Research by the Museo del Canal in collaboration with the Centro de Investigación Educativa AIP (CIEDU) and with the support of the Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (SENACYT) documented, through oral histories, the schooling experiences of the descendants of English-speaking Afro-Caribbean immigrants in Panama during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.
The effects of racism, classism and xenophobia directed toward immigrants and their descendants were very evident during these decades. Two historical milestones impacted the school life of the Afro-Caribbean community: the promulgation of the 1941 Constitution of the Republic of Panama and the Brown vs. Board of Education of 1954 in the United States. The 1941 Constitution declared that Afro-Caribbeans born in Panama came from «prohibited immigration» parents, putting at risk their Panamanian citizenship despite being born in the Isthmus. While the Brown vs. Board of Education was used in the former Panama Canal Zone to maintain a system of segregation, even though the objective of segregation in the United States was to dismantle segregation in public institutions.
During the 1930s, 40s and 50s it was difficult - but not impossible - for Afro-Caribbean students to access a good level of education due to systematic discrimination. Many went on to attain high levels of literacy along with strong cultural pride, thanks to the efforts of community leaders and teachers who, through innovation, created inclusive educational environments in Afro-Caribbean schools located in homes, churches and other communal spaces.
