LACS 380AIndo-Caribbean History

Catalog

This course will examine the history of South Asians in the Caribbean. Known as "East Indians" in the region, we will analyze the similarities and differences of Indo-Caribbean experiences, including (but not limited to) in Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, and Suriname. We will cover topics from the nineteenth century to the present, including the experiences of indentured servitude in the post-emancipation Caribbean; life on sugar plantations; the rise of labor unions and nationalist movements; cultural and religious change; intersectional Indo-Caribbean identities (e.g. gender, sexuality, class, religion); the intersection of Indo-Caribbean communities with other racialized groups, especially Afro-Caribbean communities; and secondary migrations to North America and Europe.