{"id":30801,"date":"2025-10-28T08:06:34","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T12:06:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carryonfriends.com\/?p=30801"},"modified":"2026-02-02T16:54:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T21:54:24","slug":"lens-2-of-the-caribbean-diaspora-experience-model-cdem-where-you-live-what-you-seek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carryonfriends.com\/?p=30801","title":{"rendered":"Lens 2 of the Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model (CDEM) &#8211; Where You Live, What You Seek"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"buzzsprout-editor-preview\" src=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/685469\/episodes\/18019981?client_source=small_player&#038;iframe=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"200\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"display:block;border:0;\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A few months ago I introduced the\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.carryonfriends.com\/caribbean-diaspora-experience-model\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model\">Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model\u2122 (CDEM)<\/a><\/strong>, a new way to understand how our Caribbean identity forms, evolves, and expresses itself in the diaspora. Created through real-life experiences, this model provides the language many have been missing to describe their complex cultural journeys. At the heart of CDEM are six interconnected lenses that help individuals understand their relationship with Caribbean culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:47px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"stay-connected\">The Six Lenses of CDEM<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here&#8217;s a brief overview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.carryonfriends.com\/lens-1-of-the-caribbean-diaspora-experience-model-cdem-caribbean-diaspora-identity-starting-points\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Lens 1 of the Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model (CDEM) \u2013 Caribbean Diaspora Identity Starting Points\">Where You Start Shapes the Journey<\/a><\/strong>:\u00a0Whether you migrated as an adult or were born in the diaspora, your connection to Caribbean culture starts somewhere. That starting point matters.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Where You Live + What You Seek = How You Connect<\/strong>:&nbsp;Living in Brooklyn versus Milwaukee isn\u2019t just geography, it\u2019s a different experience of Caribbean culture. Where you live + your intention shapes your connection.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cultural Anchors Keep Us Rooted<\/strong>:&nbsp;Food, music, language, celebrations, spirituality, and family. These are the touch points that carry memory and transmit knowledge.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Your Identity Will Shift, That\u2019s the Point:<\/strong>&nbsp;As we age, our relationship with culture evolves. It\u2019s not loss, it\u2019s recalibration.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cultural Identity Influences How We Show Up at Work<\/strong>:&nbsp;Our work ethic, ambition, and how we navigate professional spaces are all shaped by cultural values.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>You\u2019re Not Either\/Or, You\u2019re Both\/And<\/strong>:&nbsp;Being fully Caribbean and fully American\/Canadian\/British at the same time is not a contradiction, it\u2019s our strength.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:47px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"stay-connected\">Lens 2: Geography &amp; Motivation Interact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this episode I dive deeper into\u00a0<strong>Lens 2 of the Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model (CDEM): Where You Live + What You Seek = How You Connect. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What if access to culture isn\u2019t the same as connection to culture? In lens two of the Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model (CDEM) I map how place and personal drive intersect to shape identity\u2014whether you\u2019re surrounded by patty shops and dancehall flyers in Brooklyn or piecing together community in a low-density city like Milwaukee.<br><br>You\u2019ll hear the difference between ambient culture and intentional culture, why businesses become community anchors, and how motivation shifts across life phases or confronting moments that make you cling tighter to who you are. I explore the four density\u2013motivation quadrants, real stories that span Brooklyn to Wisconsin and even a Paris\u2013Iowa thread, and the inventive ways people adapt.<br><br>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\u2014supporting local Caribbean businesses, mentoring younger folks, hosting small gatherings that turn into hubs, and moving from passive consumption to active stewardship. If you\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Where do you land on the density movtivation spectrum?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:47px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:47px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"stay-connected\">About <strong>Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model (CDEM<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.carryonfriends.com\/caribbean-diaspora-experience-model\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model (CDEM)<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0isn\u2019t an academic theory. It\u2019s a reflection of\u00a0real-life stories: mine, my family\u2019s, my friends and stories heard through the podcast. It\u2019s grounded in observation, personal growth, and years of conversations in our community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I created this model not just to help me understand myself, but to help us&nbsp;understand each other better. My hope is that it gives you language to articulate your experience, connect across generations, and build cultural confidence wherever you are in the diaspora.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:47px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"stay-connected\">Stay Connected<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Connect with @carryonfriends \u2013&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/carryonfriends\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Instagram<\/strong><\/a><strong>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carryonfriends\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Facebook<\/a><\/strong> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/carryonfriends\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>YouTube<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Enjoyed the show?&nbsp; Please remember to&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1HnDcMv\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>leave a rating and review in Apple Podcasts<\/em><\/a><em>.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>A&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.breadfruit.media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Breadfruit Media<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;Production:&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/breadfruitmedia\">Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A few months ago I introduced the\u00a0Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model\u2122 (CDEM), a new way to understand how our Caribbean identity forms, evolves, and expresses itself in the diaspora. Created through real-life experiences, this model provides the language many have been missing to describe their complex cultural journeys. At the heart of CDEM are six interconnected&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2011,"featured_media":30807,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_wp_convertkit_post_meta":{"form":"-1","landing_page":"","tag":"0","restrict_content":"0"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[324,207,297],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30801","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cdem","category-cofpodcast","category-culture"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carryonfriends.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30801","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carryonfriends.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carryonfriends.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carryonfriends.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2011"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carryonfriends.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30801"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/carryonfriends.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30801\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30811,"href":"https:\/\/carryonfriends.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30801\/revisions\/30811"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carryonfriends.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/30807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carryonfriends.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30801"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carryonfriends.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30801"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carryonfriends.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}