Dougla people
Regions with significant populations | |
---|---|
Caribbean, notably in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Jamaica and Suriname | |
Languages | |
English, French, Dutch, Caribbean Hindustani | |
Religion | |
Predominantly:
| |
Related ethnic groups | |
Afro-Caribbeans, Indo-Caribbeans |
Dougla people (plural Douglas) are Caribbean people who are of mixed African and Indian descent. The word Dougla (also Dugla or Dogla) is used throughout the Dutch and English-speaking Caribbean.
Definition[]
The word Dougla originated from doogala (दुगला), which is a Caribbean Hindustani word that literally means "two"ish and may also mean "many", "much" or "a mix".[1] In the West Indies, the word is used only for Afro-Indo mixed race,[2] .The word has its etymological roots in the Hindi, where "do" means two and "gala" means "throat". The word might have been used as a way to refer to people who could speak Indian and African languages.
In Guyana, Afro-Guyanese and Indo-Guyanese make up half of the population and Douglas number 15% of the country's demographics.
In the French West Indies (Guadeloupe, Martinique), mixed Afro-Indian people used to be called Batazendien or Chapé-Coolie.
History[]
There are sporadic records of Indo-Euro interracial relationships, both consensual and nonconsensual, before any ethnic mixing of the African and Indian variety.
Other Indo-based types of mixed heritage (Indo-Chinese (Chindians), Indo-Latino/Hispanic (Tegli), Indo-English (Anglo-Indians), Indo-Portuguese (Luso-Indians), Indo-Irish (Irish Indians), Indo-Scottish (Scottish-Indians), Indo-Dutch, Indo-Arabs and Indo-Carib) tended to identify as one of the older, unmixed ethnic strains on the island: Afro, Indo, Amerindian or Euro or passing as one of them.[3]
In Trinidad culture[]
One calypsonian, the Mighty Dougla (Clatis Ali), described the predicament of Douglas in the 1960s:[citation needed]
"If they sending Indians to India
And Africans back to Africa
Well somebody please just tell me
Where they sending poor me?
I am neither one nor the other
Six of one, half a dozen of the other
So if they sending all these people back home for true
They got to split me in two"
Notable Douglas[]
- Cletus Ali, Trinidadian musician, better known as Mighty Dougla
- Tatyana Ali, Trinidadian American actress
- Esther Anderson, actress (United Kingdom; born in Jamaica)[4]
- Johnson Beharry, a Grenadian British soldier in the British Army[5]
- Melissa Bell, Jamaican British singer and mother of Alexandra Burke
- Foxy Brown, rapper (United States; Trinidadian and Tobagonian background)[6]
- Alexandra Burke, British Jamaican singer and daughter of Melissa Bell
- Super Cat, Jamaican deejay[7]
- Sabrina Colie, actress (United States; born in Jamaica)[citation needed]
- Mervyn Dymally, Trinidadian American politician[8]
- Special Ed, rapper (United States; Jamaican background)
- Marlene Malahoo Forte, politician (Jamaica)[9]
- Amy Ashwood Garvey, activist (Jamaica)[10][11]
- Lisa Hanna, Miss World 1993, MP Saint Ann South Eastern
- Kamala Harris, Vice-President of the United States (Indo-Jamaican)
- Lester Holt, U.S. news anchor and journalist[12][13]
- Diana King, singer (United States; born in Jamaica)[14]
- Sonnet L'Abbé, Guyanese Canadian poet
- Sir Trevor McDonald, Trinidadian British news anchor and journalist
- Nicki Minaj, singer, rapper (United States; born in Trinidad and Tobago)
- Nicole Narain, model and actress
- Rajee Narinesingh, LGBT activist (United States; Trinidadian and Tobagonian background)[15]
- Furdjel Narsingh, footballer (Netherlands; Surinamese background)
- Luciano Narsingh, footballer (Netherlands; Surinamese background)
- Roxanne Persaud, politician (United States; born in Guyana)[16][17][18]
- Yendi Phillips, model (Jamaica)[citation needed]
- Thara Prashad, singer and model[19][20]
- Gema Ramkeesoon, social worker and women's rights activist (Trinidad and Tobago)[21]
- Krishmar Santokie, cricketer
- Abrahim Simmonds, youth advocate (Jamaica)
- Toni-Ann Singh, Miss World 2019 (Jamaica)
- Joyce Vincent, woman whose death went unnoticed for more than two years as her corpse lay undiscovered in her London bedsit (United Kingdom; Grenadian background)[22]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ Wilk, Richard; Barbosa, Livia (2013-05-09). Rice and Beans: A Unique Dish in a Hundred Places. Berg. ISBN 9781847889058.
- ^ Winer, Lise (2009). Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press. p. 311. ISBN 978-0-7735-3406-3.
- ^ "Dougla dilemma". www.trinidadandtobagonews.com.
- ^ Batson-Savage, Tanya (2013-07-01). "Esther Anderson: "They said I'd snubbed Hollywood"". Caribbean Beat Magazine. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
- ^ "I wouldn't say I am lucky… Interview with Johnson Beharry, VC – The Best You Magazine". 17 May 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
- ^ Calloway, Sway (2001-05-29). "Foxy Brown – Outspoken (Part 4)". MTV News. Archived from the original on 2006-05-02. Retrieved 2006-05-09.
- ^ Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) The Rough Guide to Reggae, Rough Guides, ISBN 1-84353-329-4, p. 286
- ^ "The Honorable Mervyn M. Dymally's Biography". The HistoryMakers. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
- ^ "Information director's criticisms of Indian descent conference don't represent gov't position". Stabroek News. 2018-01-13. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
- ^ https://ufmrg.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/diversity_-difference-and-caribbean-feminism-feb_2007.pdf
- ^ , Vols 17–8, Duke University Press, 1997, p. 124.
- ^ Today Show: "Lester and Jenna trace their Jamaican roots" Aired on September 9, 2012 Archived September 13, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Holt, Lester (2007-05-11). "To Jamaica with Mom". allDAY. NBC News. Archived from the original on February 10, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
- ^ "Reggae Singer Diana King official Biography". Dance Hall Reggae World. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
- ^ Rajee Narinesingh
- ^ "Gala 2016". Indo-Caribbean Alliance, Inc.
- ^ "Guyanese-born New York Assemblywoman, Roxanne Persaud, was elected to the New York State Senate". November 4, 2015.
- ^ "New York's immigrant lawmakers make their mark". Times Union. 2016-01-13. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ Jennifer Bisram (Sep–Oct 2009). "Thara Aims High: What can't she do?". MoraFire. Retrieved 2009-11-02.[permanent dead link]
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ https://ufmrg.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/diversity_-difference-and-caribbean-feminism-feb_2007.pdf
- ^ Morley, Carol (October 8, 2011). "Joyce Carol Vincent: how could this young woman lie dead and undiscovered for almost three years?" – via www.theguardian.com.
External links[]
- Ethnic groups in Trinidad and Tobago
- Multiracial affairs in the Caribbean
- Multiracial affairs in South America
- People of Dougla descent
- Indo-Caribbean
- Afro-Caribbean