--- Tony Barros <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Eugene et al! > > The label - East Indian is used in the U.S. and > probably in Canada by Asian Indians from the > Carribbean Islands-ostensibly as they were > brought to work as "bonded" laborers by the British > company - the East Indian Trading Company.I do not > know what they call themselves in the Carribbean > Mario adds: Tony, good analysis of typical name-calling in various places, and I was glad you put that one guy in his place. It is not hard to remind Caucasian Americans that even their ancestors from the Mayflower were "illegals". I tell them they are Americans by virtue of a "biological crapshoot" whereas we are Americans by choice.
However, I have lived in the US for 34 years. The term "East Indian" is used in my experience to distinguish Indians from India from the various other "Indians" around here. I have several Jamaican and Trinidadian and Guyanain friends and they call the descendants of the "indentured laborers" from India simply Indians. These were brought as supposedly contract laborers after the British abolished slavery, and most never went back. Their descendants are over 50% in Guyana, and about 35% in Trinidad, with a smaller % in Jamaica. The people of African descent from the Carribean call themselves by their Island's name, i.e. Jamaican, Trinidadian, etc. while we refer to all of them collectively as "West Indians", i.e. from the West Indies. These terms are not racial slurs or used in a derogarory manner. They are simply descriptive. That cannot be said of the terms "Pakis", "Wogs", etc. which are used as racial slurs. In the midwest, where I live, and in most of the US, Indians are looked up to, being mostly professionals and businessmen and women, whereas in the areas of intense Indian concentration in NY or NJ, I believe there is some tension.