Kingston - Post Report Question and Answers
Is it easy to make friends with locals here? Are there any prejudices or any ethnic groups who might feel uncomfortable here?
Jamaica has a history of slavery and colonization, so even though locals are accepting of foreigners, and have good relationships with Americans, there is a tension there. Foreigners have historically taken everything for themselves so I just go into every interaction with that in mind. There is a significant Chinese population here and several expat communities here and there but it seems very separated. - Oct 2024
I would say this is limited. As in the schools, the locals might not be likely to want to welcome newcomers to their groups, because they know we are only here for a short time. - May 2022
Hmmm, in my opinion, the local rich community is tight and small, they have seen us come and seen us go. You can make friends with other expats, and locals. Remember your are viewed as wealthy whether you view yourself as wealthy or not. Also you are viewed as having a life without stress or hardship automatically. - May 2022
We have struggled to make friends locally here - more so than any other post. Jamaicans are friendly and nice when we meet them, but there are just so few places to interact. - Jan 2020
