Crafting New Narratives of Diasporic Resistance with Indo-Caribbean Women and Gender-Expansive People across Generations

Abstract

This study used participatory oral history and digital archiving to explore two interrelated questions: How do Indo-Caribbean women and gender-expansive people across generations experience processes of storytelling? What are the challenges and possibilities of oral history and digital archiving for constructing alternative histories and genealogies of resistance? In the first phase of the study, twelve Indo-Caribbean women and gender-expansive people across generations participated in an oral history workshop where they were introduced to oral history methods, co-created an interview guide, conducted oral history interviews of one another, and engaged in collective reflection about processes of storytelling. In the second phase, four co-authors of a community-owned digital archive participated in semi-structured interviews about their work to craft new narratives of diasporic resistance rooted in the everyday stories of Indo-Caribbean women and gender-expansive people. In this paper, I analyze how Indo-Caribbean women and gender-expansive people practice resistance by breaking silences in their communities around gender-based oppression, shift norms through producing analyses of their own stories, and reshape community narratives. Furthermore, I explore how oral history participants and co-authors of a digital archive understand the risks associated with sharing stories, raising the ethical dilemmas associated with conceptualizing storytelling as purely liberatory.

The Settlement Experiences of First-Generation Indo-Guyanese Women in the Greater Toronto Area

“…This chapter of the MRP closely examines secondary, scholarly literature pertaining to the settlement experiences of first-generation Indo-Guyanese women in Toronto. While there is a dearth of literature that directly touches upon this specific topic (Plaza, 2004;Changoor, 2018;Balaram, 2021), multiple sources have been scoured in an attempt to engage with any relevant, or potentially relevant, discussions that have been put forth by previous researchers.…”

“…Indentured Indians' role in the Caribbean was twofold: to work for British colonizers by cultivating the lands of the developing colonies, and to replace the labour of African slaves who were newly emancipated following the abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade Agreement (Premdas, 2004;Poynting, 1986). Of these 551,000 Indians, approximately 238,960 were sent to British Guiana, and of these 238,960, only 30% were women (Roopnarine, 2009;Balaram, 2021). According to Trotz (2003), Poynting (1986), Samaroo (1987) and Balaram (2021), this disproportionate ratio of Indian women to men persisted throughout the 18 th and 19 th centuries, possibly explaining the sustained experiences of gendered abuse and exploitation that most Indian women were faced with during their indentureship in British Guiana.…”

“…Of these 551,000 Indians, approximately 238,960 were sent to British Guiana, and of these 238,960, only 30% were women (Roopnarine, 2009;Balaram, 2021). According to Trotz (2003), Poynting (1986), Samaroo (1987) and Balaram (2021), this disproportionate ratio of Indian women to men persisted throughout the 18 th and 19 th centuries, possibly explaining the sustained experiences of gendered abuse and exploitation that most Indian women were faced with during their indentureship in British Guiana.…”

“…In what ways did we, or can we, help them? Unfortunately, these answers are not readily available due to a historical lack of disaggregated, credible, and consistent research on the Guyanese immigrant community in Canada, particularly regarding first-generation Indo-Guyanese immigrant women (Plaza, 2004;Changoor, 2018;Balaram, 2021).…”

“…Exclusive research examining the settlement experiences of first-generation Indo-Guyanese immigrant women in North America is virtually inexistent. To date, North American research studying Caribbean immigrant communities has been largely homogenized through an African male archetype, effectively rendering the experiences of Indo-Caribbean immigrant women as both imperceptible and overlooked on many research agendas (Poynting, 1986;Plaza, 2004;Changoor, 2018;Balaram, 2021). Accordingly, the numbers 38,515 and 70,500 should serve as a critical reminder that this immigrant community remains hidden and inaccessible in Canadian research, leaving unknown numbers of first-generation Indo-Guyanese women without a voice in immigration and settlement discussions.…”