Caymanization of Cayman workforce
‘Attila the Hun’ writes: The mere fact that the government has to consider, much less implement, such a policy is a clear indication that our social/political development has failed miserably in the face of our great economic success. We often boast that Cayman sought economic independence instead of the more popular political independence. It therefore appears rather ironic that, having achieved economic independence from England in the early seventies prior to our greatest economic boom, we are still, at the political level, where we were at in 1972 and some would argue that we are more backward socially today than we were in 1972.
We now ask ourselves why (the promise), how (the reality) and what (the corrective action) can be done to restore Caymanian control of the economy and drive political and social development to the betterment of Caymanians.
We are pressured by the foreigners in control of the economy to define Caymanian and that any such acceptable definition must include these “Johnny come lately” who are now in control, even though they have only been here as economic opportunists for a short period.
The simplistic answer is, if you have to ask ‘who is a Caymanian?’ you are not Caymanian.
The promise
The framers of our economic development in the early seventies, 1972 to be specific, gave us an advanced constitution that provided some additional responsibilities for the people’s elected representatives and they introduced a revolutionary policy that was grounded in legislation called the “The Caymanian Protection Law”, as they fully understood that some protection would be necessary if there was even minor success of their economic plan, much less the great success that we have enjoyed over the last three decades.
The Caymanian Protection Law provided the following:
- It did not allow emigration to the Cayman islands
- It allowed persons to work in the Cayman Islands for one year at a time under the immigration restriction of a “Work Permit”
- It allowed the discretionary award of up to twelve persons on work permits to be given Caymanian Status annually
- It provided for the foreigners on work permits to train Caymanians to fill their positions and depart from Cayman
The other protection proposed for Caymanians was under the Business License Law, where all business established have to be at least 60% owned by Caymanians, with one exception: an LCCL (local company control license) that allowed for greater than, in fact up to 100%, foreign ownership and it was only good for twelve years.
It is easy to understand how these protections, coupled with the government’s emphasis on secondary and tertiary education through scholarships, could have ensured that Caymanians remained in economic, therefore political, control of our destiny and social development.
The reality
The reality today is that Caymanians are not in control of our economy nor our political forces; instead we have been overtaken by the foreign workers to whom the liberal “bleeding heart” and greedy Caymanians have sold our children’s future for their short-term social gain and acceptance by the expatriate community as their equals (remember the late 70‘s expat only parties).
There can be no dispute that the same generation of Caymanians who engineered the economic boom and proposed the above protections for Caymanians sold out the country and that the now generation will have to take it back. If they wish to see beyond the short-term gain and preserve something for their children, either in land, opportunity or the social harmony we all enjoy today.
If we do not provide a peaceful opportunity for this revolution by the young generation to recover the control of Cayman’s destiny and stop the current destruction of the “middle class” and are left with Caymanians being poor and the foreigners rich, there will be a bloody exchange, which will destroy it all and the foreigner will brush the Cayman sand from their feet and return to their homeland.
How could we go so wrong and what was the great miscalculation of our framers of the economic success? It could only be GREED by both sides — the foreign worker and the Caymanians in decision-making positions who had the responsibility to ensure the enforcement of the protection laws.
However, the greed, guile and determination of these foreign workers cannot be underestimated as they provided the opportunity for the Caymanian to “sell out” and provided themselves with more economic opportunity.
While allowing the CUFs (Caymanians up front) to receive the “crumbs” of the economic boom, they received the lion’s share and moved up the hierarchy to gain control of the decision-making process at work. They then recruited their own to support their advancement, whom they later rewarded with promotion over the Caymanians, who, by their judgment, remained unqualified or inexperienced to fill the top positions.
As an example, they convinced the Caymanians that they could not be managers of the Canadian banks. Imagine them telling Canadians in Canada they could not be bank managers in their own country because they had no foreign experience! Ask the West Indians who migrated to Canada about the discriminatory policy of “not having Canadian experience” when they applied for certain jobs.
Once they outnumbered Caymanians in the boardrooms/partnerships, they claimed exemption from the Business License Law, where no such exemption exist, and were granted it by the gullible Caymanians, whom they successfully threatened with the disappearance of the economic miracle. This assumption allowed them to promote their own foreigners to the boardrooms and even further control the promotion of Caymanians, so they could be no threat to their exclusive membership.
This not only happened in the financial industry but in the tourism industry as well during the heyday of the tourism growth. In the late seventies and early eighties all the hotels on Seven Mile Beach were managed by Caymanians; today not a single hotel on the island is managed by a Caymanian. During this period of tourism the country enjoyed a return rate amongst the visitors of 65-70%. Today we struggle to get 20% and a tourist may spend their entire vacation at one of the major hotels and never interact with a single Caymanian during their visit. Instead, they are served by un-friendly foreigners dressed in sexually suggestive outfits.
Caymanians no longer are part of the decision-making process of whom to hire in these industries, even in the cases where a Caymanian may be in a senior manager position in human resources. These senior managers are usually asked to conduct “negative interviews” with Caymanians, that is, find a reason why not to hire them, while, on the other hand, they use political or social contacts to obtain work permits for foreigners who are often less qualified and certainly have no experience in the Cayman economy. Through some magic analysis, it is often determined by these partners that someone coming from Midwestern Canada who has never seen a mutual fund, set up an exempt company, or worked in a beach resort has more experience and is more suitable to the Cayman situation than the Caymanian who lived here all their life and has similar academic qualifications.
They convince the Caymanian that their piece of beach land is worth only one hundred thousand dollars when they already have it re-sold to some other foreigner for five hundred thousand dollars or a million after they have employed foreign labour to build a house one it.
Thus, they claim Caymanians are benefiting from the economic miracle. And yes, to the Caymanian who may be struggling with a mortgage on his house, trying to send his child or, worse, children to university in the hope that they can get more from the economic miracle this is often a lot of money. Could it be possible that the foreigner could be more altruistic and say to the Caymanian, I have a friend who wants to pay one million for a house on the beach; you put up the land I will invest to build the house and we will share the profits equally. How noble an idea!
Caymanians made the assumption that foreigners coming to Cayman to work would be like Caymanians who traveled abroad for economic reasons before the Cayman success and have a burning desire to return to the land of their birth as soon as possible to live amongst their own. However, this was a major mistake, as once these foreigners had tasted Caymanian hospitality — paradise — and found out how tolerant and gullible we were, they had no desire to return to their native land where they were “nobodies”.
Do Caymanians for one moment believe these foreigners could ever receive an OBE in their native land? Most of them could not hope to have the social status at home they enjoy in Cayman or live the lifestyle they do in Cayman?
They have done to us what the Spanish and English did to the Arawaks and Caribs and what the “New Americans” did to the Native Americans. All that is left is to create the “reservations”.
Consider, the position of the young Caymanian who approached me for a few dollars to buy lunch:
“We are really in a fix. I bought the drugs from a foreigner. A foreign police arrest me. I had to pay a foreign lawyer to defend me in court. I was sent to jail by a foreign judge. A foreign prison guard abuse me in prison. Now I am out of prison I have to beg a foreign man for a job. We do not have any hope for chance in life or justice.”
We are not even allowed to be Caymanian anymore and help our own people. We are accused of being prejudice or worse. Imagine these foreigners convinced us that the title for our own Law, “Caymanian Protection”, was no longer politically correct in 1992, so we changed it to the Immigration Law and weakened the protection contained therein to where it is now useless. The 1992 government could not even get the bill out of committee, even though we gave them most of the changes they wanted. They then used their political clout to change the government. The same thing happened with the proposed 1992 Constitution, which would have given more political authority to Caymanians.
Couple this with the changes made to the British Nationality Act in 1984 that allowed the foreign governor to grant his friends naturalization and thereby attain Cayman Status through the back door, and you can see their advancement in economic and political control.
Their 1992 to 2000 government, having delivered what they wanted in constitutional changes in 1993, dared not touch immigration or the constitution again.
Then these same forces used their economic clout to frighten the 2000 to 2005 government by threatening to use their foreign-controlled court system to obtain Cayman status because the government had not granted any for eight years, because although the law allowed for an annual quota, somehow zero is not a number.
This was coupled to the threat that the EU (European Union) allowed citizenship after five years and somehow this could be applied to Cayman by the United Kingdom using its “nuclear” option of Orders in Council to grant Cayman status to some ten to twelve thousand persons that had been on annual work permits for more than five years.
These persons had not been in Cayman for five years but rather for one year five times, a whole different legal position.
These actions led to the Cayman status “mass” grant to some three thousand persons, considered a fiasco by most Caymanians.
However, the 2000 to 2005 government did manage to pass a new immigration law which provided for some additional controls, such as the “Rollover Policy” and the “Key Employee” (which was made so wide in definition by the foreign political lobby that my dog could be so certified) in exchange for the mass grant of status.
These foreigners are so confident today that they even manage to get one of their own appointed party chairman of the ruling political party and are now lobbying through the media for changes to the constitution that will provide them the ultimate political control by being elected by their peers to office. In the past when they attempted to get overtly rather than covertly involved in the political process, they were clearly and effectively told by the “iron” men of the day that such a role in the political process was not for them.
The foreigners are so firmly and confidently in control of the Caymanian economy today that when we make proposals such as the “Rollover Policy” in our immigration law, they use their economic and political clout to water it down, or at least eliminate its threat, then single out the “brave” Caymanian architects of the proposal and punish them economically.
They even insure that when the foreign governor is handing down honours they get the lion’s share of MBEs, OBEs and now even the Certificate of Badge of Honour. How is it possible that a [foreigner] gets the honour for sailing over the many Caymanians involved in the Catboat sailing, which is as Caymanian as it gets, while the sailing club is mostly exclusive for the foreigners and their children.
The corrective action
The million dollar question is, how do Caymanians get back in control without violence or destroying the proverbial “goose that lays the golden egg”? The “promise” failed because Caymanians did not remain focused on the plan and allowed the foreigners to pick us off one at a time by appealing to our greed and short-term success.
It is therefore time for the Caymanians to unite through the formation of associations, as the foreigners would never allow us to form labour unions. We need to do this both in the financial industry and the tourist industry.
We need to follow their example in forming these associations. Every time the government creates opportunities in a particular area of the economy, they form an association, get themselves elected to the executive positions of the association and control it by using their numerical advantage and peer pressure to keep Caymanians out of the industry.
The sole purpose of these associations of Caymanians is to take back control of the economy through non-violent political action by using the combined forces of the association to do the following:
- Get young Caymanian professionals appointed to boards that are charged with enforcing the protection laws
- Get members of the associations elected to the management boards of all the various associations that exist in the financial and tourism industries which provide the opportunity to influence policy
- Establish political action groups charged with influencing government policy in specific ways, such as the creating of legislation that prevents the foreigners from holding office in any association while on a work permit
- Lobby the Government to remove the availability of the LCCL and serve notice that none will be renewed after twelve years
- Lobby to enforce the sixty/forty ownership of all business in Cayman, thereby forcing the partnerships to appoint 60% Caymanian to their boards, giving Caymanians voting control of decisions
- Lobby for advancement of the constitution to give more authority to the people’s elected representative while reducing the authority of the foreign-appointed governor, making him subject to overrule by a two-thirds majority vote in the Legislative Assembly.
- Lobby to have the constitution state that only persons born in the Cayman Islands of at least one Caymanian parent can vote and stand to be elected to the Legislative Assembly.
These changes have to be managed very carefully as we do not which to create a revolution that changes the economic success but one that allows greater participation and control by Caymanians, thus allowing for greater advancement of the social and political process.
I am not suggesting a “scarcity mentality” to eliminate foreigners from continuing to participate and benefit from the Caymanian economy, only that they should not be allowed to remain in control and get the lion’s share of the benefits. Of course, we continue to need foreign labour and they should be well paid for their labour the same as the Caymanians, NOT MORE, as is now the norm. They should not be promoted while on work permits.
They maintain their superiority by the “divide and conquer” rule. How often we see Caymanians persecuting each other in public, especially from the hallowed halls of our own parliament? We accuse or elected officials of all sorts of skullduggery without any shred of evidence, usually stirred by these same forces that are in control, so as not to build confidence in ourselves and thereby erode their authority.
The reason we have to do this collectively through associations is because the foreign forces will pick us off one by one, as they have done in the past and are still doing successfully. I can predict there will be some wailing and howling by them over these proposals, and they will be gunning for me economically as they have done in the past.
Welcome to the fight. I have just been run out of a good job, supposedly, because I don’t like “foreigners”. Nothing could be further from the truth. I like all nationalities but I love Caymanians the MOST.
Category: Local News, Viewpoint
I am not sure why the big fuss by people who do not like the article.
There are a few facts:
1. yes the Cayman Islands does need workers from other territories as they are certain jobs which
a. Caymanians are not interested in
b. Caymanians are not technical qualified for
2. although we need workers from other places, in instances where a Caymanian is qualified and trained for a job they should be considered first. This is a normal expectation in other countries for their nationals.
3. Caymanian are to blame for how Caymanian are currently being treated as we used to think anything from overseas is better than local. However at present the big decision makers in the work force are not Caymanians. you tell me who runs the recruitment agencies? where did our HR managers come from? how many black Caymanians are CEO.
4. Whether we like it or not, the colour of your skin in this country has a lot to do with your employment, your promotion, even how you are treated at times.
4. Whether people want to admit it or not Caymanians are being discriminated against. they are too many instance when people are promoted and the long serving Caymanian has to train them.
5.Not all Caymanians are employable, as like other countries we have people who are not employable, however when the local is trainable and employable they should be given the opportunity.
6. If we Caymanians want to fight, then we need to ensure that we are equipped, that is we are educated in all fields, we understand organizational culture so we fit in where we go and develop soft skills. When we have all this, there can’t be any excuses.
7. For those non Caymanians who think Caymanians should not ask to be considered first in their country, tell me what happens in your country. An American will be given first choice in the USA, a Chinese person will be given first preference in China etc, unless someone comes with far superior, training, knowledge and experience. The reality is this is not always so when the Caymanian is over looked.
What educated hard working disciplined Caymanians what is not a hand out, but a fair chance at success in our country in any industry. You see in the past many Caymanians went straight to work out of high school and took entry level jobs, however with the increase in students going overseas and even getting qualified locally, more and more Caymanians would like to enter the work force not just at entry level jobs. they are told you need experience, yet someone fresh out of college from another country would be considered.
8. In circumstance where a Caymanian is not given a fair chance is proven it must be highlighted and dealt with accordingly and in instance where Caymanians are treated equitably this too should be recognized.
9. Most Caymanians do not think we should be employed just because we are Caymanian and if there are those of us who do, get over yourselves. Most Caymanians think “I should be considered for a job because I am just as good, as qualified and meet the requirements of the job just as much as someone coming from elsewhere”, and then because I am Caymanian I should be given an opportunity to prove my worth as the first option and not ignored because I am Caymanian. This I believe is the expectation of any national in any country. However in recent times the latter is the norm.
To those coming to our island, you have an option to go back to your country, to us Caymanians, this is home and we would rather not go anywhere.
It’s a big world out there Cayman. Don’t be so narrow minded and full of venom, especially with your blame game towards the expats. In the end it will kill you. LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR…OR COMMIT ECONOMIC SUICIDE…YOUR CHOICE…HOLLA!!
:Attila the Hun: you have left me speechless with your articles, but I know that every single word you wrote is true as true can be . I hope that every politician read your articles, if I was one of the politicians that did the mess of the Islands and the people , I would hide in a crab hole , not go to some other country .
Capitalists come in all shapes and forms I.e. mindset. Imagine how long you have been here but you don’t want to be called a Caymanian; obviously, at this time, that would be a disadvantage to a “capitalist”. Just remember, real capitalists have lost it all and couldn’t deal with it – – put out their lights! Love of money.
1962 – Cayman Islands vote to remain British –
Get It? You voted to remain British! You are also All descended from Immigrants/Expats. You are Destroying your own islands with bitter, disgusting, divisive sectarianism. You have No idea what the real world is like. Be very careful what you wish for…
I don’t fully agree 1.04….Oftentimes UK and US Universities and Premier League Football Teams etc…open their doors to Caymanians……then..they are seen as ‘the best thing since sliced bread’….but you dare try and get a start as an Expat in Cayman and you are criticized. Maybe if I chEEnged my nEEm ….it did take me a while to figure out who Police commissioner David BEEns was…..
As a qualified Caymanian, I am ashamed to say that Caymanians are their own worst enemies at least in my experience in the Banking world.As soon as they finally get a more senior position, they do their best to keep the other Caymanians under them from ever reaching their level. I have seen it time and time again.
What referendum do you refer to, ‘voted to remain’ British.
I wonder who Ezzard had write this for him.
Who cares if Ezzard wrote this article, everything is true , and Caymanians should read this article over and over till they understand and see what is happening to the Islands and the future of our children . The politicians most of all should read this article , if they don’t try to get the Islands back to what our founded father’s gave us , then I say get rid of them . Remember that after it is gone, it’s harder for us to get it back .
The founding fathers… Oh, the British?
Driftwood you must be a real Driftwood If You Don’t Know That Founding Fathers Are Real Born Caymanian.
Sharkey, who the hell do you think the founding fathers were? Look at your own history, the Boddens or Bordens and Watlers or Walters, were British. As were the majority of settlers who then followed to establish a British settlement on behalf of the British crown. It was the introduction of a similar number of slaves and freemen from Jamaica, (also a British colony) that began the process of racial and cultural interrelationship. This has been followed more recently by immigration from Central South and North America, the wider caribbean, Europe and of course Asia.
Nobody wants to deny your heritage, but please don’t try and make out that there is some kind of Caymanian super race. You are simply the product of 200 years of immigration and integration, not of an indigenous race or nation.
I couldn’t agree more Sandboy – I am often castigated because of my accent but I am a Caymanian who was raised off-Island for 1/3rd of my life with a ‘true Caymanian’ ‘born and bred etc’ parent . I smiled the other day when a ‘Caymanian’ with one of the most common English/Irish names (Greene) mocked me and cursed at me for coming here to get what I could get…..Didn’t even know me and would probably be shocked to know that I have more Caymanian Heritage in my Family than he ever could, my Great great Grandfather or whatever, being an emancipated Caymanian Slave. It’s Ok for my fellow Caymanian to judge me without knowing my background but heaven forbid if an expat says anything against a Caymanian.
I have seen it from both sides but it’s insidious from either.
One big problem with you position is that your fellow Caymanians have sold what the founding fathers gave to you, and they were all legal transactions in which money changed hands. If you want to get it back, you can, but you’ll have to pay for it at today’s market rate. If you get it back any other way, that’s called stealing, and the days of pirates are over – no one is going to let you illegally take back something you no longer own. Instead of whinging about expats, you should direct your scorn to your fellow Caymanians who sold you out for a better life.
Heard it was some guy calling himself”Just Curious”.
Angry little nationalists can form a club and share the stories of bitterness and failure.
There are Caymanian bank managers currently employed. The article is simply not true and is meant to provoke people into hating eachother.
2:59,you are so right,and you named everyone of them in your post.
Adding their names would be in very bad taste without their permission. You may not know them because you are irrelevant or most likely jealous of their success. Very common amongst our people.
Did the viewpoint cause you to hate Caymanians or transient workers? If it did, that is a shame, as here I stand as a Caymanian professional with not one ounce more hate in me towards transient workers or Caymanians. Why is it that a person who speaks out regarding an issue, or concern or who expresses a pro-Caymanian viewpoint, is seen as seeking to provoke people to hate each other. Certainly you can find a more constructive response or can seek to engage in more intelligent dialogue. If you find hate in your heart based solely on this viewpoint, then dare I say you are likely only seeking a reason to hate a particular group, and should consider some real soul searching.
These articles have no effect on me. My concern is for others. However I do find it interesting and concerning that you consider this tripe as a Pro-Caymanian article. To me it seems insultive and demeaning to Caymanians. Nothing suggested can help our people and the article is factually wrong and full gross generalizations. Circular logic which provides no value for the future. Just populist jargon, prejudice, and hate speech.
This Expat/Driftwood hate-on may be popular on radio talk shows and government hallways, but I’d like to put everyone on notice that the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, that many people around the world are fighting and dying to attain, are very much applicable to all of the people of the Cayman Islands – specifically Article 15(2) as it pertains to attaining citizenship and Article 30 in regards to those that would seek to destroy any of the enshrined rights or freedoms. If you don’t believe in free democracy or any of the fundamental human rights and freedoms, then what do you stand for, and what does that make you?
1:35 You are expecting the natives/caymanians to lie down and play dead, let the paranas take over and not even the scraps are left to fall on the floor. It’s similar to an invitation to dine at your house and the guest ate all the food. How nice of you to expect the very last morsel.
I patiently wait for the day when there will be enough said and the action begins. Enjoy the visit to our reservation.
The only decisive action you should expect is swift and powerful response from the UK and allies for those that would seek to violate Article 30. Yet, here you are admitting that you hold a criminal disregard for other people’s human right to legally attain citizenship and abide, and that you are planning to do something about it? What’s your address, and we’ll send someone over right away…
But first you’ll have to turn up, be on time, stay the duration, keep off your phone and keep out of the food shops. You see, revolution like employment takes commitment not self entitled jibberish.
I knew it would involve free food at some point!
Unfortunately the ordinary Caymanian people have been sold out by their own. You can resent expats all you like or even hate them but the truth is you are all sleep walking and have no leaders with a moral compass. We eventually leave but what will you tell your grandchildren you did to put integrity at the heart of government. I wager nothing!
So with the end of the LCCL what happens to CUC, LIME, Digicel, etc? If there are no Caymanian buyers will they close or will they be expropriated by the Government?
Then can just nationalise those assets; it worked really well for Cuba!
It was not nationalization that necessarily destroyed Cuba’s economy but the economic war waged through embargo by America against its’ people and economy.
Let me get this straight: You’re thinking that if Cayman nationalises foreign-held assets, it wouldn’t destroy Cayman’s economy unless America in turn waged economic war through an embargo? And by extension, without the American embargo on Cuba, outward investment (at least the legal kind) would have still poured into that country after they nationalised foreign-held assets and became a communist country? Regardless, you can’t compare Cayman to Cuba – Cuba has real national resources. Cayman has, for the most part, virtual or paper resources. Cayman is dead in the water without inward investment, unless everyone would be happy serving cocktails to foreign tourists for a living.
This is a pointless discussion as there is no such thought of nationalisation amongst sensible persons within the community. The majority of Caymanians would simply like the continued opportunity to work and earn a living here in Cayman.
The writer is saying that at some stage if people have nothing left to lose i.e. pride, respect, dignity,… then the possibility exists that they may take more desperate actions that may prove more costly. This is not just a Caymanian thing, this is a human thing.
You missed the “not necessarily”!
With ingenuity and luck the Cayman people will be able to overcome the loss of these services with kerosene lamps and conch shells!
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Sad diatribe on the state of affairs. Do you get that Cayman is the 5th largest financial centre in the world (and smallest in the top 5)? Do you think it got to be there because of attitudes like yours? No, it did not. It got there by the intelligence of several Caymanians in the 70’s who just got what was needed, and did it, and it got there by free market understanding and rules, which is what the top 4 have, and all you and your kind do is try to destroy that very thing that keeps you alive by your narrow minded madness. Living proof is Bermuda, they enforced the controls you want, many companies redomiciled or moved jobs elsewhere, and now the government is bankrupt and can no longer afford the “silver spoon” social services it gave its citizens. The best thing cayman can do is stop all but critical services and show the bigoted few what they need to do to compete in the real world. Protection and control never works. Atila, how would you feel if I forced you to work a 10 hour day with only 1 hour break, no private calls or other breaks, and with targets that if you failed to meet I could fire you for?
One of the policies that earlier framers tried to secure was to keep the Cayman/expatriate balance at 60/40. I clearly recalled that being a goal back in the ’80s, because it was felt that this would imperil relationships and the whole concept of Caymanian culture. What is our ratio now? Yes, it is now 50/50. Is it any wonder that there is discomfort in the local community?
And please stop giving discussion and concern the label of “racism”. Is it racism also when Caymanians are treated as second class citizens? Or is that label reserved for us Caymanians?
Unfortunately, many expats are here mostly because they can make more money here than where they came from. And they want to keep it that way — consciously and subconsciously. That is why Cayamaninas in the workforce are systematically given negligible opportunities and training and why they are overlooked for promotion and advancement.
Get real. Capitalism requires the survival of the fittest. We Capitalists have no desire to keep your people or culture down but we have a vested interest in making money just like the majority of Caymanians who sold and are still selling their land to “foreigners”. I came to Cayman in the 80’s and have witnessed first hand the sea change in relationships between Caymanians and us with deep regret. I fully understand how you feel under threat but blaming driftwood or foreigners for this situation is just wrong. Your government is wholly Caymanian, businesses are 60% Caymanian so you guys are in the driving seat. If you don’t like what is happening to your country then do something more than blogging on here to ensure real change.
So you have been here since the 80’s and your not Caymanian yet?, or you just don’t consider yourself one????
I find it hard to believe that you have been on work permits all that time, by right of virtue you should have been given citizenship by now. If you have it, then you are Caymanian. Or you just see having status as an easier way to work in Cayman.
Very telling either way.
He/she is a wannabe
I am a citizen of the Cayman Islands but I realised after izzard coined the phrase that actually I am seen as driftwood. I am in a lose lose situation.
What are you?
Capitalism to some = unscrupulousness, no conscience, ruthlessness to the lowest level.
Yes it is racism, if Caymanians are treated differently because of their race. Racism should not be allowed in any form, and nobody I know says it should be.
In reality, Cayman is full of high ranking Caymanians and no permit is approved for any position, senior or otherwise, without a board having crawled all over the application to find reasons to decline it. If you believe otherwise you have never had to deal with Cayman immigration (which is after all entirely possible if you are Caymanian).
If you have any actual evidence of systematic prejudice, please present it to the authorities.
If on the other hand all you have is the numerous accounts of Caymanians that want promotions but have not been given them, please shut up.
Most people in the western world want promotion, but few will earn it. Not everyone can be promoted. Anyone that wants to be promoted and feels they have earned it will feel aggrieved when they are not. But just because 90% of people want promotion and only 10% achieve it does not mean that 80% are being discriminated against. And just because someone thinks they should be promoted does not mean they should be.
The same applies for job applicants. If there are five Caymanian applicants for a vacancy, at least four will come away unsuccessful.
People like you believe that any time a Caymanian is not hired or promoted, the only possible reason can be discrimination. That is circular logic. Why did you not get the job/promotion? Because I was discriminated against as a Caymanian. How do you know you were discriminated against? Because I didn’t get the job. This would not stand up in court, and should not stand up in the court of public opinion.
The only way this kind of “discrimination” could be eliminated would be if no Caymanian were ever turned down for a job. Imagine if that were the case! Every time any Caymanian applied for a job, they got it. No really, think about it.
Of course there are genuine cases of discrimination and they should be investigated and punished. But they must be supported by some actual evidence of discrimination, not simply an outcome you did not like.
For as long as Caymanians apply unsuccessfully for jobs and promotions there will be claims of discrimination. But next time you hear one, ask why the Caymanian has not reported it to the authorities. If you have evidence of it, why not report it? If you don’t have evidence of it, how do you know it happened?
If you hear such claims and fail to question them, or worse, repeat them, so that it becomes an argument by consensus (a form of logical fallacy – “everyone says it is so, so it must be so”) in much the same way as an urban myth, know that what you are sowing is not truth and hope but the seeds of resentment, division and the eventual decline of a nation.
The inevitable result of the widely-believed conspiracy theory you, the author, Ezzard Miller and many others peddle in the media with impunity, is an atmosphere of suspicion toward the entire private sector and an unworkable system where every employer is assumed guilty till their innocence is proven.
Discrimination is often subtle and hard to prove. That is why it continues to maintain its evil effect on lives.
No matter how hard it is to prove, it is even harder to disprove. The burden of proof has to be on the accuser, not the accused.
And the fact remains that if you cannot prove it to a court then you have not truly proven it to youself.
If you’re going to say it is hard to prove therefore no proof is required, then every Caymanian is a victim and every employer guilty by default. That is patently unfair. That is the commenter’s point.
‘Caymanian’ is a denotion of nationality and can encompass many differing racial groups, as indeed it does. The racial element comes in when Caymanians, of what ever heritage they originally descend from, attack those of distinct racial profiles and claim it is the name of self determination. As all expat workers are from a multitude of differing racial groups, eg: Afro caribbean, white european, Latino or Asian, then by default a negative viewpoint could be interpreted as racist if it offends the recipient.
If in the UK one was to blame immigrants for the demise of British culture or unemployment, it would soon attract the attention of the race lobby.
Caymanian is an immigration status, not a nationality.
How can Caymanian be an immigration status? If you were been Caymanian you did not “immigrate”, but are still caumanian. By your way of thinking, being American is just an “immigration status”, as is Being Canadian, or Jamaican or Barbadian or ANY nationality.
Being a Naturalized Caymanian is an immigration status, the same as being a Naturalized citizen of any country is an immigration status. But being born a Caymanian, or American or Barbadian or Jamaican, makes you a NATURAL citizen of that country. Learn the difference before trying to stir things up.
6:43am, you are actually wrong regarding being born in Cayman. Children born to parents on work permit are not considered Caymanian in any law nor policy. The child is not entitled to PR, naturalization, or status. I know for a fact that simply being born in Canada does not entitle a child to citizenship if the parents are not citizens. However in the USA if you are born in US you are given citizenship.
Look, there is no Caymanian Passport, it is a British Overseas Territories Passport, since the Cayman Islands are a British Dependent Territory of the United Kingdom, not an independent country. This popular and delusional fantasy that the United Kingdom somehow ceded this territory as an independent country at some unknown date is truly a bizarre notion. The only thing we are no longer a part of is Jamaica’s territory, we are self-governing, but make no mistake, we are still, and have always been part of the British Dependent Territories of the United Kingdom and they have full authority to enforce any and all international conventions which the United Kingdom are a party to.
If you truly believe that The Cayman Is. have always been a part of the United Kingdom then you need to brush up on your knowledge of their history.
Doh! They were noted by Columbus, landed by Drake and settled by members of Cromwells New Model English Army after taking Jamaica in 1655. The first born settler is noted as Issac Bodden, (son of English soldier) in 1661, with the British taking control of Jamaica after the Treaty of Madrid in 1670.
Cayman was an integral part of the British Colony of Jamaica.
A more permanent British settlement did not get established until at least 1730, African slaves were introduced after the 1734 Royal Land Grant and numbered a maximum of 950 at abolition, one hundred years later.
So you see, ever since these islands have had human occupation, they have remained under the British crown and consequently a British territory.
Being an uninhabitable and uninhabited outcrop of rock under Spanish control does not constitute Cayman or Caymanian history, unless you are an iguana.
This is your history, you really should know it and stop making stupid and untrue statements based on ignorant nationalist bigotry.
Because all people living in the Cayman Islands came from somewhere else. Don’t say that those born there are Caymanian because it’s not true. Babies born of expats in CI are not Caymanian. When the islands were discovered there were no people. There is no such thing as an indigenous Caymanian. Everyone in the islands is either directly an immigrant or was descended from immigrants.
Cuban/Canadian anchor baby Ted Cruz, claims he is a “Natural Born” US citizen.
Actually, it is a demonym, or a description of a people’s from a particular place. Sometimes, but not always, including the place name within it. Caymanians,(demonym) are British Overseas Territory Citizens, (no longer dependent territory citizens) and are issued, (for the purposes of identifying nationality) a British Passport, Cayman Islands. There is no such article as a Caymanian Passport.
So whilst the national description of a person from the Cayman Islands is correct as Caymanian, this does not constitute an individual racial heritage or detract from the fact that Caymanians are British Citizens for the purposes of national identification.
So what do you call it when a local is attacked by a foreigner?
Anonymous @11:57 You say it is racism if Caymanians are treated gifferently because of their race (what race is that?).What do you call it when we are insulted,mocked etc because we are Caymanians?
any time anyone generalises about another group of people on grounds of race, nationality, island origin, (Brac vs Grand), gender or orientation it is a form of bigotry and should not be tolerated.
This is equally true whether expats are calling caymanians lazy and entitled or when caymanians are calling expats greedy and prejudiced.
It’s not 50/50 it is still (and always was) 60/40. And that still isn’t the issue. The issue is that our elected leaders for 30+ years have been a combination of inept/illequipped/corrupt/entitled/frivolous/greedy/cavalier. They have had no thought or worry of the future because the gravy train kept producing and there was no contingency plan if the bottom were to fall out (much like the global financial crisis of 2008 which in itself is one of the causes of our current situation). The very fact that in the face of ALL of the financial distress of the last decade, with threats to cut 2000 jobs from civil service, 3% wage garnishing etc. that the MLA’s who are eligible CONTINUE to double dip their pension as well as their inflated wage is an ATROCITY that no one seems to speak of. They give a lot of lip service to unemployed Caymanian’s and how hard they’re trying to help get the workforce normalized but they show no action to back it up. I heard one politian on Rooster say that he disagreed with the douple dipping but since the other politicians were doing it why shouldn’t he? Well the reason is because he (and the others) should lead by example. We need leaders. Not professional politicians. ALL THEY ARE TRYING TO DO IS GET RE-ELECTED. And we keep re-electing them.
We need intelligent, morally strong, properly motivated Caymanian leaders to step forward for election and give us someone good to vote for. I personally thought (incorrectly) that the PPM would be different this time around, now I feel my votes were wasted and I don’t see anything better from the other side which is very depressing looking forward to the 2017 polls.
There are MAJOR issues that need to be addressed that are continually kicked down the road by successive self-serving politicians who seem to (at best) have a fleeting care for Cayman and are more worried about their self preservation and (re)election. Until any politician stands up and effectively deals with the Dump, education, our national debt, etc. they are all in the same useless boat.
I didn’t enjoy typing this by the way. Hoe everyone has a good day.
The last census population does not show a 60/40 expat/Caymanian distribution. I will look it up and put the info up on the latest figures.
apologies, I misread that part, I thought the poster was referring to Caymanian ownership of businesses (which must be at least 60/40). I now realize after re-reading that he/she was referring to the populus and will defer that point as I don’t know the actual ratio.
The last full census was 2010 – 56.3% Caymanian population. In fact, the population statistics at ESO illustrate the Caymanian v Expat population has very slowly increased each year since 2009 from 55.8 to the current estimate of 56.8%. The all time low was 53% from 99-01.
Here are the statistics available from the Economics and Statistics Office:
“The percentage of Caymanians has steadily decreased. In 1970, the proportion of Caymanians was 85%. In 1979, 81%, and in 1989, 67%. In 1999, the proportion was as low as 53%.”
In 2003 there was a an increase, the ESO said, due to a large number of status grants by Cabinet, and the proportion then was 56%. Estimates in 2013 put the proportion at around 59%, an increase due, no doubt to continuing status grants since 2003.
So what we have is the continuing changing face not only in statistics but in the makeup of those statistics.
So to some degree this statistic is not even a really meaningful statistic in describing the Caymanian sector of the population, which is now fairly pluralistic and multi-cultural.
And that is fine, but it has a concerning effect when we are all competing for resources in the small pie that is Cayman; and then we have on top of that work permit holders — with numbers almost matching the “Caymanian” sector — many of whom are holding jobs that Caymanians should have anyway — help! Trouble!
Of course, the figures themselves and even the composition are not intrinsically the problem — but when you have this type of challenge and you don’t properly manage it, but you continue to allow it to grow to the point of overwhelming the local population, you will have spinoff problems.
And, no, neither do I take any pleasure in any of this discussion. Caymanians do by and large live in harmony with those who come to live and work here, but we can’t get away from the fact that we will have problems when jobs are just not there for the local sector. When you have proud Caymanians salvaging food from bins outside of restaurants — and that is happening — the whole country better wake up.
And get over this racism labeling when these issues are raised.
Caymanians are not eating from bins because expats have their jobs, those people are either drug addicts or mentally ill.
The problem is not the abundance of expats but the lack of social welfare. People eat from bins in the states, is that because of Mexicans?
A comparison between the Cayman Islands and United States in this respect can not even be legitimized due to the VAST difference in numbers and volume. More people ILLEGALLY cross into the USA every day than LIVE in the Cayman Islands. You talk about granting status to 12 people a year, and the US President is looking to grant status to OVER 22 MILLION ILLEGAL immigrants in one swipe of his pen. Don’t try to compare the two, as there is no accurate or legitimate comparison.
Not true that they are either mentally ill or drug addicts. I have been told by a person who said she had to do this. And why not others? You would be shocked — as I was — at the extent of deprivation that persons without jobs are facing, right here in Cayman. Remember that if you do not otherwise qualify for help from social services, there is no government help anywhere.
So don’t be so sure because you are ok. People may look as if things are ok, but many are suffering — abd badly!
Think about what you would do if you did not have a job over an extended period.
Look McKeeva gave the country away with his status grants. With the those extra voters and inter-marriage of born Caymanians there is no turning back so let’s try to manage the current situation.
The CIG has a spending problem not a revenue problem. Despite spending like a drunken sailor we have a failing school system and a demographic time bomb of unprepared youth. You also have Scandinavian style social services for a select few who know or are related to the right person while others suffer without help.
You can kick the can down the road for a while longer but all our current path is going to get us is more private security guards and planning applications for gated communities.
Caymanians are second class citizens? Last I checked expats can live in the country nine years, contribute to the economy, volunteer their time and they have no political power at all. Caymanians can vote. Expats cannot. Caymanians can access social services. Expats cannot. Don’t tell me Caymanians are second class citizens. At least they ARE citizens. Expats are not
When vacancies are filled in those companies, the experienced and unqualified Caymanian is told to train the new comer and that person is paid more for not knowing the job and is promoted over the trainer. It happens too many times in the work place. The underdog is the endanger species, so take advantage of them and kick them to the curve.
One of these days the car will be parked, it ran out of gas.
I thought the copyright for Mein Kampf didn’t expire until Jan 1st, 2016.
Atilla must have got an early preview.
I am glad that the author of this commentary admitted to being run out of a good job for not liking foreigners. How could that be? No doubt he has many foreign friends. The love and respect for driftwood was apparent in his contribution.
My history of Cayman is slightly different, one prime mover for the development of the country was illegal money allowed here with no questions asked. No paper trail because of no direct taxation so corruption had a free hand and became systemic.
The cultural pension for secrets was an ideal match for this type of financing.
Look to the attacks on the auditor general and the lack of corrective action. Loss of almost 1 billion without records of public funds goes without question. Was it expats that benefited from that lost money?
Penchant, not “pension”.
So smart, 8:07 am @25/03: go to the head of the class — but don’t take your books.
There is no lost money .Period.
Maybe there is no lost money if you’re a big developer dealing with government buddies or if you’re running a turtle farm with ridiculous subsidies, but some of us feel the people’s money is disappearing.
Oh well, it won’t be long before all the international banks pack up business on Cayman, closely followed by many other financial and legal firms. You see, the world has moved on since the 70’s, you know, when criminals imported large amounts of cash for laundering. 9:11 saw a reappraisal of the crooked banking and money laundering facilitation that Cayman did so well. Now countries want their tax paid into their economy’s and are calling a halt to Caymans reliance on other states tax avoidance to boost their own. Banks are under enormous pressure to close secret accounts and to declare all transactions, so Attila will get his wish and return to the 70’s pretty soon.
The writing is on the wall Cayman, diversify before you all end up serving drinks to tourists, but at least you’ll all be employed and you won’t have to put up with those hard working expats anymore.
You clearly have no idea why the banks will not just pack up and leave. Do some research.
The real enemy of cayman is the brackers they own all the businesses & run the government.. Think about it for a moment
Am I wrong?
Our immigrants, sorry I meant expats, will not like this – not one bit.
We don’t give a stuff about this but one day you will when businesses come to find that they cannot get world class people to come here because of the racism.
Thankfully this persons views is not an indication of the way all Caymanian people feel and you are right, we don’t care what he or the Rooster phone in says because they have become a hate spreading irrelevance.
You hope!
Let us hope and pray that this person and their ilk never gain the political power they seek and that young Caymanians see this for this craven, hate-mongering fairy story it is rather than the insightful social commentary the writer wishes it was.
Here is a reality check. The country is not run by an elitist expat cabal, it is run by 18 elected Caymanians and several thousand Caymanian civil servants.
In the writer’s mind every social, economic and political ill is a direct result of some expat conspiracy. For this he offers not one shred of evidence, nor any explanation of why these same social ills can be witnessed tenfold among neighboring Caribbean countries without significant expat populations.
The writer’s own bizarre example, in which a young Caymanian drug user is exploited and then brought to justice by “nefarious” expats, belies both his love of circular logic and his paranoia. In his mind the Caymanian is just another victim of the conspiracy rather than a victim of his own actions. And the expats are malevolent because… well, they are expats, and expats always have some malevolent agenda.
Be afraid, be very afraid.
Enough talk. More action. The best way to get Caymanians employed and in a position to benefit from the “golden eggs” is to create a strong, professional, A1 class education system. Is that happening? NO, instead there is gang warfare in the schools and high teacher turnover. Voters should be demanding that education be the number one priority in the land. First step is to recognize and acknowledge that there are problems and that a complete overhaul is required. Second step is to get to work on that overhaul. One problem is that students simply don’t value education or their teachers. They want what they want without putting in the work. Hmm.. where did they get this attitude I wonder? I suspect their role models have a similar attitude. Nothing will get better until the us-them mentality goes away and it’s recognized that everyone working together will create a better community for both Caymanians and expats alike. Ranting about foreigners taking over everything is pointless.
All I read is that it is everyone else’s fault, try looking in a mirror for the reason you have problems. You have political control of the country, try voting for some “Honourable ones”.
and as for furriners causing the problems by tempting Caymanians, are your christian god fearing people really that weak? No, but that is how you see your own people in this viewpoint, such an anti-Caymanian diatribe
Few people seem to understand how insulting this article is to Caymanians, who are painted as either greedy or idiotically gullible, and who must be in dire need of the writer’s superior intellect to protect them from evil expatriates. Every successful Caymanian has sold out his people, and so have all of the Caymanian politicians. If what the writer says is true, then Caymanians have much bigger problems than expatriates, but luckily, it’s just the ramblings of a bitter megalomaniac.
I love the, “…greed, guile and determination of these foreign workers cannot be underestimated…” line. How dare these foreigners come here and work hard to earn a living! Their determination ruined everything and corrupted the perfect Caymanian way!
Yes. Caledonian is an example
Best fantasy fiction novel I have read in ages. A protracted delusional racist rant containing nothing of much substance or fact.
yawn…cayman is nothing without expats….end of story.
Sorry to burst your bubble but I am GM of a hotel on SMB and I am caymanian and our executive committee is 100% caymanian, of my senior management 80% are caymanian, and the hotel employees ratio is 75% caymanian. So you might want to stop your racist diatribe.
If this is true, who are you? “Anonymous Ebanks”?
Grand Cayman Beach Suites
Grand Cayman Beach Suites is filled with expat Indians so there is hardly any merit to your story. I deal with quite a few ppl from this hotel and have yet to speak to a local. BTW – I do not agree with the author of this post but I certainly do not believe you either.
Our culinary brigade of 19 chefs is mainly Indian but we have 2 caymanian apprentices and our sous chef and staff chef is caymanian. I think your statement is based on a small percentage of my workforce, I have over 115 staff and as I stated most of them are caymanian either by birthright or status and to me it’s the same.
Unfortunately, it’s not the same to the narrow-minded, entitled xenophobes, who luckily don’t represent the majority of Caymanians but have the arrogance to think they do. I’ve been to Beach Suites and have seen for myself, but these people would never let facts get in the way of a good expat bashing. Do you offer staycation rates to residents in the summer? I’ll come stay with you and would love some good-old Caymanian hospitality!
It would be great to know which hotel, so as a Caymanian I can support you guys during my next Staycation.
How many were Caymanian before their first job in Cayman?
Real Caymanians not johnny come latelys and their descendants?
Working age descendants? Johnny come not too lately, then.
Sometimes it is difficult to tell. Maybe there should be a visible star worn on outer clothing and immigration papers carried at all times by the Johnny come latelys!
Good idea!
Great article! Here comes the over entitled foreign workers with their disapproval
People like you are only interested in rants and not facts.
Great article and it’s time we stand up for ourselves! Including to this useless government of yes men!
You are and have always been standing up for yourselves. You just don’t do it very well compared to anyone with a good education. Too late for you but not too late for the next generation. Or is it? Your choice.
I bet you do no standing up!
My child will not be a star baseball(any sport) player no matter how much I pray or hope or make the kid run laps the kid wont be a star. you can try to change the rules to make more stars but the fact is my kid wont be a star.
But I will find something my child is very good at
and he/she will have a happy life doing it
That said in any country their will be the good, the bad, the ugly.
Stop making excuses and work with what you have.
Your Changes are doing more harm than good.
Your Us Vs. them mentality is harmful
At the end of the day I can fish better than you ever will be able to because that is my talent it has nothing to do with my skin or where I am from.
And I accept that I cant grow a pumpkin if my life depended upon it
Understand? I doubt it .
Your comments seem to lack an understanding of the key issues, nobody is irreplaceable. Caymanians MUST be given the opportunity here in Cayman. If you don’t agree, you are clearly shortsighted or completely out of touch.
I completely understand just about everything especially the “Key Issues”
(pure bullsh*t btw)
Caymanians must accept that they are just men no different than any other man
Any man that tries to make the field level to ensure his kind are the winners will only end up being the losers
This is what keeps happening over and over in Cayman.
Understand?
The “key issue” is that you are replaceable, I am replaceable and in fact we are all replaceable. Starting with that premise it is just a matter of finding someone that can be trained to do the job. That is a reality of life.
There are many Caymanians that are willing, educated and capable, but are not given the opportunity. This is not to bash an expat that comes here to work hard and earn an honest living. This is to say that the honest Caymanian that is equally willing to work hard and earn an honest living in Cayman should be given the same opportunity extended to expats and not be overlooked.
Cayman clearly needs transient workers, and these should be workers that are able to enjoy living and working in one of the most beautiful places in the world. However, if a qualified Caymanian is willing and capable to do the job currently occupied by a transient worker, then there should be a mentoring and eventual replacement of that transient worker at the end of their contracted period.
I agree with most of what you say here, though I’m not sure your statement about Caymanians not being given opportunities is accurate even most of the times, let alone generally. I will concede that it does happen though, certainly more than it should.
With respect to the transient workers, I think a balance needs to be found. These people are needed to perform a host of jobs and we should never forget that they were invited to come here. A lot of these people come from very far away and for them or their employer to invest in bringing people here from half way around the globe and then be told they have to leave because a Caymanian is available to take their job after a year is not only bad for the employer, it’s just not fair to the person. Years ago, when most of the labour came from Jamaica, it wasn’t that much of a deal to put them on the quick flight back home. That’s not the case now. I’m not sure what the answer is (maybe a three-year permit to start?) but I think there should be a equitable balance that allows willing and qualified Caymanians more opportunities but treats our transient workforce fairly and respectfully. One thing I feel very strongly about is that if the government doesn’t figure out some way of bridging the current level of Caymanian-expat divide in a way that both sides can live with, we’re all in big, big trouble.
Anonymous 5:04pm,You say that “Any man that tries to make the field level to ensure his kind are the winners will only end up being the losers,this is what keeps happening over and over in Cayman.
Understand?” And that my friend is exactly what Atilla is saying ; these actions by certain expats in Cayman have to stop,or they will be the losers.
All Caymanians should read this and give it a thumbs up. Thats exactly what the writer said, we are called racists whenever we speak up for our rights in this country.
the writer is implying Caymanians are weak willed and greedy and you want to give it thumbs up, so you agree then that you show a Caymanian a bit of money and they will sell their land and children out to have it? frankly I found it insulting
A very depressing anti-foreign village mentality article. And, in the context you use it, the word is “prejudiced” -with a “d” on the end, not “prejudice”. That simple error says a lot.
Well according to Atilla we’re all emigrating anyway so if we believe what he writes (“Emigration”) then all the expats be gone before long anyways 🙂
Let me guess, you miss the good ole days when Caymanians “knew their place” and stayed out of certain establishments? When they weren’t invited to cocktail parties?
It was better when they didn’t dear question the superior expat or call them out on the racist ways of some of them?
Oh well, that time has gone. And whether you like it or not those days will never return.
So you ignore the fact that the article is very articulate, historically factual with only some opinion and instead choose to highlight one of the few grammatical errors as a means to discredit the writer…
Sounds like that oft sung colonial hymn “…we believe in meritocracy only, thus you’re not worthy!”
Failed to present a coherent, factual, objective or intellectual viewpoint. It was littered with inaccuracies, speculation, personal opinion and spewing hate, as well as a few grammatical and spelling errors, which in reality pale into complete insignificance when faced with the enormity of ignorance and bigotry that IS this viewpoint.
Incidentally, you do know the difference between emigration and immigration, yes?
That says nothing, as is the case with your response to a well thought and reasoned viewpoint. Clearly you have nothing positive to add to this discussion.
I believe you understood it,with or without the ‘d’.
What a digusting article full of error and factually wrong on all topics. True bitterness and illogical thought. Not based in economic reality and if implimented would send Cayman back to the stone age. When you have it all why risk it all?
Because we don’t have it all just 90% and we want your 10% as we are far your superior.SO you work 90 hour weeks and I work 35, why should that mean you get paid or promoted over me. It’s only because your on a work permit!
That’s the problem, Caymanians do not have it all! Jeezum jesus, that’s the point of the article…
If you read the article you would understand the writer has the viewpoint that Caymanians do not have it all as we have little to no control of our economy. What that means is that we should seek non violent ways to regain control.
All business are majority Caymanian owned. The LA and civil service run by Caymanians. The real “elites” are the handful of wealthy Caymanian families. But we rarely hear about them. I wonder why. While we bash the expat the real powers sit by getting richer.
Go on then. Let it start with YOU!
Sorry to burst your bubble but I think if you went out there you would see that the same problem exists everywhere in the world my friend. Cayman, unlike many places in the world is in the unique position where if you are a Caymanian with ambition and truly good skills, you can get right to the top, whereas most other places locals are lucky to even get onto the production line.
xenophobic fool.
It’s xenophobic to want your people to prosper in their homeland?
No, but it is to blame expat workers in an arbitrary manner without a shred of evidence.
You want evidence, we will show you evidence soon!
Soon not soon enough!
Not if they are not willing to work for it at least as hard as everyone on earth not from your homeland cause then they really don’t deserve it do they?
This miserable soul has been brewing their toxic and demented hatred since the seventies?!? What a waste of a life. Probably wasted their whole adult career too. Get help please!
Attila the Hun is a very appropriate name for the author of this barbaric and twisted bit of racist thinking. God help us all.
I say we pack up and move on to another jurisdiction. That way you can scrap the 60/40 rule and have 100 per cent of what is left.
Yes, please move away! I’m sure the massive empire you’ve created here will florish elsewhere!
Mine will. I just don’t want to pay Canadian tax.
Caledonian?
The empire that has been built here is made up of wealthy Caymanians, ruled by wealthy Caymanians and led by inadequate wealthy Caymanians. The old school Caymanians are mortified by their children and so they should be. The entitlement culture has a stranglehold and mark my words will destroy this country. You need inspirational leaders.
What a racist article. You must be a truly horrible individual with an extremely twisted view of the world. This actually made me feel quite sick reading it. I do hope this view is not representative of the majority of the local people on cayman – for the well being of your own country’s future if nothing else.
Let me guess, 10:05 at 24/03 — you are either on a work permit, or have status or permanent residency.
I had skimmed this article but after reading your “racist” comment went back to read more carefully.
I did not feel this person was racist — but that he or she was trying to figure out where we are, how we got here, and how to move forward — a reasonable approach to problem solving.
I know some of this was not palatable to the non-Caymanians among us, but this writer about a problem that needs to be aired and opened up for dialogue with the hope of maintaining social harmony.
We Caymanians have known for a long time that we were not fully accepted in the workplace as equals. How sad is that — in your own country you feel inferior! Take that how ever you want, but this is a widely felt concern.
I saw and felt it while I was in the civil service and I see it continuing in my intermittent contacts — the attitude of “we know, your opinions are not even worth considering, but we will generally tolerate, humor or patronize you — because we have to.”
Whether we want to admit this or not, those attitudes and those feelings are there, on both sides, right below the surface.
Frankly, while all the tactics suggested by the writer are worth pursuing, the only way that things will change fundamentally is to make fundamental political changes in which the British are no longer the over lords. And, by the way, this is not necessarily because they are British, it is just the nature of things — imperial powers have always acted imperious.
I join the writer in his final disclaimer by loosely quoting Brutus in explaining his role in the assignation of Julius Caesar: It was not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.”
OMG, if you think this is a reasonable approach to problem solving I hope Atilla never gets to solve YOUR problems – then you might be able to separate fantasy from reality
Caymanians are not associated with boring the hole mentality to let one of us in. Get it!
Julius Caesar was assigned but Brutus ? where to?
12:28 @24/3: obviously the person meant to type “assinated.” Likely changed by the system. Surely you are not as dim as your question would suggest? Or is it you have nothing to contribute?
This is too funny. At least assignation is a word, even if it’s not the right word. But what the heck is “assinated”? I do recognize one word at the beginning that seems appropriate for someone who lectures others about having nothing to contribute!
The word was “assassinated.” Too bad we have such little on our minds that we feel constrained to quibble over a word we should have been able to figure out from context. If this is how we gain points it is pathetic.
The whole exchange is assinated.
Clearly whatever psychotic and delusional mind wrote this has accrued decades of hate for Canadians and Canadian Banks. I would guess they were a recently (and very belatedly) terminated employee of one of those banks – downsizing all through the Caribbean – but somehow interpreting this as confirmation of their pathological master conspiracy thesis. This person needs psychotherapy, and likely anti-depression medication before their hate manifests into dangerous and vengeful behaviors (if it hasn’t already).
Didn’t a Caymanian, Harry Chisholm, take over as manager of the royal bank of Canada in the 90’s?
For the person who thinks this editorial is “racist”, I wonder what labels they apply to the Compass’s editorials that frequently highlight the push and pull between the two sides — and generally in a tone that conveys little sympathy and empathy with the Caymanian viewpoint.
CNS note: This is not an editorial and was not written by any CNS staff member. It is a guest commentary.
And if an expat posted something like this you can bet your bottom dollar you’d be all over the place ranting.
Possibly the best viewpoint I’ve read in months
I miss the LOL button.
Me too, as it’s the only one that has been posted since early January.