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Guyana Ideologies of Race and Class
Racial stereotypes developed early in the colony. British
planters characterized Africans as physically strong but lazy and
irresponsible. East Indians were stereotyped as industrious but
clannish and greedy. To some extent, these stereotypes were
accepted by the immigrant groups themselves, each giving credence
to positive stereotypes of itself and negative stereotypes of other
groups. The stereotypes provided a quick explanation of behavior
and justified competition among groups. Africans were described as
improvident when they refused to work for low wages or make
long-term contracts with the plantations. East Indians were
considered selfish when they minimized their expenses to acquire
capital.
In modern Guyana, the association of behavior with ethnicity is
less rigid than in colonial days. Where once there was a sharp and
uniform distinction between behavior considered "British" and
behavior considered "coolie," now there is a continuum of
behaviors, which receive different ethnic labels in different
contexts. What is considered "British" in a rural village might be
considered "coolie" in the capital.
Along with stereotyping, the colonial value system favoring
European, specifically British, mores and behavior has persisted.
Eurocentrism was promoted by the colonial education system, which
idealized British customs. The superiority of British culture was
accepted by the ex-slaves, who perceived their Christianity, for
example, as an indication that they too were civilized. From the
late nineteenth century, the emerging middle class of urban AfroGuyanese , Indo-Guyanese, and others developed a nationalist
ideology based largely on British values. They claimed a place in
society because they met standards that had been set by the
British.
Data as of January 1992
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