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When Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica, the impact rippled far beyond the island. This episode explores “the middle place” — that emotional space between home and abroad — through the voices of Caribbean people across the diaspora.

Through Lens 3 of the Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model (CDEM): Cultural Anchors, Kerry-Ann reflects on how faith, music, sayings, and pride keep us grounded in times of uncertainty and loss.

Episode Highlights:

• The emotional toll of watching home in crisis while abroad
• Finding strength through cultural anchors: music, prayer, proverbs, and national pride
• Diaspora coordination, empathy, and responsible giving during disaster recovery
• How resilience and cultural memory fuel the long work of rebuilding
• Re-examining “giving back” as a year-round cultural practice

Mentioned & Related Episodes:

• Rethinking Caribbean Disaster Relief: A Call to Action
• Support the Caribbean Year-Round: Giving Before, During & After Disaster Strikes
• From Carriacou to Brooklyn: Building Sustainable Futures & Cultural Legacy.

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1. Donate: If you believe in our mission and want to help amplify Caribbean voices, consider making a donation.
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What if access to culture isn’t the same as connection? We dive into lens two of the Caribbean Diaspora Experience model (CDEM) and map how place and personal drive intersect to shape identity; whether you’re surrounded by patty shops and dancehall flyers in Brooklyn or piecing together community in a low-density city in middle of America.

I share a grounded look at density, from high to low and how each environment changes the kind of effort it takes to stay rooted. You’ll hear the difference between ambient culture and intentional culture, why businesses become community anchors, and how motivation shifts across life phases: leaving home, starting a family, chasing opportunity, or confronting moments that make you cling tighter to who you are. We explore the four density motivation quadrants, real stories that span Brooklyn to Wisconsin and even a Paris–Iowa thread, and the inventive ways people adapt.

The big takeaway is simple and strong: your environment influences your cultural connection, but your intention determines it. That mindset changes how we see one another across the diaspora and how we show up where we live and moving from passive consumption to active stewardship. If you’ve ever wondered whether living far from a cultural center means losing yourself, this conversation offers a roadmap for staying rooted and making roots wherever you are.

If this resonates, share it with a friend, subscribe for the next lens on cultural anchors, and leave a review so others can find the show. Then tell us: where do you land on the density–motivation spectrum?

Missed previous episodes covering CDEM? You can catch up here.

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1. Donate: If you believe in our mission and want to help amplify Caribbean voices, consider making a donation.
2. Get Merch: Support Carry On Friends by purchasing merchandise from our store.

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A Breadfruit Media Production

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Simone W. Johnson Smith is the author of Decoding America: The Immigrant Experience and host of The Immigrant Experience in America podcast. A Jamaican-born public servant and cultural coach, Simone supports immigrant professionals through the emotional and cultural transitions of life in a new country.

Caribbean immigrants create something new and powerful when they leave their birth countries—a hybrid identity that's neither fully their native culture nor completely American, but according to Simone, a third culture person with unique strengths and perspectives.

Key Takeaways:

• Third culture persons develop a hybrid identity that becomes their superpower.
• Code switching is a natural adaptation strategy that all humans use in different contexts.
• Culture shock symptoms range from mild depression to fatal self-harm and should be taken seriously.
• Coming home to yourself means integrating valuable parts of both cultures deliberately.
• Healthy boundaries with family back home are essential for immigrants' well-being.
• The immigrant experience involves balancing communal values from home with American individualism.
• Work environments often present the greatest challenges for Caribbean immigrants.

This conversation complements the Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model (CDEM), developed by Carry On Friends to help Caribbeans better understand their evolving identity across time, place, and life stages.

Connect with Simone - thebridgeconcepts.org

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Support How to Support Carry On Friends

1. Donate: If you believe in our mission and want to help amplify Caribbean voices, consider making a donation.
2. Get Merch: Support Carry On Friends by purchasing merchandise from our store.

Connect with @carryonfriends - Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
A Breadfruit Media Production