Identity Mindmap

I decided to create a basic mind map on the things that I think help to develop an individuals identity, such as family, appearance and hobbies. I did this to create a basic visual representation of ideas to focus on when looking deeper into my project.

Identity Moodboard

I have also made a mood board to help understand what section of identity I want to focus on for my project. When looking at my mind map and mood board, I decided to focus on family and heritage, as they have influenced other parts of my identity such as beliefs and hobbies.

What makes Jersey special and why does it matter to you?

In my opinion, Jersey is unique because the community is really close due to the small population. The scenery of Jersey has a big impact to the community, especially in summer as there is a variety of beaches and parks. Jersey also has an extensive history, such as the Occupation and the Liberation. Jersey is important to me as I grew up here along with all my family, making it a big part of my identity.

What does it mean to be ‘Jersey’ now and in the future

Those who were born and raised in Jersey would be the only residents considered as ‘Jersey’ in the past, with a lack of diversity in the island at the time. Majority of residents in the past were white, English, French or Jèrriais speakers. The concept of being ‘Jersey’ has changed drastically since then and has become a lot more diverse throughout the years. Despite not being born in Jersey or moving away from Jersey at a young age, many might still consider themselves as ‘Jersey’ in more recent times. However, many people may not consider themselves as ‘Jersey’ despite being born and raised in the island, due to having a multicultural family. This proves that the definition of being ‘Jersey’ has become an almost vague concept.

What can we all do to solidify a cohesive and positive Island identity?

Despite the closeness of the Jersey community, there is still disagreements between citizens, which prevents a cohesive environment for many. For example, protests around Jersey have caused disruption to the positive outlook for the community, such as the concept of low income for teachers, debating Covid restrictions as well as those protesting against the Covid vaccination. In order for Jersey to solidify a cohesive and positive island identity, the community needs to work together to form agreements and compromise to create a fair environment to everyone. Furthermore, helping those in need will assist in solidifying a positive Island identity.

Are there barriers to a positive and inclusive Island identity? (What requires a greater focus and what is being missed?)

Due to the Jersey population consisting of the same nationalities of people for such an extensive time, some have taken a negative outlook onto those who have immigrated to the Island since, especially people of colour and non-English speakers. Despite most not having an issue with a more diverse community, some still have a traditional view on the Island’s identity and will try to preserve that traditional ‘Jersey’ identity. For this reason, I believe that racism is still a big issue within the Island and the increase in diversity to the island is inevitable, meaning racism to minority groups in Jersey require severe punishment in order for the community to live in peace, despite the nationality of the citizens.

Jersey’s identity and photography

Photography has played a huge part of Jersey’s unique identity since the first developed photographic techniques. Due to the extended history of Jersey, many have relied on photography to re-tell these stories. These important photographs are now held in museums for further generations to see both the celebrations and hardships of the history of Jersey in a physical form

Here me and Toni researched the topic of community in our island’s identity, focusing on migrant and ethnic groups. With this we looked into the British, Portuguese, French and Polish communities that can be in Jersey and wrote about their origins and their influence on the island. We believed these many different cultures make Jersey special as they increase diversity and bring in new traditions. I think that this multiculturalism that we posses helps to define today’s Jersey as it is seen as a place of hope, new opportunities and welcoming people. I believe that this will only become more evident in the future, as people become more open minded and accepting of cultures that are not Anglo-centric. To solidify this multicultural identity in Jersey we should aim to provide more hostings of events and fairs that showcase these many cultures and educate people on their traditions and customs, such as the Polish fair that already occurs in Jersey. However, there are some barriers towards maintaining this positive island identity including the sky rocketing price of living on the island, which may potentially deter people of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds from moving to Jersey as well as staying here. This could possibly mean a drastic loss of diversity on the island.

This topic could be explored through photography or film by spending time with people from various cultures such as these, and telling their stories of migration as well as their first experiences and impressions of the island. You could also focus on more specific areas of these diverse communities, such as the food or music that acts as a unifier and brings people together. Inspiration for this could also be gained from participating in events and fairs celebrating the communities you wish to gain a wider knowledge of.

Overall I believe that Toni and I created a poster that successfully demonstrated the importance and the origins of communities on the island. Something that I think we could improve on if we were to do this task again, is to research in more detail the events and groups that already exists to help maintain these different cultures.