CARIBBEAN QUILT | 2011 
 

89 
 

   “Hybrid 2” 
                      Ashti-Leah Mindy Rampersad 

Ashti-Leah Mindy Rampersad 
                     

My work within the last five and half 
years has been influenced by my experience 
growing up in both Trinidad and Canada.  
My move to Canada has always made me 
think about what was left behind and the 
new world I stepped into. Still to this day I 
am curious about understanding how and 
why diasporic groups manage to hang on 
tightly to certain customs from “back 
home,” and how they adapt to a 
“contemporary” society such as Canada.  I 
started to recognize that some traditions 
were kept pure, some customs fade due to 
westernization, and lastly, some become a 
“hybrid” of both.   

 
An example of a custom that has 

changed due to western influences would be 
the art of henna, also known as mehndi.  The 
symbolism of mehndi has been altered due 
to the media in Canada. Like many customs, 
the significance and purpose of this sacred 
tradition has now been taken away by 
commercialism.   Yet, across our borders in 
places such as India and Trinidad this 
practice still remains the same; a sacred 
tradition which has been passed down from 
generation to generation.