Post #2 of my English Class : 

Jamaica Kincaid's Lecture: "A Small Place" and Peter Robert's Lecture: "Identity"

In Small Place, Kincaid talks about the tourism. She described the classic tourist and her feelings about them. Also, she talks a little bit about the British invasion and how Antigua changed in the last few years. In the other hand, we have the Peter Roberts lecture "Identity" that talks about the identity and some concepts that people use to determine sameness or differences. Kincaid's lecture clearly established from the beginning the difference between the Antiguans and the tourist. She talks about the differences in color, "race", language, and manners. In her lecture, she have a well defined "national identity" and exposed the tourist as her complete opposite.

I have a different opinion about tourists and invasion, however, I think that "A Small Place" it was a great lecture. She expressed herself through her "national identity", because she sounds like she is very proud of her Antigua and her "race", and I have to respect her personal opinion. Although, I believe that the angry feelings that she have are because of the extreme poverty that she been through and the rejection of her own family. I deducted this because she remarked the difference in the tourist's country with Antigua in a sarcastic tone, like when she says: "The road on which you are travelling is a very bad road", and also in: "a marvelous change these bad roads are from the splendid highways I am used to in North American."

When she says that "everywhere they went they turned it into England" it reminds me of the Puerto Rico invasion from the United States. After they invade Puerto Rico  they wanted to turn it into a little United States and for me it was a good thing. In just a few years our economy changed dramatically: a better healthcare, a better economy, a better education, more rights and better food. Although, she says that England was a bad thing for Antigua and I say that United States was a good thing for Puerto Rico we agree in the fact that any invasion change completely the nation invaded.

I live in Cidra, Puerto Rico, and when I first came to the university some people told me that I have a "jibaro accent" and many people felt discomforted about it. I connected this with the Jamaica's lecture when she refers to the tourist saying: "they do not like the way you speak (you have an accent)". Also this is connected to the Robert's lecture when he says: "all human beings recognize speakers from outside their community by their speech." I think that the accent should not be a measure to like or dislike a person because it doesn't define you as a person, and, all of this is just an excuse for exclude someone who are not like you.  

In conclusion, I like the lecture but I don't share her opinion about the tourists and the invasions. I think that we have to stop making stereotypes and stop using "the other" concept if we want to construct a world without discrimination and racism. I believe that your "home" does not define your personality or your thoughts.