The Embassy of Barbados in the Republic of Panama, in collaboration with the Division of Culture, Prime Minister’s Office, the Barbados Museum and Historical Society, and the United Panamanian Afrodescendants Association (AAPU), recently hosted a Genealogical Workshop at the Hilton Panama entitled: Our Heritage: From Barbados to Panama.
The first of its kind hosted by the Embassy, the event brought together nearly 100 second and third generation descendants of Barbadians who migrated to Panama in search of employment during the construction of the Panama Canal, first attempted by France between 1881 and 1892, and completed by the United States between 1904 and 1914.
So enthusiastic was public response to the workshop that Chargé d’Affaires, Sandra Gittens, noted that registration closed within two days of officially being launched – testament to a deep desire by the Barbadian descendant community on the isthmus to reconnect with the birthplace of the men and women who would eventually call Panama home.
Chargé d’Affaires Gittens disclosed that the month of June was strategically chosen given its designation as Heritage Month in Barbados, and formal engagement of Barbadian descendants in Panama is in keeping with several current points of focus for the Barbados Government, including the strengthening of Barbados-Panama relations in the area of culture; the documentation of Barbadian oral history and Barbadian family history; and the designation of 2025-2034 as the Second International Decade for People of African Descent.
“Of course, the Embassy extended an extra special We Gatherin’ 2025 invitation to our Panamanian-Barbadian descendants to Come ‘Long Home in 2025,” she added.
Deputy Director of the Barbados Museum and Historical Society, Kevin Farmer, prefaced the main presentation by taking participants through the historical context and timeline of the relocation of some 60 to 80 thousand Barbadians seeking employment on the Canal and in peripheral jobs, while noting the considerable contribution of remittances to boosting the Barbadian economy at the time.
Librarian and History Professional at the Barbados Museum and Historical Society, Harriet Pierce, followed with an engaging presentation aimed at demystifying the family research process and introducing a number of easily accessible resources to begin tracing family history and heritage.
