are Guyanese Indians considered Asian? Forum

[optimism2012]

my family came to Guyana from India over 100 years ago to work as indentured servants. Immigrated to America in the 1980s.

am I considered Asian? or something else?

[MrKappus]

Is this a serious question? You're whatever your parents are. If they're different ethnicities, then your you're [ethnicity] a hyphen is hyphenated. This is not complicated.

Edited. Most importantly, your ethnicity is whatever you (w/ some factual/empirical foundation) identify as.

[EbonyEsq]

my family came to Guyana from India over 100 years ago to work as indentured servants. Immigrated to America in the 1980s.

am I considered Asian? or something else?

You'd be considered East Indian from the Caribbean. I would list as other, unless you wish to declare yourself as South Asian (from India).

[andyj11419]

I too am a Indo Guyanese and applying this cycle. I put other on my apps and if they be specific I put Guyanese. I do not know what they will consider us as but in my personal statement and diversity statement, I made sure I state I'm different than an Indian from India.

[bdubs]

my family came to Guyana from India over 100 years ago to work as indentured servants. Immigrated to America in the 1980s.

am I considered Asian? or something else?

You'd be considered East Indian from the Caribbean. I would list as other, unless you wish to declare yourself as South Asian (from India).

If you were born and raised in the US, then you are ethnically/racially south asian. If you spent any formative time in Guyana, then I would write a DS about it, since that is clearly unique.

[andyj11419]

my family came to Guyana from India over 100 years ago to work as indentured servants. Immigrated to America in the 1980s.

am I considered Asian? or something else?

You'd be considered East Indian from the Caribbean. I would list as other, unless you wish to declare yourself as South Asian (from India).

If you were born and raised in the US, then you are ethnically/racially south asian. If you spent any formative time in Guyana, then I would write a DS about it, since that is clearly unique.

I was born and raised in the U.S. to parents who came from Guyana. According to census, South Asian is consider people who are from India, Pakistan, Sir Lanka and who are Bengli. Guyana is on another Continent in South America. Most Indo-Guyanese are about 2-4 generations away from India. The only things we share with South Asian is the religion and similar but not identical type of foods. We don't even speak hinidi. We are more assimilate to the Caribbean countries. We are more West Indian than South Asian.

[bdubs]

my family came to Guyana from India over 100 years ago to work as indentured servants. Immigrated to America in the 1980s.

am I considered Asian? or something else?

You'd be considered East Indian from the Caribbean. I would list as other, unless you wish to declare yourself as South Asian (from India).

If you were born and raised in the US, then you are ethnically/racially south asian. If you spent any formative time in Guyana, then I would write a DS about it, since that is clearly unique.

I was born and raised in the U.S. to parents who came from Guyana. According to census, South Asian is consider people who are from India, Pakistan, Sir Lanka and who are Bengli. Guyana is on another Continent in South America. Most Indo-Guyanese are about 2-4 generations away from India. The only things we share with South Asian is the religion and similar but not identical type of foods. We don't even speak hinidi. We are more assimilate to the Caribbean countries. We are more West Indian than South Asian.

When the question is about race/ethnicity rather than national origin it is a little more difficult. If your entire ancestry is from a group of Indian's who were transplanted to Guyana it does not make you ethnically Guyanese (if there are many native Guyanese). Some of the questions on the application forms ask for self-identification and others ask for racial origin. It's up to you, but I would carefully read the questions.

[EbonyEsq]

my family came to Guyana from India over 100 years ago to work as indentured servants. Immigrated to America in the 1980s.

am I considered Asian? or something else?

You'd be considered East Indian from the Caribbean. I would list as other, unless you wish to declare yourself as South Asian (from India).

If you were born and raised in the US, then you are ethnically/racially south asian. If you spent any formative time in Guyana, then I would write a DS about it, since that is clearly unique.

I strongly disagree. South Asian culture v.s. Guyanese/East Indian Caribbean culture is VASTLY different. Most Guyanese Indians do not even speak the language(s) of India and most are more quickly able to identify with East Indians from Trinidad and Jamaica that an Indian from India.

If I was OP, I would declare myself as "OTHER" and indicate GUYANESE. But I agree, in conjunection he/she should write a diversity statement.

[EbonyEsq]

When the question is about race/ethnicity rather than national origin it is a little more difficult. If your entire ancestry is from a group of Indian's who were transplanted to Guyana it does not make you ethnically Guyanese (if there are many native Guyanese). Some of the questions on the application forms ask for self-identification and others ask for racial origin. It's up to you, but I would carefully read the questions.

That's total bullocks. That's like saying the African slaves who were transplanted in Trinidad and Guyana and Jamaica, etc are not ethnically Trinidadian/Guyanese/Jamaican. And yet, these citizens do not identify themselves as Africans but rather, with the country in which they were transplanted.

There is no connection between the country of India and the East Indians of the Caribbean other than origin and in some instances, cultural/religious influence (ie Hindu). Guyanese is an ethnicity and nationality in its own right. To suggest the (East Indian) population of Guyana should solely identify with India is rather dismissive.

[bdubs]

When the question is about race/ethnicity rather than national origin it is a little more difficult. If your entire ancestry is from a group of Indian's who were transplanted to Guyana it does not make you ethnically Guyanese (if there are many native Guyanese). Some of the questions on the application forms ask for self-identification and others ask for racial origin. It's up to you, but I would carefully read the questions.

That's total bullocks. That's like saying the African slaves who were transplanted in Trinidad and Guyana and Jamaica, etc are not ethnically Trinidadian/Guyanese/Jamaican. And yet, these citizens do not identify themselves as Africans but as the country in which they were transplanted.

There is no connection between the content of India and the East Indians of the Caribbean other than origin and in some instances, cultural/religious influence (ie Hindu). Guyanese is an ethnicity and nationality in its own right. To suggest the (East Indian) people of Guyana do not have one is rather offensive.

By extension you are suggesting that dutch in Africa are by ethnicity and nationality "African" and could consider themselves of African origin on an application.

Wouldn't most blacks in Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad, etc... still check the "Black" race box on the application? I wasn't suggesting that OP doesn't have a unique cultural identity, I was just saying he should read the question carefully as to whether it is a question of origin or self-identification.

[rayiner]

It doesn't matter.

There are only three races for the purposes of law school admissions and legal hiring: black, hispanic, and everything else.