"I had a comfortable feeling around other cultures, even a BETTER feeling,"
Brilliant statement - and I can relate to it 100%. Growing up in New York, even on Long Island, I was in a VERY diverse community (unusual for Long Island but there you have it). When I moved to Sonoma County it was SHOCKING how little cultural diversity I saw at first - over the years that has changed SOME. Going to Jamaica gives me my cultural diversity fix, not just with Jamaicans but with the many different nationalities that visit there.
As far as racism...in Jamaica...I have not experienced anything negative. BUT - if I go outside of Negril, Sav for instance I am stared at or some child will yell "Whitey!" at me - not in a menacing manner, more as an observation if you will. I had a little girl touch my hair in amazement in a route taxi once telling me how my hairs were so tall....
Now as for tourists - I think a lot of the safety concerns from new visitors going to the AI for example stem from a distrust of ethnic and racial diversity. If they've never traveled to a non-caucasian country before I do believe some people who have not been exposed to diversity could be intimidated. On the AI compound they don't have to be - the "native" populace there are all there to serve them. I think the folks that do not like to leave the compound do have some fear about being out and about amongst the locals. The only way to get over that is to just get out there and mingle.