The Sea Made Us

ROB MACKAY MOVED TO HONDURAS IN 1993. YOUNG AND IDEALISTIC, HE BELIEVED THAT HIS WORK AS A PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER WOULD BRING LASTING, POSITIVE CHANGE TO THE CENTRAL AMERICAN COUNTRY, WHILE HE WORKED HARD AND LIKELY DID SOME GOOD, THE TRUE OUTCOME WAS QUITE THE OPPOSITE AS HE BECAME THE ONE MOST TRANSFORMED BY THE EXPERIENCE. DURING HIS TIME THERE, HE CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE GARIFUNAS, AN ETHNIC GROUP WITH LARGE COMMUNITIES IN HONDURAS, BELIZE, GUATEMALA, AND NICARAGUA, DESCENDED FROM WEST AFRICANS WHO STARTED INTERMINGLING WITH CARIBBEAN AND EUROPEAN PEOPLES IN ST. VINCENT IN THE 16005, THE GARIFUNAS HAVE REMARKABLY PRESERVED THEIR LANGUAGE, CUISINE, AND BELIEF SYSTEM DESPITE CENTURIES OF HARDSHIP AND RESISTANCE DEEPLY CAPTIVATED, MACKAY IMMERSED HIMSELF IN THEIR WORLD, MEETING AS MANY GARIFUNAS AS POSSIBLE AND LEARNING EVERYTHING HE COULD ABOUT THEIR CULTURE. FAST FORWARD TO 2021, AND THE INTERNET AGE WAS RESHAPING EVERYTHING, EVEN THE GARIFUNA WAY OF LIFE. HAVING ALREADY PUBLISHED TWO BOOKS ON NEW YORK CITY HISTORY, MACKAY REALIZED HE NEEDED TO DOCUMENT THIS EXTRAORDINARY COMMUNITY BEFORE THE FORCES OF ASSIMILATION COULD ERASE ITS IDENTITY. THE RESULT IS THIS BOOK, A TESTAMENT TO HERITAGE, RESILIENCE, AND THE ENDURING POWER OF CULTURE.