Neither Here Nor There-Indo Caribbean

Diaspora | Shades of U.S.

“Neither Here nor There- Indo Caribbean Diaspora” is one episode of the documentary series,
shades of us. The episode was posted on April 16th, 2020, by the YouTube channel, CUNY
TV. This episode of the series speaks on the on the IndoCaribbean diaspora living in the
United States of America while still remembering and practicing the culture from their
heritage from back in the Caribbean. The show highlighted the history of the Indo Caribbean
touching on how that history as well as the movement away from the birth land in the
Caribbean affected the formation of the differences of the way of how culture of the
indocaribbean diaspora is expressed in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. When
we talk about a diaspora, we basically mean the spread of persons and their culture from their
original homeland (oxford Dictionaries). A person from one part of the world will leave their
homeland for whatever reason and come to a new country with a totally different culture.
Many persons will also be participating in the even of moving from one country to another.
Persons from the Caribbean mainly migrate due to political issues (the journal of
international institute) that is going on within the home country as touched on within the first
parts of the documentary episode. The video highlighted some of the political issues persons
faced in the early 90s in Guyana which influenced that movement outward of the Caribbean.
While many stayed and lived in the mother land, many persons would have left and created a
life elsewhere but also carrying with them their beliefs, cooking, religion, their culture.
Culture is described as a way of life of a people. It is very the essence on which persons
interact with, speak with, cook with, pray with. Culture is learnt and developed. The
movement from the Caribbean to America by the IndoCaribbeans have flourished in many
ways including the continuing of culture. As shown in the video, the indo diaspora living
there have established roots within the community with culture. Persons can practice their
religion as well as all the festivals such as Holi, in Pic 1 and pic 2, as an indo community but
also welcoming other members of the community that are not of Indo decent. Their culture is
shared and enjoyed by every. It should be noted that the younger generation of persons of
indo Caribbean decent do not align themselves with the Caribbean since they would not have
been born there. This generation will identify with the culture but not its rooted heritage. This
is because that they have their own culture apart from their parents and grandparents who
came from the Caribbean. This new generation will continue the culture that they learnt but
also have that western influence from which they are born with.
Pic 1; showing Holi celebrations in America

Pic 2; showing Holi celebrations in America