbean cultural practices that exist in Panama.
Caribbean is a social construct. Just because something takes place near the Caribbean Sea, does not make it Caribbean.
If you take Afro colonial culture, and put it in any other part of the world, nobody is going to recognize it as Caribbean.
If you take Afro-Antillean culture and export it other parts of the world, people will recognize it as Caribbean. This is very obvious in places like Brooklyn, New York.
If the Caribbean is a social construct than the fact that Afro-Colonial people on the Caribbean coast of Panama are Caribbean too no? Them or their culture doesn't have to be recognizable for it to be Caribbean too. and also Jamaicans and other recognizably Caribbean people do not define what Afro-Colonial people on the coast are. They are Caribbean because they quite literally live and have developed a culture on the Caribbean Sea of Panama for generations. That alone makes it Caribbean. I mean how is that different from DR or PR forming a Caribbean culture? Moreover, I do not think the whole country of Panama is Caribbean by any means but I think the communities that live on the Caribbean coast of Panama for sure are, whether they are recognizably Caribbean or not. I mean even their dishes and way of speaking is quite similar to Caribbean Afro-Hispanics like Domincans. their dances, the Congo dance, is almost identical to Bomba and Plena in Puerto Rico.
Panama exudes a Caribbean charm intertwined with Central American reality. The Caribbean influences, shaped by migration history, coexist with everyday life rooted in Central American geography, with Indigenous presence as a subtle yet enduring layer. While the Caribbean sensibility is most pronounced along the Atlantic coast, it lingers more as a background element on the Pacific side and in Panama City.
In my opinion, the Caribbean vibe, characterized by socialness and a carefree atmosphere, is more prevalent along the Atlantic coast and doesn’t quite capture the essence of a Caribbean island. Panama City, on the other hand, exudes a cosmopolitan and dynamic energy. Additionally, Panamanians are often perceived as more reserved compared to what the Caribbean is known for in terms of openness and joviality.
To be honest, I believe we should move beyond the notion of the entire country being Caribbean because it doesn’t truly embody that vibe everywhere. In fact, I say this as a Panamanian of Antillean descent.
Nevertheless, Panama does have an underlying Caribbean influence and presence, but it’s not an integral part of our daily experience.
Panamá is my favourite country in Central America and the Caribbean. I’d say it has Caribbean island vibes and cuisine but with 1st world infrastructure (and prices).
Panamá feels more Caribbean to me than Venezuela and even the Caribbean region of Colombia tbh
For starters the weather. From there the many expats or transplants due to the close proximity to the islands. You have the wonderful wild animals untamed Darian Gap which separatesPanama from South America. The vibe would really depend upon which area and group you are hanging around with. Will you be with just co workers and a few college degree educated local co workers. Then you would be among a privileged group so to speak. If you just went among the just getting by folks their level of or standard of living would be vastly different from what you would be accustomed to in the US.
I saw this with all due respect because I have been there and done that in Mexico. It was Veracruz and yes there’s a Caribbean flavor because it’s right on the Caribbean or technically the gulf of Mexico. I was dating someone and was introduced to their social circle. They were educated and mostly gay. Among the poor they have their feelings. They don’t appreciate the returnees from America coming back to visit. I have seen people in tears because their return visit to Mexico didn’t go as planned. I tried to gently explain to my friend that those people are viewed them as a yankee now Not some local boy coming back for a visit. There’s no libraries none. Your public high school you have to buy books and pay for all sorts of stuff. The very poorest don’t finish high school. However those that do are 100 times smarter than any USA kids. They have had Calculus and Physics and well prepared for college. They don’t have all the useless liberal arts under grad prerequisites either. If you want to study law, you study law or medicine.
It's like Jarabacoa🇩🇴. Panama is like DR but more indigenous.
feels like santo domingo but bigger tbh
In Panama, the Caribbean influence is definitely felt in places like Colón and Bocas del Toro, but other regions can have a different rhythm and mix of traditions. The day-to-day feel, from music to food and gatherings, really depends on where you settle. I’d recommend taking time to look into specific towns or neighborhoods to find a god spot.
Can’t help with this post but Yay Peace Corps!!!
RPCV here. 😊
One side of my family is from Panama and I spend a lot of time there. It certainly feels Caribbean to me, especially Panama City and Colon.
It's funny. I live in Miami and, if you dropped me in Panama City and I didn't know any better, I would assume it is Miami.
Can you start another post telling us about your life as a Black American in DR? Not in this sub obviously, but I'm curious to know the vibe! Dominicans can be very simple, yet very complicated!
Yes of course
Let me know when you post it!
Less denial of their history and racial makeup. Less antiblack citizens 😏
Loud differences is a troll who believes he/ she can tell people about the region from where they hail. He's another frustrated African American who, sadly, sees no cultural value. So, now he/she trolls others. He/she desperately wants to adjacent to Carribean cultures.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
I do have an interest in the Caribbean culture, as an outsider. But as an African-American, I am extremely proud of my culture and my people. We actually set the standard for the rest of the diaspora in every way imaginable.
I could never be anything other than FBA. But your disparaging comments, are, what we FBAs have seen all too often. You look down on the culture, even while many of you in the US, slavishly copy it.
The reason people think black Americans have no culture, is because everybody else copies it. If you look at music, fashion, slang, swagger. Hairstyles. Everything. It’s all black Americans, then everyone else copies it.
GenZ slang as a perfect example. This is actually slang from black American youth, much of which actually comes from generation X and even beyond
We use words like cool and hip, when they don’t refer to temperature or body part. Both of those come from the jive culture of African-Americans in the 1940s.
Since everybody in the entire anglosphere copies, these things, then no one respects them as coming from Black American culture
You, on the other hand, only have a tiny pocket of people who propagate your culture. No one outside of your ethnic group has anything to do with your culture. If you’re lucky, then you’re Jamaican and you might see people wearing dreads or listening to reggae. But that’s really about it.
And no other islands in the Caribbean even matter.