Final answer:
The mix of cultures in the Caribbean after 1880 is mainly attributed to mass migration from Asia, with indentured laborers from South Asia and over 100,000 Chinese migrants influencing the region's ethnic makeup alongside the legacies of European colonization and African slavery.
Step-by-step explanation:
After 1880, the Caribbean experienced a significant mix of cultures primarily due to mass migration from Asia, specifically with the arrival of indentured laborers from Asian colonies after the abolition of slavery. Nations like Cuba saw more than 100,000 Chinese workers establishing the first Chinatown in the Western Hemisphere in Havana. Additionally, South Asian migrants, particularly from British colonies like India, were brought to various British colonies in the Caribbean, influencing regions such as Trinidad, where South Asian heritage accounts for about 40% of the population.
This cultural mix was also influenced by the historical European colonization, which brought Europeans, Africans, and later Asians into the region, drastically changing its ethnic makeup. European colonial powers utilized the Caribbean islands extensively for sugar plantation purposes, which, after the native populations were decimated, led to the importation of African slaves and then indentured laborers post-slavery. The middle class in the Caribbean today often includes a diverse group known as mulattos, combining African and European ancestry.