Miss Jamaica World Stirs Racial Debate
On Saturday, July 12, 2014 Laurie-Ann Chin was crowned the 2014 Miss Jamaica World, and almost immediately there were some Jamaicans who voiced their dissatisfaction with the winner of the pageant. Although I did not view the pageant, I gathered from the vitriol posted online that the dissatisfaction stemmed not from how Laurie-Ann Chin conducted herself in the pageant, but rather her perceived ethnicity. A few seem dissatisfied that a contestant with a darker complexion was not chosen.
Some argued that there was an underlying prejudice within Jamaica towards darker skinned individuals. While others indicated that on many occasions a person of 100% black decent is the least likely to win the aforementioned competition.
While I do not disagree that some amount of racial prejudice exist in Jamaica, it is difficult for me to not see the irony of those expressing dissatisfaction at the winner solely based on her complexion and ethnicity. Laurie-Ann is a true representation of our motto, Out of Many, One People. For us to not embrace her as one of our own, is denying the credence of the motto we seem to hold in high regard. It is indeed ironic that many Jamaicans, if not all, seemed to have supported Tessanne Chin throughout her journey on NBC’s musical competition, The Voice. No one exclaimed (at least to my knowledge) that Tessanne Chin was less deserving of exposure because of her complexion or ethnic heritage. Why then are some Jamaicans so critical when a fellow Jamaican excels in a competition such as Miss Jamaica World? Is it possible that in some way those ridiculing Laurie-Ann Chin may feel inferior and seek to counter that sense of inferiority with an alleged notion of discrimination? Could it be that Jamaicans of color sense that they are mistreated by a system that allegedly marginalizes the most afro-centric of our society? If so, we must be fair in our assessment. As Jamaicans we must be careful to not counter discrimination by perpetuating discrimination against others. For some to allege that they feel Laurie-Ann Chin does not represent Jamaica, is to deny Laurie-Ann her rightful designation as a member of our diverse populace.
Perhaps we need to focus on self-hate within the black community. Why do a number of people within our diverse society choose to bleach the color of their skin? Why do we refer to people as having “good hair,” and “bad hair.” Why is it that we accept as common practice to call every person of Asian descent “Mr. and Mrs. Chin?” Why do we call those of indian descent “Mr. and Mrs. Singh?” Why do we use terms such as “Blaka,” to refer to an individual, almost derogatorily? When we stereotypically label a person we negate their individuality. We instead cast them into a group and label them as others; doing so is dangerous practice. Hate only begets more hate. We need to examine the fabric of our culture that allows us to continuously tear down each other, instead of uplifting our fellow country men and women.
I agree that we need to have a larger debate on race and race relations in Jamaica. To do so we must take an honest look at our colonial past and attitudes of Euro and Afro centrism as implanted within our society. That being said, I cannot support the ignorant among us who instead of having a meaningful discussion on the issue, choose to berate and degrade others. It is purported by some that the commenters in online discussion boards failed to realize that Laruie-Ann Chin is indeed of a dark brown complexion, and instead have reacted to the lighter image displayed in the photograph by the Jamaican-Gleaner. Regardless, the nature of the discussion is troubling.
The pictures below were ascertained from Laurie-Ann Chin’s Facebook fanpage and the Jamaica-Gleaner website respectively:
Below are some of the most offensive comments posted in a Jamaica-Gleaner forum on Facebook. The names of the commenters have been removed to provide anonymity –
“Chinese again? I’m going to rename Jamaica Little China. American Idol (sic) winner Tess, Goat Island and now Ms. Jamaica?”
“Who these people from China?”
“For some reason they do not remind me of Jamaica, they remind me of Asia. #justwaying”
“Where is the black young woman? …”
“What happen to Jamiaca black girl, they not good enough why the mixed breed?”
We are all Jamaicans, and discussions about race and race relations should take place in a manner that is not destructive to others. We indeed live in a world that is plagued by hate and injustice, but in seeking a resolve, we must commit ourselves to higher values and equitable treatment of others. We must at the same time embrace the diversity which defines our beautiful island and not perpetuate hate towards our fellow men and women. I commend Laurie-Ann Chin on her win and know she will represent Jamaica well, because she truly embodies what it means to be Jamaican. Congrats Laurie!
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I can’t believe what I just read. People please remember our coat of arms. Out of many one people
I watched the pageant and had no issue with the winner’s ethnicity because she is black in my eyes. I believe however that the strongest answer for the questions posed came from the 1st runner up and it’s on that basis that I think some bias was shown. Was also happy and quite pleasantly surprised about the number of dark skin contestants this year. Much needs to be done to encourage all contestants to develop their oratory skills.
What a beautiful girl she is so lovely I wish she was mine no offence to my present beau
who know better do better
Funny thing is the retards didn’t even research properly before degrading her. Laurie is actually quite dark in complexion the lights distorted her true image. So a “black” girl still won the competition….geniuses.
Funny thing is the retards didn’t even research properly before degrading her. Laurie is actually quite dark in complexion the lights distorted her true image. So a “black” girl still won the competition….geniuses.
My cousin friend entered yea she has a light complexion and long natural not relax hair. She was asked by judge to do something with her hair whether to relax or flat iron it so it would fit the the stereotype.
oh please….di ongle time we memba di motto is wen something like dis happen..check out the pictures in the newspapers…if the event is a launch, something considered ‘upscale’ the hue of the attendees is from light , bright to damn near white….di bizniz leaders , di dem hue is di said ting….all the young ‘ladies’ chosen to be some sort of decoration’vixens’ fi many events, r again light , bright n near white….if this was not a prevalent attitude in Ja re light being more ‘upscale’ how would u explain the bleaching fad…n don’t kid urself dat ongle dark hue below clock tower bleaching….we still hail PJ as the first black PM n pander to that thinking wen it suit those who should know better….even if u want to seh Joshua n Sangster were fairskin, wat about Shearer….as to Tessanne she wasn’t up fi a beauty contest…even in the latest craze of ‘celebrity'(snicker) in Ja , many still a preffah dem browning….look how much the discussion was about the female PM bleaching or not bleaching…so wen as is usual, our BEAUTY contests favour lighter hue we need to stop reach fi di motto…is di said country weh man did wrench wen an afro sporting dark hue did win…n if anything, the generations since den r even more hue conscious…..children won’t learn a new behaviour if dem don’t experience it…so dis sort of thing, where some in Ja still believe we need to ‘lighten’ up wen presenting our face to the world stage , wen it is our women, dat will never seemingly change….we bury our heads in the sand about so much of life on the island n this issue is par fi di course….FEH
Must be insecurity. I really dont see what the fuss is all about, the best girl Won. She was carefully selected by a diverse and reputable set of judges (monitored by an ext auditor), who sat and interviewed each contestant one on one, at an earlier prejudging session in daylight, without the glare, or pressure of time. The contest is opened to all Jamaicans, & they choose the best from those who chose to enter. They get it right most times. Who cares what colour or ethnicity or mixture? Beauty is felt first, even before its seen, they look for a package deal, to find the one who can represent us best internationally. I say goodluck and best wishes to Miss Chin, Im excited about her prospects. We are so lucky to have diverse races and cultures all in one island, we should celebrate that, instead of being so negative and picky and crude sometimes.
She looks more of mixed arab heritage than chinese(like Lisa Hanna is mixed lebanese).
Just because you have the last name ‘Chin’ or ‘Lee’ it does not mean you are of chinese descent.
My younger half brother’s last name is “Lee’ and he is of indian descent.
Jamaica is filled with racist, and hypocrites in many forms! Many Jamaican men are the ones to be blamed for this color segregation! Why…….because they are the ones who believes that anything whey brown or have light skin means beautiful! Many times me hear dem same black men in Jamaica talking about dem loving the light skin girls with pretty hair! Unno is a set a damn hypocrites! Unno Jamaican men! Unno well and know say these types of pageants love pick a browning or some girl who is from some affluent family in Jamaica to be the winner! And the reason why many black girls no enter is because they know that they will never win unless God a come or smaddy start wuk some obeah! And some a unno black people so brainwash that unno run with any kind a article whey try fi mek excuses as to why people should not talk about the hypocrisy whey a happen towards black people! But unno stay deh sooner or later unno a go find unno black self ousted by the whole heap a Chinese whey Poorsha a import a Jamaica via selling out our lands to them! unno soon start pick rice like some slaves! Just because the chick might look black in the pic doesnt mean a thing cause her last name is Chin and she mix! A bet if a black girl enter with her natural African hair without it being processed dem would a tell her fi process it first or she would a never win! Unno Humans are pathetic! Gwaan wear unno blinkers unno soon drop dung in a pothole! Imagine say me who is of mixed breed see the hypocrisy and unno who is full black blind to whats happening in Jamaica! smh!
Is it that straight black women don’t embody what it means to be a Jamaican Mr. Lyon?
Did she win even though there were “African” girls more deserving of the title? I have seen and appreciated the beauty of women of many ethnic backgrounds and – unless she is not photogenic – the physical beauty of the present Miss Jamaica is nothing to write home about. Maybe she possesses other qualities that cannot be captured by a camera so I cannot be too opinionated. Good luck to her because I’m sure that there will be many more physically appealing women than her – of darker and of lighter skin in the Miss World competition. Jamaica’s just don’t know how to identify that exotic edge that is needed to win. Or is it that they are really too prejudiced? – By the way “Out of many, one people” sounds nice but everyone except the ostrich knows that it’s a farce which is perpetuated by those who have an ethnic advantage.
so what if she isd mixed, this is so irrilivant! out of many one people but I guess that dont apply to the Indians, the Asians and the Whites in Jamaica so sad
Very good read!
Stop the nonsense please!!! Now! She’s beautiful and 100% Jamaican.
From my personal experiences, racism is unfortunately alive and well in Jamaica. Although there are no moral excuses for it, there is an unattended history behind Jamaica’s malady. In most instances, the majority often discriminates against minorities. Having grown up in racist America, my young wife, a Native American, was happy to go to Jamaica in 1966 after our marriage. She wanted to be in a country run by people of color for the first time. However, after more than one visit to my homeland, she refused to ever set foot in Jamaica again because of its racism, especially towards its Asians. Jamaicans on the street thought that she was from India and called her a “coolie babu”, a racist term like “chiney” that seem to easily roll off Jamaican tongues. While in England in 1995 she was mugged three times by Jamaicans, a crime that the police call “Packi Bashing”, the hate crime against Southeast Indians. Paki Bashing is practiced by both white and Jamaican thugs in London. Incidentally, she, as an Amerindian thinks that the Americas (which includes Jamaica) is “Asia Extended” since the indigenous people of the Caribbean and Mainland America are genetically, philosophically and spiritually “Asiatic”. So, both Chinese and Indians who are Asiatic, have more of a genetic right to be in this Hemisphere. In many cases, “black” is synonymous with “Jamaican”, a result of the African presence introduced into the Americas after 1492. The reversed Jamaican attitude is very similar to white Americans who erroneously think that the USA is a part of Europe. I have lived with Amerindians for over 50 years and folks may be surprised at their sentiment towards ALL foreigners, even 500 years of their arrival in Amerindian territories. Aside from the island’s motto, both Asiatic descended Ms. Chins may be more local than you want to think. Don’t get too drunk on misguided nationalism. Stones should not be thrown because they might just hit you.
Stop this bs about our motto etc. It is a fact that we prefer light skinned people in this country and have slavishly adopted this browning culture; pretty means light skin regardless.
Stop this bs about our motto etc. It is a fact that we prefer light skinned people in this country and have slavishly adopted this browning culture; pretty means light skin regardless.
Furthermore í will never forget a similar incident. Do we recall Christine straw and the year she won miss Jamaica world? Was there a similar reaction? Who was first summer up and can you recall how beautiful she was?
After every Miss Jamaica World Competition this always happen. It is a stigma with this pageant and persons should not follow it up. I wish her all the best for the Miss World Competition. Tessane Chin won the VOICE but yet her album have the worst debut from the Voice. Goes to show that it was the CROWD that voted for Tessane and not the people who presented the Contract for her because she was not given that MARKETABLE stance as the others. May this Miss Jamaica World receive her rightful advertisement and go on to win. Lisa Hanna who make Jamaica flag to fly HIGH by winning the Miss World and others who came after her who won sectional prizes went through the same Negativity. This is Jamaican ways who see that BLACK PEOPLE are truly beautiful even amongst the Ethnicity the individual bears. All the best Jamaica in the Miss World Competition. Hugs
the REAL issue here as exemplified by the choices made in these contests, is the continued glorification of aquiline features, ‘soft’ textured hair etc….this choice has just brought the discussion BRIEFLY back into play….as it seems to do each year….so u can see how much we believe in our motto n in diversity wen the same said choices r made in every spectrum of choosing in Jamaica….sad…
*Cough* Tesanne Chin *Cough*
Ya, it’s only convenient when they win that we will accept people.
I think people need to recognize that no matter how dark skinned a Jamaican is he or she is likely of MIXED HERITAGE! Based on research we are one of the most mixed countries in the world! As the article says, we need to look at how each of us as individuals have been programmed to treat people based on our perceived level of mixes with other cultures. The big hypocrisy is some of these same people are the ones who treat the slightly lighter sibling or child better or offer promotions on this basis.
this seems to be a yearly debate, the dissatisfaction with our ethnicity always come to the fore whenever this pageant is held…sigh
Jealousy is a helluva thing lets celebrate our diversity and beauties good luck Jamaican girl go represent us
lol i swear… some of those comments are just stupid plus some of them cant even spell. She is a jamaican even if her family is from china. Ignorant ppl, this is why our country wont get better #OUT_OF_MANY_ONE_PEOPLE
Even if she’s white as long as shes jamaican that’s what matters and that she will make us proud
I HOPE SHE HAVE A RASTA MAN WHEN SHE WIN MISS WORLD ….THEN WHAT WILL THEY SAY THEN ……
This is a beauty contest. I don’t care what colour the person is as long as she is Jamaican. The objective should be to select the most beautiful woman out of those that entered. The one that would give us the best chance of winning the Miss World contest. Even though I think Laurie is extremely beautiful, the person that would give us the best place in the Miss world contest is Kimberly Web. She should have been crowned Miss Jamaica. First runner up should have been Shellian Young and second runner up Laurie Chin. The judges got in wrong. Lets hope it was just a mistake and that someone wasn’t playing favoritism.
I now reside in the United States, I have a chinese last name and I am not labled Asian, I am under Black….so I am not understasnding why the winner because her last name is Chin, you can see that the woman is mixed, she is not 100% chinese…so how could she remind you of Asia?
I now reside in the United States, I have a chinese last name and I am not labled Asian, I am under Black….so I am not understasnding why the winner because her last name is Chin, you can see that the woman is mixed, she is not 100% chinese…so how could she remind you of Asia?
Sadly, Dimitri, Tessanne got it too. Look up an article called Tessannemania is a national embarrassment. There is a racial bias in the country, but I don’t know that this girl should have stayed home and not done her best because of other people’s issues.
stop using the motto “out of many” to justify foolishness. The percentage of “Miss Jamaicas” that are of a particular race should be proportionate to the percentage of people of that race in the country.
Beauty pageants are discriminatory by nature. “Beauty” means different things to different people. So when Jamaica chooses someone to represents its beauty, promoters of the island must think about a broader world-wide aesthetic of “beauty” that will be judged by folks outside of their little world. The women who represent their countries at Miss World or Miss Universe must compete against brains and the beauty of a troupe of women, some with aquiline features and some with Asiatic or African features, or a combination of all of the above. This is one reason why there was a Miss Black America competition. Since beauty is in the mind of the beholder, should Jamaica also have segregated competitions? Additionally, “black” is a racist political term originating with the white myth of “pure white” human beings. Black also means Chinese and Indians in England. Having a Miss Black World competition would also be problematic, especially since most of the planet’s people are brown skinned.
I was in disagreement with the outcome not because of race but because i saw other young woman there who answered their questions much better than some of the persons that made top 5. In my eyes there was some bias there. I can only speak for the night of the pageant because that is the only aspect of of the competition that i was exposed to. From what I understand as well, these young women are judged on how well they answer their question; isn’t that the reason why those segments were placed in the competition in the first place? They were coached i am sure on how to speak and present themselves and upon entering a competition of such a manner there should be no excuse about nerves getting the better of you, so i did not expect to see persons struggling to formulate a sentence and not having proper subject, verb agreement. I am just wondering if my train of thought is incorrect or mislead, but i know what i watched and i know i saw some form of unfair choosing on that night.
But the reality of the fact is that what’s done is done and the judges made their decision, but that does not mean that we as onlookers and supporters cannot question what really took place.
May the newly crowned Ms.Jamaica World make us proud and represent us well…..
What bunch of hignorant people !!
What bunch of hignorant people !!
This ignorance is too profound !!
is this argument still going on …. lol. It was the same when I use to follow this contest back in the 80’s. Jamaica don’t move forward one step.
No matter which of the contestants had won …there still would be some negative reaction.The truth of the matter is as I’ve come to realize, us Jamaicans can’t seem to be happy for any other person if it means we don’t get things done how we want it and we see that in all spheres… in our leaders straight down the ladder.Sad….
What crap. It should be out of many Africans. Crap! I didn’t even read the entire thing after I realized what the article is about. Now who is prejudice?
she’s beautiful..
The overall problem was not with her ethnicity…it was felt that the most intelligent/best performing girl was not chosen.
I can only say that those who made such negative comments don’t know Jamaica’s motto “Put of Many one People’ and if they know it, they do not understand. Also as Dimitri noted, many persons are bleaching to get ‘brown’ and to also have an Asian look. So what or who is the problem here!! …. We need to be more open and stop being so negative because your sister, cousin, niece, best friend, girlfriend etc did not win.
yes out of many one people but its mostly a certain skin type and hair type is highlighted and the impression is given that they are more accepted and appreciated. So then a type of people will then be considered “unacceptable” in representing the country on an international level, although the masses is black we highlight the minority which is also the elite in the society. So out of many only a few is considered beautiful.
This whole racial thing is ridiculous. If a black girl of 100 percent African descent is indeed the smartest and most beautiful then of course she should win, but to ask the organizers of the pageant to choose a black just just because she is black is ridiculous and basically affirmative action. It is not the fault of the organizers that not many dark skinned girls enter the competition or is it their fault that those who do may not be poised and well spoken enough to advance to the finals. Maybe if more black girls entered there would be a greater chance of one actually winning. I have followed these beauty pageants for years and i have never witnessed a well deserving black girl cast aside and the crown given to an ugly illiterate light skinned counterpart.
Dark skinned people need to turn the search light inwards. Why aren’t our dark skinned girls exuding as much confidence and topping the the others? Are our dark skinned models being cheated out or are they falling short on tht confidence tht would give them the edge? A few yrs ago there was one, Chantal I believe, who had the nation at her feet. She was excellent, but then she faltered on a Usain Bolt ques tht simply shocked us. The contestant who went on to win was less deserving, (brown skinned, Indian), but the dark skinned girl was never cheated. We can’t expect dark skinned girls to be handed the winnings to appease us. It is our job to mold our girls into confident women. Society, parents and family members hypocritically promote the light skin preference, effectively drumming down the dark skinned. Kids learn frm early tht lighter skin and long hair is better and more beautiful, hence the bleaching & and false hair epidemic. As a dark skinned woman, I can say the color prejudice is as high among dark skinned people as it is among the lighter ones. It is very common to hear a dark skin woman cussing another how shi black, har pickney black, har man black and crufty… and people keep passing it on the their kids. The change will come when we start by making our dark skin girls grow up accepting the beauty of their skin shade and kinky hair. They need to grow up feeling like princesses so they become the natural queens they are meant to be, instead of copycats trying to look like girls of another race.
Dark skinned people need to turn the search light inwards. Why aren’t our dark skinned girls exuding as much confidence and topping the the others? Are our dark skinned models being cheated out or are they falling short on tht confidence tht would give them the edge? A few yrs ago there was one, Chantal I believe, who had the nation at her feet. She was excellent, but then she faltered on a Usain Bolt ques tht simply shocked us. The contestant who went on to win was less deserving, (brown skinned, Indian), but the dark skinned girl was never cheated. We can’t expect dark skinned girls to be handed the winnings to appease us. It is our job to mold our girls into confident women. Society, parents and family members hypocritically promote the light skin preference, effectively drumming down the dark skinned. Kids learn frm early tht lighter skin and long hair is better and more beautiful, hence the bleaching & and false hair epidemic. As a dark skinned woman, I can say the color prejudice is as high among dark skinned people as it is among the lighter ones. It is very common to hear a dark skin woman cussing another how shi black, har pickney black, har man black and crufty… and people keep passing it on the their kids. The change will come when we start by making our dark skin girls grow up accepting the beauty of their skin shade and kinky hair. They need to grow up feeling like princesses so they become the natural queens they are meant to be, instead of copycats trying to look like girls of another race.
So why does someone “African” or straight black have to win? She was judged the best contestant overall and its really a shame referring to persons as mixed breed as though they’re animals.
such a beautiful girl. smh. i hope and pray she is successful at the miss world contest and dumb the haters dem
I am a white American living in Jamaica. Your words are quite compelling and true!!!
What has happened to peace, love & respect for all…we breathe the same air ( perhaps some are more loquacious in egregious & nefarious misgivings hence listen less & see with bitterness). I am East Indian descent
Of East Indian descent born in Jamaica, I love our culture however when Karlene Wardell won no one complained yet I remained silent for it was then I Dian’s were not allowed to enter.
I can’t believe what I just read. People please remember our coat of arms. Out of many one people
oh please….di ongle time we memba di motto is wen something like dis happen..check out the pictures in the newspapers…if the event is a launch, something considered ‘upscale’ the hue of the attendees is from light , bright to damn near white….di bizniz leaders , di dem hue is di said ting….all the young ‘ladies’ chosen to be some sort of decoration’vixens’ fi many events, r again light , bright n near white….if this was not a prevalent attitude in Ja re light being more ‘upscale’ how would u explain the bleaching fad…n don’t kid urself dat ongle dark hue below clock tower bleaching….we still hail PJ as the first black PM n pander to that thinking wen it suit those who should know better….even if u want to seh Joshua n Sangster were fairskin, wat about Shearer….as to Tessanne she wasn’t up fi a beauty contest…even in the latest craze of ‘celebrity'(snicker) in Ja , many still a preffah dem browning….look how much the discussion was about the female PM bleaching or not bleaching…so wen as is usual, our BEAUTY contests favour lighter hue we need to stop reach fi di motto…is di said country weh man did wrench wen an afro sporting dark hue did win…n if anything, the generations since den r even more hue conscious…..children won’t learn a new behaviour if dem don’t experience it…so dis sort of thing, where some in Ja still believe we need to ‘lighten’ up wen presenting our face to the world stage , wen it is our women, dat will never seemingly change….we bury our heads in the sand about so much of life on the island n this issue is par fi di course….FEH
Jamaica is filled with racist, and hypocrites in many forms! Many Jamaican men are the ones to be blamed for this color segregation! Why…….because they are the ones who believes that anything whey brown or have light skin means beautiful! Many times me hear dem same black men in Jamaica talking about dem loving the light skin girls with pretty hair! Unno is a set a damn hypocrites! Unno Jamaican men! Unno well and know say these types of pageants love pick a browning or some girl who is from some affluent family in Jamaica to be the winner! And the reason why many black girls no enter is because they know that they will never win unless God a come or smaddy start wuk some obeah! And some a unno black people so brainwash that unno run with any kind a article whey try fi mek excuses as to why people should not talk about the hypocrisy whey a happen towards black people! But unno stay deh sooner or later unno a go find unno black self ousted by the whole heap a Chinese whey Poorsha a import a Jamaica via selling out our lands to them! unno soon start pick rice like some slaves! Just because the chick might look black in the pic doesnt mean a thing cause her last name is Chin and she mix! A bet if a black girl enter with her natural African hair without it being processed dem would a tell her fi process it first or she would a never win! Unno Humans are pathetic! Gwaan wear unno blinkers unno soon drop dung in a pothole! Imagine say me who is of mixed breed see the hypocrisy and unno who is full black blind to whats happening in Jamaica! smh!
From my personal experiences, racism is unfortunately alive and well in Jamaica. Although there are no moral excuses for it, there is an unattended history behind Jamaica’s malady. In most instances, the majority often discriminates against minorities. Having grown up in racist America, my young wife, a Native American, was happy to go to Jamaica in 1966 after our marriage. She wanted to be in a country run by people of color for the first time. However, after more than one visit to my homeland, she refused to ever set foot in Jamaica again because of its racism, especially towards its Asians. Jamaicans on the street thought that she was from India and called her a “coolie babu”, a racist term like “chiney” that seem to easily roll off Jamaican tongues. While in England in 1995 she was mugged three times by Jamaicans, a crime that the police call “Packi Bashing”, the hate crime against Southeast Indians. Paki Bashing is practiced by both white and Jamaican thugs in London. Incidentally, she, as an Amerindian thinks that the Americas (which includes Jamaica) is “Asia Extended” since the indigenous people of the Caribbean and Mainland America are genetically, philosophically and spiritually “Asiatic”. So, both Chinese and Indians who are Asiatic, have more of a genetic right to be in this Hemisphere. In many cases, “black” is synonymous with “Jamaican”, a result of the African presence introduced into the Americas after 1492. The reversed Jamaican attitude is very similar to white Americans who erroneously think that the USA is a part of Europe. I have lived with Amerindians for over 50 years and folks may be surprised at their sentiment towards ALL foreigners, even 500 years of their arrival in Amerindian territories. Aside from the island’s motto, both Asiatic descended Ms. Chins may be more local than you want to think. Don’t get too drunk on misguided nationalism. Stones should not be thrown because they might just hit you.
Must be insecurity. I really dont see what the fuss is all about, the best girl Won. She was carefully selected by a diverse and reputable set of judges (monitored by an ext auditor), who sat and interviewed each contestant one on one, at an earlier prejudging session in daylight, without the glare, or pressure of time. The contest is opened to all Jamaicans, & they choose the best from those who chose to enter. They get it right most times. Who cares what colour or ethnicity or mixture? Beauty is felt first, even before its seen, they look for a package deal, to find the one who can represent us best internationally. I say goodluck and best wishes to Miss Chin, Im excited about her prospects. We are so lucky to have diverse races and cultures all in one island, we should celebrate that, instead of being so negative and picky and crude sometimes.
She looks more of mixed arab heritage than chinese(like Lisa Hanna is mixed lebanese).
Just because you have the last name ‘Chin’ or ‘Lee’ it does not mean you are of chinese descent.
My younger half brother’s last name is “Lee’ and he is of indian descent.
I watched the pageant and had no issue with the winner’s ethnicity because she is black in my eyes. I believe however that the strongest answer for the questions posed came from the 1st runner up and it’s on that basis that I think some bias was shown. Was also happy and quite pleasantly surprised about the number of dark skin contestants this year. Much needs to be done to encourage all contestants to develop their oratory skills.
Funny thing is the retards didn’t even research properly before degrading her. Laurie is actually quite dark in complexion the lights distorted her true image. So a “black” girl still won the competition….geniuses.
My cousin friend entered yea she has a light complexion and long natural not relax hair. She was asked by judge to do something with her hair whether to relax or flat iron it so it would fit the the stereotype.
yes out of many one people but its mostly a certain skin type and hair type is highlighted and the impression is given that they are more accepted and appreciated. So then a type of people will then be considered “unacceptable” in representing the country on an international level, although the masses is black we highlight the minority which is also the elite in the society. So out of many only a few is considered beautiful.
Stop this bs about our motto etc. It is a fact that we prefer light skinned people in this country and have slavishly adopted this browning culture; pretty means light skin regardless.
I can only say that those who made such negative comments don’t know Jamaica’s motto “Put of Many one People’ and if they know it, they do not understand. Also as Dimitri noted, many persons are bleaching to get ‘brown’ and to also have an Asian look. So what or who is the problem here!! …. We need to be more open and stop being so negative because your sister, cousin, niece, best friend, girlfriend etc did not win.
stop using the motto “out of many” to justify foolishness. The percentage of “Miss Jamaicas” that are of a particular race should be proportionate to the percentage of people of that race in the country.
This ignorance is too profound !!
What a beautiful girl she is so lovely I wish she was mine no offence to my present beau
Stop the nonsense please!!! Now! She’s beautiful and 100% Jamaican.
This whole racial thing is ridiculous. If a black girl of 100 percent African descent is indeed the smartest and most beautiful then of course she should win, but to ask the organizers of the pageant to choose a black just just because she is black is ridiculous and basically affirmative action. It is not the fault of the organizers that not many dark skinned girls enter the competition or is it their fault that those who do may not be poised and well spoken enough to advance to the finals. Maybe if more black girls entered there would be a greater chance of one actually winning. I have followed these beauty pageants for years and i have never witnessed a well deserving black girl cast aside and the crown given to an ugly illiterate light skinned counterpart.
I was in disagreement with the outcome not because of race or ethnicity but because i saw other young women there who answered their questions much better than some of the persons that were chosen for top 5. In my eyes there was some form of bias there. I can only speak for the night of the pageant because that is the only aspect of of the competition that i was exposed to. From what I understand as well, these young women are judged on how well they answer their question; isn’t that the reason why those segments were placed in the competition in the first place? To rule out those who cannot express themselves in an intelligent manner? They were coached i am sure on how to speak and present themselves and upon entering a competition of such a manner there should be no excuse about nerves getting the better of you, so i did not expect to see persons struggling to formulate a sentence and not having proper subject, verb agreement. I am just wondering if my train of thought is incorrect or misled, but i know what i watched and i know i saw some form of unfair choosing on that night.
But the reality of the fact is that what’s done is done and the judges made their decision, but that does not mean that we as onlookers and supporters cannot question what really took place.
May the newly crowned Ms.Jamaica World make us proud and represent us well…..
Beauty pageants are discriminatory by nature. “Beauty” means different things to different people. So when Jamaica chooses someone to represents its beauty, promoters of the island must think about a broader world-wide aesthetic of “beauty” that will be judged by folks outside of their little world. The women who represent their countries at Miss World or Miss Universe must compete against brains and the beauty of a troupe of women, some with aquiline features and some with Asiatic or African features, or a combination of all of the above. This is one reason why there was a Miss Black America competition. Since beauty is in the mind of the beholder, should Jamaica also have segregated competitions? Additionally, “black” is a racist political term originating with the white myth of “pure white” human beings. Black also means Chinese and Indians in England. Having a Miss Black World competition would also be problematic, especially since most of the planet’s people are brown skinned.
Did she win even though there were “African” girls more deserving of the title? I have seen and appreciated the beauty of women of many ethnic backgrounds and – unless she is not photogenic – the physical beauty of the present Miss Jamaica is nothing to write home about. Maybe she possesses other qualities that cannot be captured by a camera so I cannot be too opinionated. Good luck to her because I’m sure that there will be many more physically appealing women than her – of darker and of lighter skin in the Miss World competition. Jamaica’s just don’t know how to identify that exotic edge that is needed to win. Or is it that they are really too prejudiced? – By the way “Out of many, one people” sounds nice but everyone except the ostrich knows that it’s a farce which is perpetuated by those who have an ethnic advantage.
No matter which of the contestants had won …there still would be some negative reaction.The truth of the matter is as I’ve come to realize, us Jamaicans can’t seem to be happy for any other person if it means we don’t get things done how we want it and we see that in all spheres… in our leaders straight down the ladder.Sad….
I think people need to recognize that no matter how dark skinned a Jamaican is he or she is likely of MIXED HERITAGE! Based on research we are one of the most mixed countries in the world! As the article says, we need to look at how each of us as individuals have been programmed to treat people based on our perceived level of mixes with other cultures. The big hypocrisy is some of these same people are the ones who treat the slightly lighter sibling or child better or offer promotions on this basis.
the REAL issue here as exemplified by the choices made in these contests, is the continued glorification of aquiline features, ‘soft’ textured hair etc….this choice has just brought the discussion BRIEFLY back into play….as it seems to do each year….so u can see how much we believe in our motto n in diversity wen the same said choices r made in every spectrum of choosing in Jamaica….sad…
The overall problem was not with her ethnicity…it was felt that the most intelligent/best performing girl was not chosen.
is this argument still going on …. lol. It was the same when I use to follow this contest back in the 80’s. Jamaica don’t move forward one step.
Jealousy is a helluva thing lets celebrate our diversity and beauties good luck Jamaican girl go represent us
so what if she isd mixed, this is so irrilivant! out of many one people but I guess that dont apply to the Indians, the Asians and the Whites in Jamaica so sad
Is it that straight black women don’t embody what it means to be a Jamaican Mr. Lyon?
who know better do better
Dark skinned people need to turn the search light inwards. Why aren’t our dark skinned girls exuding as much confidence and topping the the others? Are our dark skinned models being cheated out or are they falling short on tht confidence tht would give them the edge? A few yrs ago there was one, Chantal I believe, who had the nation at her feet. She was excellent, but then she faltered on a Usain Bolt ques tht simply shocked us. The contestant who went on to win was less deserving, (brown skinned, Indian), but the dark skinned girl was never cheated. We can’t expect dark skinned girls to be handed the winnings to appease us. It is our job to mold our girls into confident women. Society, parents and family members hypocritically promote the light skin preference, effectively drumming down the dark skinned. Kids learn frm early tht lighter skin and long hair is better and more beautiful, hence the bleaching & and false hair epidemic. As a dark skinned woman, I can say the color prejudice is as high among dark skinned people as it is among the lighter ones. It is very common to hear a dark skin woman cussing another how shi black, har pickney black, har man black and crufty… and people keep passing it on the their kids. The change will come when we start by making our dark skin girls grow up accepting the beauty of their skin shade and kinky hair. They need to grow up feeling like princesses so they become the natural queens they are meant to be, instead of copycats trying to look like girls of another race.
such a beautiful girl. smh. i hope and pray she is successful at the miss world contest and dumb the haters dem
So why does someone “African” or straight black have to win? She was judged the best contestant overall and its really a shame referring to persons as mixed breed as though they’re animals.
After every Miss Jamaica World Competition this always happen. It is a stigma with this pageant and persons should not follow it up. I wish her all the best for the Miss World Competition. Tessane Chin won the VOICE but yet her album have the worst debut from the Voice. Goes to show that it was the CROWD that voted for Tessane and not the people who presented the Contract for her because she was not given that MARKETABLE stance as the others. May this Miss Jamaica World receive her rightful advertisement and go on to win. Lisa Hanna who make Jamaica flag to fly HIGH by winning the Miss World and others who came after her who won sectional prizes went through the same Negativity. This is Jamaican ways who see that BLACK PEOPLE are truly beautiful even amongst the Ethnicity the individual bears. All the best Jamaica in the Miss World Competition. Hugs
This is a beauty contest. I don’t care what colour the person is as long as she is Jamaican. The objective should be to select the most beautiful woman out of those that entered. The one that would give us the best chance of winning the Miss World contest. Even though I think Laurie is extremely beautiful, the person that would give us the best place in the Miss world contest is Kimberly Web. She should have been crowned Miss Jamaica. First runner up should have been Shellian Young and second runner up Laurie Chin. The judges got in wrong. Lets hope it was just a mistake and that someone wasn’t playing favoritism.
Sadly, Dimitri, Tessanne got it too. Look up an article called Tessannemania is a national embarrassment. There is a racial bias in the country, but I don’t know that this girl should have stayed home and not done her best because of other people’s issues.
I now reside in the United States, I have a chinese last name and I am not labled Asian, I am under Black….so I am not understasnding why the winner because her last name is Chin, you can see that the woman is mixed, she is not 100% chinese…so how could she remind you of Asia?
lol i swear… some of those comments are just stupid plus some of them cant even spell. She is a jamaican even if her family is from china. Ignorant ppl, this is why our country wont get better #OUT_OF_MANY_ONE_PEOPLE
What crap. It should be out of many Africans. Crap! I didn’t even read the entire thing after I realized what the article is about. Now who is prejudice?
Furthermore í will never forget a similar incident. Do we recall Christine straw and the year she won miss Jamaica world? Was there a similar reaction? Who was first summer up and can you recall how beautiful she was?
this seems to be a yearly debate, the dissatisfaction with our ethnicity always come to the fore whenever this pageant is held…sigh
Even if she’s white as long as shes jamaican that’s what matters and that she will make us proud
*Cough* Tesanne Chin *Cough*
Ya, it’s only convenient when they win that we will accept people.
I HOPE SHE HAVE A RASTA MAN WHEN SHE WIN MISS WORLD ….THEN WHAT WILL THEY SAY THEN ……
she’s beautiful..
What bunch of hignorant people !!
Very good read!