Race, Ethnicity, Culture and Us

I am of East Indian decent. My great, great, grand parents made the journey from India, either willingly or unwittingly, to Trinidad and Tobago. The twin islands were now their home and there was no going back. I was raised as a Hindu and indoctrinated with the mentality that went along with it and being raised in central Trinidad I had a myopic view of the country and it’s people. However, at the age of 11, I got the opportunity to go to school in Port of Spain, and my eyes were truly opened. I was surrounded by people of different races and cultures. It was a whole new world and it was hard for me to believe that a country the size of Trinidad and Tobago could be so segmented.

The racial divisions among the people of Trinidad and Tobago today are as evident as they were to me 20 years ago. I would have hoped that the new generation of citizens would have made a conscious effort to change this fact but it, sadly, seems that the propaganda from cultural and political forces still clouds our intellect. Trinidad and Tobago’s unique culture has been overshadowed by an almost fanatical drive to retain or re-discover cultural aspects of an individual’s racial ancestry. While there is nothing wrong with wanting to know one’s history there is need for the populace to also understand that their present and future culture is that of Trinidad and Tobago. The art, food, language and dress of the nation are truly unique and this needs to be embraced by all in society.

Simple things that promote racial division are the use of prefixes to reference citizens of the Trinidad and Tobago who have different racial backgrounds. Terms such as Indo-Trinidadian and Afro-Trinidad, being the most popular, only foster animosity by applying labels to the sole ethnic group of the land. The fear of ‘douglarization’ of the population is also something that needs to be addressed. The concept that people of East Indian descent are ‘pure’ and as a result should not mix with people of any other race is completely irrational. Of course, people of African descent have no problem with this mixing as long as the male in the relationship is always of African descent. A few years ago a man took a stand and sang a song about his heritage and was ridiculed by the nation. Brother Marvin’s tribute to his ancestry was debated and analyzed while Cro Cro’s blatantly racial songs receive airplay and accolades from all. The complete hypocrisy that is exhibited by the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago is what is most appalling.

Recently the national football team secured a place at the World Cup by defeating Bahrain on the second leg of the two game contest. Dennis Lawrence was lauded for his goal that put Trinidad and Tobago into the finals, however, if it was not for a man named Chris Birchall there would have been need for more than just one magnificent header. Where are the accolades for Mr. Birchall? Why is his name not synonymous with the victory? Segregation is evident in every aspect of society. Carnival, has traditionally been seen as a something that is only for the people of African descent, even though there has been support for it from all other races since the time it has emerged.

Political prowess has succeeded in keeping the country divided with the goal of centralizing power and it has worked successfully for a number of years. It is evident that there will be no change in political figure-heads until there is a fundamental shift in the mindset of the average citizen. This will not be easy to do, rolling back decades of racial dogma. Change can only be accomplished through mass consensus and unity.