Belizeans Tell News Five What the Jewel Means to Them

Most of Central America and Mexico celebrate independence this month. The youngest of the bunch, Belize, became an independent nation back on September twenty-first, 1981. In a few hours, the Belizean flag will be hoisted marking our thirty-sixth anniversary of independence. In the spirit of the celebration, a News Five crew headed out to downtown Albert Street to get a feel of what it means to be a Belizean. In a true gesture of patriotism, Belizeans at home and from abroad shared unique things that identify us as Belizeans.

Resident #1

“I posted this a few months ago on Facebook, we all had that one drawer that you had to pull out the bottom chess-of-drawer to get to the top one without the knobs; that’s something Belizean. Or filling the ketchup bottle with water (laughing) when it is almost finished.”

Duane Moody

“So for you in this time, September celebrations, how is it for you and your family?”

Resident #1

“It is really important. My son and I we came in from Honduras yesterday so that we can actually celebrate independence in our country. Where we are is very nice and the people are friendly and everything, but there is nothing like Belize and when we explain the diversity of our people here in Belize it is just like they are in awe that we are so diverse and all the different ethnicities; it’s like one big chicken soup.”

Resident #2

“Oh mien, there’s a lot; it is hard to say. But definitely for me it is the food, the culture, the people. We are close to each other. When you are abroad, it’s different. If you want to see someone, you have to drive far away. Now if I want to see someone, I can just touch someone.”

Resident #3

“I’m always proud to be a Belizean. I’d rather be nowhere else but Belize. I am so proud of my people; we are so friendly regardless of the mishaps, over jealousy and what have you; there is no place like Belize.”

Resident #4

“In our sweet Belize; for one, we are not racist and also I love the fact that all our different cultures, regardless of the fact that yes we have crime and all the other bad stuff, we can come together as one. Regardless of the ethnicity you are, whatever color, race…it doesn’t matter. To me that is what makes a Belizean a Belizean.”

Duane Moody

“What defines us as Belizeans for you?”

Resident #5

“Well it’s the things that are made in Belize to be a Belizean. Yo have rice and beans, chicken and salad every Sunday. Yo have ducunu – see it yah just gone buy fi eat along with mi dinner, curry. And then after when I done eat all ah that, I wah eat wah fudge.”

Resident #6

“For me specifically, at home we like craboo ina milk pan. No matter yo done suck the craboo, yo done eat it, yo throw it back in. it kinda lee bit gross, but ih nice. And the different fruit season: mango, sometime I like guinep…all of these different fruit seasons that to me dah something very Belizean.”

Resident #7

“My grandmother, Vida Baptist, known as Vida Arnold, when I used to give trouble, she used to have me kneel on a grater. But it taught me something very important—to honor your mother and father, honor your elders; respect the old. One of the most important things Belizeans have to understand is they got to know who they are. They got to remember their roots; they got to remember that without the people, there is no Belize. So you gotta start with the people and educate them right. We are not talking about the other education, but showing them who they really are; their greatness, their superiority. They come from serious people and we gotta get that back into the minds of the young.”