Review: Huang’s World (Weekly Quarantine Series)
So, this show (a play off the name of one of my favorite movies) was not was I was expecting at all. I figured this would be another typical millennial travel show (quirky, crass, involving marijuana, etc.) I was picturing something with attitude and style, but not a lot of substance. Surprisingly, I was completely wrong.
Huang’s World, hosted by American chef and food personality Eddie Huang, is a program centered around everything from food and travel to ideology and history. The first episode in Season 1 takes place in the beautiful Caribbean nation of Jamaica and can currently be streamed on Hulu. But instead of focusing on the world-class all-inclusive resorts and party atmosphere, Huang took a deeper and more authentic approach.
On of the many themes tackled in this episode is Garveyism. Marcus Garvey was a well-known figure in history from Jamaica who promoted the ideals of economic empowerment, unification, and repatriation. Huang dined at Cafe Africa in Kingston, a local food spot specializing in Pan-African cuisine and discussed what Marcus Garvey meant to him and Jamaica as a whole. Marcus Garvey was declared Jamaica’s 1st National Hero in 1964 and his image can easily be seen throughout Jamaica on public buildings and monuments.
We need to keep pushing and we need to keep developing and creating wealth for ourselves so that we can be independent and cut that umbilical cord, whether it’s the IMF, the World Bank, or the Queen!”
Steven Golding, Owner of Cafe Africa
Garveyism essentially wants the individual to know their history while breaking down the confines of colonialism. Nowadays, if you want to control a nation you do not have to physically enslave them. Neocolonialism is about “the control of less-developed countries by developed countries through indirect means.” (Britannica.com) One could strongly argue that although Jamaican Independence was formally declared from the British in 1962, it is not truly “free.” According to this program, Jamaica is still in debt to England and 20 percent of Jamaica’s GDP is paid to the IMF in interest, annually.
I think that this episode was great because Huang did not just focus on one area or image of Jamaica. Throughout the show, you also see him travelling to the Blue Mountains to visit a modern farm with a delivery service, a maroon village in Charles Town, horseback riding in St. Ann’s Bay, and he even plays tennis with the Sean Paul!
I’ll leave you with this final quote from the last scene in St. Catherine’s Parish. It is long but sums up the episode better than I can.
As caretakers of this planet, I think the important thing is to be mindful of how much we take. Jamaica gives the world so much. They do so much with so little. But Jamaica keeps giving, and the world keeps taking. And when we look at the debt that the rest of the world holds over Jamaica’s head, I have to ask myself, if this debt hasn’t already been paid for, and not just in cultural wares and soft power, but actual physical labor. This current global economy we have, it doesn’t exist without slave labor just a couple generations ago. And for Caribbean countries, not just Jamaica, but colonies around the world, maybe we don’t give reparations, but perhaps we need to start thinking and saying that this debt has been paid for.
Eddie Huang
Have you seen Huang’s World? Have you ever been to Jamaica? What are YOUR thoughts? Let me know in the comments below! 🙂
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