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i just wanted to know, how do Indo-Asians (from India, Pakistan, Iran, etc.) feel towads west indians of east indian descent (trinis and guyanese being the majority)??? do they look at you as having no culture, do they have harsh feelings, fond feelings, or none at all??

I just ask because i notice that Africans usually have fond feelings of Haitians, Bajans, Jamaicans, etc. They embrace our culture and also respect it, as opposed to the respect and acceptance the African American culture (or lack of culture) does not recieve.

interesting question... i have always wondered this, I was speaking to this Jamaican girl the other day who is Indian, and we were looking at pictures of people in Jamaica... We came across some pictures of a Jamaican Indian Family and some members had on traditional Indian/Hindu garb... and she was like "Why they puttin these pictures up for, Jamaicans dont dress like this" then i asked her, what is wrong with them showing their culture even though they are in a foreign land... She rather adhere to the English standard. Basically this girl does not recognize her indian side or anything at all... and sometimes i get the same impression from Indians from other Islands... However i do know in Trinidad that Indians proudly display their culture

A recent post the other day i saw in the Iz Vex I Vex forum got me wondering the same thing... check it out
I hate it when........

i would say probably de same way as de africans look down on us. U see is de low class indians came back home to work as indentured servants.

I just want to add something to the MIX, if I may? :p

I remember one time I was playing soccer, amongst Trinidadians, Guyanese, Jamaicans, Vincies, Bajans, and some Grenadians. Anyhow, after the game, as usual, people went into the COOLERS and grabbed a drink. So we started to drink and talk about any and everything. One of the HEATED issues that came up was HOW INDIANS in TRINIDAD and GUYANA SUPPORT India whenever India played test matches against the West Indies in the region.

In fact, the Trinidadian of AFRO descent who started the subject was sooo VEX, you could ACTUALLY see the disgust written all over his face. This conversation, it seems, went on for hours. The odd part about this is, there was this Jamaican, of Indian descent, which, although quite uncomfortable with what was being said, basically was in agreement with the rest of the guys.

Guess who had a DIFFERENT TAKE on why INDO WEST INDIANS (and for the TECHNICAL people, I know Guyana is not in the Caribbean.hehe) was supporting India? Hehe

Whether Indians support India, when they come to Trinidad, that

is what we are, the British migh thave sent us thousands of miles

away from home..but India is our motherland just like Africa is

motherland to black ppl in the caribbean. Just like how Sizzla and

Buju sing about Selassie....hes from Africa, but no one sees

anything wrong with that. Just giving up our identity to call

ourselves Trindadian is basically renouncing who we are and I am

already bombarded with eurocentrism crap stuffed down my

throat everyday....knowing i have a motherland is what keeps me

grounded.

Depends on the Asian Indian...

Firstly, some Asian Indians are not even aware that there are Indo-Caribbean people. Some of Asian Indians find it interesting and are accepting while some of them dislike it and are non-accepting.

When our Indian ancestors came to the Caribbean, they actually broke caste...making it difficult to return/find acceptance within Indian society. Not to mention, most came from the lower castes which is cause for some resentment as well. But the heritage of Indian people in the Caribbean is just that...Indian. So of course, people will retain that identity as well as establishing on a new one. (whether acknowledged or not)

However,in my opinion, I do not think that calling oneself TRINIDADIAN is renouncing anything at all. Who and what is a Trinidadian? Trinis include Indians, Africans, Syrians, Chinese Portuguese and on and on. One can be a Trinidadian AND be ALL OF THESE. People need to start believing that and accepting that, because that is who WE are (same goes for Guyana).

But anyway, regardless of what Asian Indians may think...they cannot change the fact that Indo-Caribbean people's origin is in India. Just as Africans cannot change the fact that Afro-Caribbean people's origin is in Africa. Both regions have a vast diaspora.

Thats just my opinion...and I am both of Indian & African descent by the way...and a proud Trini.