From Indians in Trinidad to Indo-Trinidadians : The Making of a Girmitiya Diaspora

This book explores the dynamics of the socio-cultural baggage that Indian indentured migrants took with them to the Caribbean island of Trinidad and how they have since become a vibrant diaspora community, namely the Indo-Trinidadians.

It combines social history with first-hand fieldwork data to portray human ingenuity in terms of social reconstitution and community building in a hostile socio-cultural environment.

Furthermore, it addresses key social institutions—religion, caste, and family—and cultural elements—language, foodways, and ethnicity.

Its analytical framework is guided by the concept of metamorphosis; it steers clear of the persistence versus change hypotheses.

Given its focus, it will be of interest to students and scholars of sociology, social anthropology, history, and migration and diaspora studies.