Belize is the true melting pot of the Americas. The harmonious diversity of the country is a natural wonder. There are eight main ethnic groups in the country with a range of skin tones that are difficult to categorize. The founding father of Belize, George Price, was fond of saying, “All ah we da won.” That sums up the attitude of Belizeans of different races and ethnicities. All of us are one.
The team of employees, service providers and suppliers at Royal Belize mirrors the diversity of Belize. In addition to the naturalized Hawaiian manager and Vietnamese concierge, there are Q’eqchi Mayans and Garinagu working on the island. The Garinagu (or Garifuna) are descended from renegade African slaves that blended with native Carib Indians. We have Creoles and Mestizos that keep the books, handle legal matters, and service the boats. Mennonites supply us with hardware and produce, while the Chinese market on the mainland is our source for kitchen staples. The caye is a multi-cultural mélange.
Then, of course, there are our British, American and Canadian cousins that work as SCUBA diving guides, import agents, mainland resort partners, and drivers. They are generally pretty easy to spot on the skin tone spectrum. The easy acceptance of people of all colors (or no color at all) is a defining characteristic of this wonderful country.
The national motto of Belize is Sub Umbra Floreo, meaning, “Flourish in the Shade.”
They may have been referring to Mahogany trees back in the day, but in modern Belize all shades flourish together.