Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Eduardo's Tale of Two Worlds: Gangs in Jamaica
Jamaica is an island in the Caribbean Sea. It is south of Cuba. Perhaps you have visited this place. Vacationers love the beaches with their beautiful white sand. Jamaica was discovered by Columbus in 1494. The Spanish settled there in the 1500s. England seized the island in 1655. Jamaica became fully independent in 1962. The name Jamaica comes from the Native American word xaymaca, which means "land of wood and water." Around 2.6 million people live on the island, and more than a million people visit there every year. Away from the vacation spots, though, other parts of Jamaica can seem like a completely different world.
Eduardo considers himself one of the lucky people in Jamaica, yet he's not a tourist. He's a native of Jamaica. He grew up very poor near Kingston, the capital city of Jamaica. With help from his family, Eduardo stayed in school and stayed away from the gangs in the city. He got an education and was offered a marvelous job in the Montego Bay area. The hotel he manages keeps him busy all year. He makes enough money to support his family.
Eduardo is well aware of the life he could be living if things had not gone his way. The unemployment rate is very high in Jamaica. In 2013, the overall unemployment rate was 14%. For some areas in the inner-city, that rate can be much higher. Even those who do find work find it only in season, from December through April working where the tourists stay, or during the season when work on sugar plantations can be obtained.
