Invisible migrants: The Indo-Trinidadian in North America and Britain 1960-1980
Author Name
Dr. Jerome Teelucksingh,
Author Address
Department of History,Faculty of Humanities,University of the West Indies, St. Augustine,Trinidad& Tobago
jerome teelucksingh
Keywords
Indo-Trinidadian in North America, Britain 1960-1980
Abstract
My presentation will assess the diasporic experiences and adjustment of Indo-Trinidadian immigrants. The displaced Indo-Trinidadians residing in Canada, United States and Britain were challenged to define themselves in relation to Afro-Caribbean and Asian Indian immigrants. The majority of the Indo-Trinidadian immigrant population had been either directly or indirectly affected by the epoch-making events of the 1960s and 1970s involving decolonization and Black Power. In the Caribbean, this era of change was characterized by social upheavals and cataclysmic political changes. The transfer of economic and political power into the hands of the Afro-Trinidadian stirred up racial tensions in Trinidad and Tobagowhich had a relatively large Indian population. As a result, thousands of Indo-Trinidadians flocked to the United States and Canada to escape racism in their homeland. Many claimed to be political refugees and sought asylum.My conclusionwill prove that Indo-Trinidadian diaspora in North America and England have successfully assimilated and experienced social mobility and acculturation.
Conference
International Conference on "Global Migration: Rethinking Skills, Knowledge and Culture"