Béké
Encyclopedia
Béké or beke is a Creole
term to describe a descendant of the early European, usually French, settlers in the French Antilles.
where it describes a European. A local tradition holds that it is derived from the question
« eh bé qué ? » (« eh bien quoi ? », similar to "What's up"), an expression picked up from the French settlers. Another explanation is that its origin lies in the term « blanc des quais » ("a White from the quay") as the White colonists and merchants controlled the ports. In contrast, the "Blanc Péyi" is used for White people born in the Antilles and adapted to the creole life who are not descendants of the first White settlers.. .
In Guadeloupe
one theory speaks also of the "Blanc Créole" or "Blanc Kréyol", abbreviated to BK, ergo
Béké..
were to some degree aimed against the class difference that exists between the bekes and the predominantly Black majority population.
aired a 50-minute documentary called "Les derniers maîtres de Martinique" ("Martinique's Last Masters"), in which a prominent member of the Béké community and one the island's economic most powerful figures, Alain Huyues Despointes (Chairman of Groupe Alain Huyues Despointes), is filmed (openly, no hidden camera) making the following arguably racist statement: "When I see families of mixed couples (black and white), their children have different colors. There's no harmony. Some have the same kind of hair as mine [points to his straight hair], others have tightly coiled hair. All in the same family, with different skin colors. I don't think that's right. We have intended to preserve the race." The voice-over adds that members of the Béké community who marry colored people are excommunicated.
Antillean Creole
Antillean Creole is a creole language with a vocabulary based on French. It is spoken primarily in the Lesser Antilles. Its grammar and vocabulary also include elements of Carib and African languages. Antillean Creole is related to Haitian Creole, but has a number of distinctive features; they are...
term to describe a descendant of the early European, usually French, settlers in the French Antilles.
Origin
The origin of the term is not clear and several explanations have been proposed. It could be a word from the Igbo languageIgbo language
Igbo , or Igbo proper, is a native language of the Igbo people, an ethnic group primarily located in southeastern Nigeria. There are approximately 20 million speakers that are mostly in Nigeria and are primarily of Igbo descent. Igbo is a national language of Nigeria. It is written in the Latin...
where it describes a European. A local tradition holds that it is derived from the question
« eh bé qué ? » (« eh bien quoi ? », similar to "What's up"), an expression picked up from the French settlers. Another explanation is that its origin lies in the term « blanc des quais » ("a White from the quay") as the White colonists and merchants controlled the ports. In contrast, the "Blanc Péyi" is used for White people born in the Antilles and adapted to the creole life who are not descendants of the first White settlers.. .
In Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
one theory speaks also of the "Blanc Créole" or "Blanc Kréyol", abbreviated to BK, ergo
Ergo
Ergo may refer to: a combining form meaning "work"* A Latin word meaning "therefore." In logic, ergo means the conclusion of a preceding argument, as in Cogito ergo sum....
Béké..
Class problems
The bekes represent a small minority in the French Antilles; however, they control much of the local industry. The 2009 French Caribbean general strikes2009 French Caribbean general strikes
The 2009 French Caribbean general strikes began in the French overseas region of Guadeloupe on 20 January 2009, and spread to neighbouring Martinique on 5 February 2009. Both islands are located in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean...
were to some degree aimed against the class difference that exists between the bekes and the predominantly Black majority population.
Racist statements in TV documentary
At the beginning of 2009, Canal+Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
aired a 50-minute documentary called "Les derniers maîtres de Martinique" ("Martinique's Last Masters"), in which a prominent member of the Béké community and one the island's economic most powerful figures, Alain Huyues Despointes (Chairman of Groupe Alain Huyues Despointes), is filmed (openly, no hidden camera) making the following arguably racist statement: "When I see families of mixed couples (black and white), their children have different colors. There's no harmony. Some have the same kind of hair as mine [points to his straight hair], others have tightly coiled hair. All in the same family, with different skin colors. I don't think that's right. We have intended to preserve the race." The voice-over adds that members of the Béké community who marry colored people are excommunicated.