Orientalism and its relation to Colonialism

I can hear the sighs of frustration already, as you all begin reading this blog. What's the problem, you ask wearily. What the hell could possibly be wrong this time? As for my answer, well.....did you see the title of the blog? Did you read the topic before clicking on it? Because if you did, you'd realize that you've just opened the proverbial can of worms. Orientalism is a important issue that has somehow managed to slip under the radar. It affects so many, and deserves its chance to be in the spotlight. The problem with society however, is that they've affected the attitude of "out of sight, out of mind". If the subject or issue is not at the forefront of the media and newstands, then it becomes a "non-issue". Something that doesn't warrant discussion.

So again you ask, What’s the problem? The problem is the effect that colonialism has had within our society. While these effects have been addressed, there is still no way to fully comprehend how it has affected the world. Orientalism is a term from post colonialism that refers to the treatment of non-Western cultures. It was a topic studied heavily during the 19th century, and literary texts of the time assigned the racist term of “Oriental” to cultures within the eastern hemisphere. In today’s society, there is much research being done on the topic of Orientalism, mainly focusing on the Asian continent. However, I believe that we should not forget the Caribbean, where many people from the eastern hemisphere were taken as slaves. It is there that the many descendants of these slaves have lived their lives, intermingling with each other. The effect of Orientalism is still felt within the islands, and is something that needs to be addressed. There are many leftover opinions held by colonists that are still practiced today. Instead of being proud of their culture and race, many in the Caribbean are looking for ways to appear more ‘white’.