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Immigration is a very sensitive issue in various parts of the world and often time it becomes a political tool at election time. In the US it has been a prominent item on the agenda of politicians, the media, non-governmental organisations and the general public for quite a while. Most of the immigrants into the US are from Latin America and Hispanics now make up a larger part of the population than African-Americans. The effect of this is that Spanish is now basically the second language of the US- much to the chagrin of those who see America as an Anglo/European country.

I came across this feature on the BBC where a team is going to go across the southern USA from San Augustin, Florida to Los Angeles, California with the sole aim of speaking only Spanish throughout the journey. The team will have a daily blog, photos of the trip on Flickr and a group on Facebook and I think it will be interesting to follow their experiences.

The topic of immigration is also very popular in Barbados with many Bajans uncomfortable with the influx of Guyanese. I stumbled upon this article in the Guyana Chronicle which makes some important points about the cyclical nature of the movement of people and the large numbers of Barbadians who previously moved to Guyana in search of jobs. The critical point the article fails to mention is related to size, capacity and sustainability. Barbados is a tiny, overpopulated island with scarce limited physical resources including most importantly water and land. Guyana on the other hand is a vast under populated country with immense physical resources and can fit little Barbados on one of its rivers furthermore its land mass.

The debate over immigration inevitably degenerates into emotional diatribe and fear mongering and race become a central part of the arguments. While this must be resisted, practical realities such as scarce resources and abrupt social and cultural changes must be acknowledged and addressed in a sensible manner. A failure to tackle these concerns of the native population can provide convenient fodder for racists and right wingers and can have serious consequences.

A Cruel April Fools Joke?

April Fools Day and all the West Indian fans must have been wishing that what happened in Guyana earlier today was just a cruel joke and that the actual game is scheduled for tomorrow. The West Indies played like true minnows. Actually, it was even worse because none of the minnows has displayed this type of sickening behaviour on the field- lethargic, apathetic, lack of unity and spirit, poor body language. The Windies team of the past decade has been notorious for putting in some poor performances but I can’t remember having ever seen the players act like they did on Sunday. There was a total absence of life and it is obvious that the team is disunited and beset by internal problems like never before.

The bowling (with the exception of Powell) and fielding left a lot to be desired and as has become the norm, the batting collapsed. Chris Gayle once again confirmed that he is severely limited when it comes to mental capacity as did Dwayne Smith. Even after Lara got out, I still think that Sarwan and Chanderpaul could have pulled it off but for some odd reason they played as if it was a test match. I agree that there was a need to consolidate and rebuild after the loss of three wickets but playing out dot ball after dot ball was not the answer. Singles and with the size of this new ground twos would have kept the run rate manageable and the batsmen to follow would not have been placed under so much pressure. It is absurd that two part time bowlers can go for 20 runs off 7 overs while Muralitharan went for 59 off of 9!

Mathematically we still have a chance of qualifying for the semis, if we win our next three matches and the win/losses in the other matches go in our favour. However, while I would love for the Windies to win the World Cup, deep down, I know that they do not deserve to qualify for the semis based on how they have played. If by chance they manage to qualify, it will still not disguise the fact that West Indies cricket is in need of a serious revolution, starting with a purging of the administrators and a creation of a body that is truly transparent, democratic and accountable and followed by a proper restructuring of the game throughout the region from primary school right up to the senior level. This is the ideal. The reality is that I am speaking of the Caribbean. I need say no more.

Giving Jack His Jacket

West Indies cricket has caused its fans in the Caribbean heartache after heartache in the past ten to twelve years as the team has sunk to depths never before thought possible. Much of the blame rests with the administration and structure of the game in the region, but blame must also be apportioned to the players, many of whom demonstrate a total lack of commitment to West Indian cricket, its past greats, its history and its place in West Indian society. I think the carefree, materialistic, undisciplined, prima donna type behaviour of a large proportion of the team is a reflection of the times we live in and the direction we are going. Many people make excuses about a young, inexperienced team that is now learning, but I don’t buy that. So many players cannot remain young and inexperienced after five and six years in international cricket. The comments they make, the performance on the field, the conduct off the field and the general deportment only serves to highlight their disregard for the rich history of the game in the Caribbean and for us the fans.

However, while I believe in constructive criticism, I also believe that praise must be rendered when it is due. Ramnaresh Sarwan is one team member who I have criticised heavily for not living up to his immense talent. However, I came across an article yesterday about an educational and sports trust fund he has set up in Guyana to assist less fortunate primary and secondary school students. The Ramnaresh Sarwan Education and Sports Trust Fund will award a financial grant to be used to purchase uniforms, footwear and educational materials to a total of fifteen students, to encourage them to stay in school and obtain an education. This venture of Sarwan is commendable and I am happy to see him giving back to his community. Let us hope that this social consciousness is an indication of his maturity and furthermore, that this maturity is manifested in his performance on the field.