))
Where You Live vs. What You Seek: Lens 2 of Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model (CDEM)
Manage episode 516060243 series 2771446
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.
Support How to Support Carry On Friends
- Donate: If you believe in our mission and want to help amplify Caribbean voices, consider making a donation.
- Get Merch: Support Carry On Friends by purchasing merchandise from our store.
Connect with @carryonfriends - Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
A Breadfruit Media Production
Chapters
1. Where You Live vs. What You Seek: Lens 2 of Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model (CDEM) (00:00:00)
2. Welcome & CDEM Recap (00:00:03)
3. Introducing Lens Two (00:02:38)
4. Brooklyn to Milwaukee: A Case Study (00:03:10)
5. Density Levels: High, Medium, Low (00:04:40)
6. Motivation: What Drives Connection (00:07:24)
7. When Effort Deepens Culture (00:09:15)
8. Businesses as Cultural Anchors (00:11:15)
9. Paris–Iowa Story: Adapting Culture (00:12:28)
10. The Four Quadrants of Connection (00:14:24)
11. Geography, Time, and Disconnection (00:16:10)
12. Strategies for High and Low Density (00:17:45)
13. Growth of Milwaukee’s Scene (00:20:18)
288 episodes
Share
