From the Banana Zones to the Big Easy (LSU Press, 2019) focuses on the immigration of West Indians and Central Americans—particularly those of British West Indian descent from the Caribbean coastal areas—to New Orleans from the turn of the twentieth century to the start of World War II. Glenn A. Chambers discerns the methods by which these individuals of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds integrated into New Orleans society and negotiated their distinct historical and ethnoracial identities in the Jim Crow South.
Garifuna in Peril follows Ricardo, a Garifuna language teacher, as he fights to preserve his endangered culture by building a school in his Honduran village. His plans are threatened by tourism-driven land disputes, while his son’s play about Garifuna resistance to British colonialism echoes past and present struggles. Featuring debut performances and primarily spoken in Garifuna, the film is a landmark in Afro-Indigenous cinema.
In this essay, Paul Joseph López Oro examines how Garifuna communities, as both Black and Indigenous, challenge dominant understandings of race and identity in Latin America and the United States. Drawing on ethnographic research and lived experiences, he shows how Garifuna identities resist simple categorization, highlighting the ways Blackness and Indigeneity are deeply interconnected. By focusing on Garifuna cultural and political expression across national borders, López Oro calls for a more expansive view of Afro-Latinidad and underscores the importance of centering Afro-Indigenous perspectives in conversations about race, belonging, and diaspora in the Americas.
Giana De Dier is a contemporary collage artist whose work explores the histories and lived experiences of Afro-Caribbean communities in Panama, particularly those who migrated during the construction of the Panama Canal in the early 20th century. Focusing on the narratives of Afro-Caribbean women, her collages examine themes of memory, migration, identity, and representation. De Dier blends paper, fabric, photographs, and archival materials to challenge historical erasure and reimagine what is missing from official records. Her work offers powerful visual meditations on family, place, and belonging. De Dier studied visual arts at the University of Panama, and her work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Panama, the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Venice Biennale, and 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair. Her pieces are held in major collections such as the Panama Canal Museum and the Inter-American Development Bank.
The Organización Negra Guatemalteca (ONEGUA) is dedicated to promoting and preserving the culture and rights of the Garífuna community in Guatemala. Based in Livingston, Izabal, ONEGUA plays a key role in organizing cultural events, including dance performances and public activities that highlight Garífuna traditions. Through these initiatives, ONEGUA contributes to the social, political, and economic development of Afro-descendant communities in Guatemala. The organization collaborates with regional partners to combat racism and discrimination, while also advocating for gender equity and social justice.
Red de Mujeres Hamalali Hiñariñu Garinagu (HAHIGA) is a legally recognized network of Garífuna and Afro-descendant women based in Puerto Barrios, Izabal, Guatemala. Meaning "the voice of Garífuna women" in the Garífuna language, HAHIGA plays a crucial role in promoting political participation and comprehensive community development. Through leadership programs, workshops, and advocacy efforts, HAHIGA strengthens the social, political, and economic participation of Garífuna women. It also leads the Agenda of Garífuna and Afro-descendant Women (AMGA), focusing on three key areas—education, health, and economic development—to drive sustainable and impactful change within their communities.
Ella Jean Downs, “Historia oral de los creoles de Corn Island” (Wani: Revista del Caribe Nicaragüense, no. 65, 2012: 41–53) presents a concise yet powerful account of Corn Island’s Creole community through oral history. Drawing on the testimonies of island residents, Downs highlights cultural traditions, collective memory, and the everyday experiences that shape Creole identity. The article sheds light on the community’s language, values, and historical consciousness, offering an intimate portrait of Afro-Caribbean life on Nicaragua’s Caribbean Coast.
