A Guyanese-American filmmaker explores the unique and vibrant experiences of the Indo-Caribbean diaspora in Queens, NY, uncovering the many stories within.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
What is “Indo-Caribbean”?
Indo-Caribbean is a term used to describe the people of Caribbean heritage whose ancestors were indentured labourers from India. The term is fairly new and specific to the diaspora. It is often used by Guyanese and Trinidadian descent as a pan-Caribbean label intended to unite people of similar cultures and family histories.
How did Indians get to the Caribbean?
After the British abolished slavery, they decided they would replace their African labour force with Indians, who were already under their rule. The British convinced struggling Indians to cross the kala pani (Black Waters) by promising them work upon arrival, often in Guyana and Trinidad. Indentureship did not differ much from slavery in terms of living/working conditions and treatment, aside from being promised either a piece of land or a one-way trip back to India upon completion of their contracts. Indo-Caribbeans are not the only Indian diaspora with this unique experience. Other Indian indentured labourer diasporas exist in Fiji, Mauritius, Malaysia, Singapore, East Africa and Suriname among a long list of many others. The term Indo-Caribbean is fairly new and specific to the diaspora.
So are Indo-Caribbeans similar to mainland Indians?
Yes and no. While Indo-Caribbean culture has its roots in mainland Indian culture, the Indian labourers were cut off from access to the constantly changing culture and society back home when the boats with new people stopped coming in. The Indian culture that arrived in the Caribbean in the 1800’s changed, adapted and evolved separately from that India. While some families and villages were able to teach Hindi to their families or communities, others lost it completely except for the Hindi words ingrained in the Creole of their country. As labourers were brought over from India before the country split into India and Pakistan, there are a large number of Muslim and Hindu Indo-Caribbeans, as well as Christians. The Indian culture of the Caribbean has also been influenced by the other cultures and ethnicities that exist in the West Indies, most often Amerindian, African, Chinese, Portuguese and British cultures. It is a complicated history full of fusion, evolution and loss.
MEET THE DIRECTOR
LISSA DEONARAIN
Director, Producer, Editor
Lissa Deonarain is a Guyanese-American documentary filmmaker from Omaha, Nebraska. She graduated from Emerson College with a BA in Media Arts Production focusing on Documentary and Producing. Growing up in the Midwest, she had little access to her culture outside of her family. Upon entering college and learning more about her identity as a mixed race Indo-Caribbean person, she knew that the story of her people is one that is important yet underrepresented. Through this series, she hopes to document the stories of her family and the community to capture the history, creating a web of stories that show the complexity and beauty of the Indo-Caribbean diaspora.
RESOURCES
Indo-Caribbean Alliance — Organization working to unify and advance Indo-Caribbean and South Asian interests, including education, art, community building and political activism.
Brown Girl Magazine — Magazine by South Asian women, for South Asian women.
Jahajee Sisters — Organization of Indo-Caribbean women and GNC folks working to dismantle the patriarchy, end gender-based and domestic violence, and empower women.
If you are from an Indo-Caribbean community outside of New York, and are interested in a potential future collaboration to make a film, please contact me!