#Trinidad And Tobago

[forgedfromlove]

As a Trini who’s mixed with literally every ethnic group on the island (aside from Syrian and Lebanese) but who looks East Indian, this!!! When I was studying in the UK I had to explain to people soooo many times how I could look Indian but be from the Caribbean. I remember this one time I was talking to a Punjabi guy at a Diwali function, and he was adamant that I “didn’t look Trinidadian.” The conversation went as follows:

Him: Are you Indian?

Me: No, I’m Trinidadian! But I’m part Indian because we’re a very diverse country and we have a lot of South Asians there.

Him: But you do not look Trinidadian.

Me: Yeah, well, it’s a long story but- the British brought Indians to Trinidad when India was still ruled by Britain, to replace the former enslaved Africans. That’s why.

Him: You don’t look Trinidadian.

Me: Again, we’re a very diverse country because of our history!

Him: You don’t look Trinidadian.

I’m serious, he literally just repeated “You don’t look Trinidadian” with a confused look until we parted ways. Wild.

And then there’s the times when I had my own “Caribbeanness” contested by Brits who claim West Indian heritage because their grandfather was born there but left to move to the UK when he was three. Have they ever gone to the Caribbean? Once when they were a baby. Do they still have family + a family home there? No, most times not. Why am I not a real Caribbean person compared to them? Because I’m Indian and not Black hurrr durrrr!!!

Look, I love it when Caribbean descendants around the world are proud of their culture, but gosh man, actually research your own heritage before jumping to such dotish conclusions!

And then yeah, as bossymarmalade said, Indo-Caribbean just isn’t a recognized ethnic category outside of the Caribbean- this includes the UK. Not just in terms of census info, but culturally as well. I’ve been in contact with Indo-Caribbean Windrush descendants to highlight their stories and good lord, the amount of resistance and sheer anger (from other people) I get when the idea of highlighting Indo-Caribbean identity and culture is brought up.

People like shoving ��the other” into neat little categories and get annoyed when human identity and heritage is much more complex than tick boxes.

Long story short, but this is why I made this blog- a love letter to the homeland that birthed me in all my cultural complexity. I want fellow Trinis to feel proud of how far we’ve come as a rainbow people, regardless of whether you’re African, Indian, Indigenous, Chinese, etc.

the european quest for indian riches changed the world so irrevocably, and it leaves these terrible echoes, for those that live in the caribbean now are deemed west and east indians and the native americans deemed indians too and when india is finally opened up inevitably the forms of immiseration evolve. but the plunder continues.

[baddiesource]

[sayruq]

[zythania]

a bit late but here's trinidad and tobago limbo miku~

[theidiotwhowrites]

I'm actually worried because every time the US does something Trinidad feels the need to copy it and this is something I don't want to be copied

I'm not even from America and this election making me mad.

[ghostshrimpe]

my addition to the miku trend! Miku, but she's from Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇹 i took inspiration from an old tourism ad haha

tap for better quality

more below->

[fyblackwomenart]

Martin Superville -- Caribbean Queen

[thepuppeteer-andthetrashmob]

thought I'd share this here, too (the link) (the tweet)

[folkfashion]

Trinidadian maskers, Trinidad and Tobago, by virtualexpodubai

[omgthatdress]

Trinidad and Tobago!

[risarts]

Jamaican carnival miku💛💚🖤

Draw Miku in your culture trend

Carnival miku save me🥺

[factsbybriggs]

The Steelpan in UK History...

www.factsbybriggs.com

[tropic-havens]

Rufous-tailed hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl) in Yeretté, Trinidad and Tobago

[a-meh]

[rotipizza]

🇹🇹🇬🇩🍴

Savannah Spiced

🌽 🥣 The Savannah Corn - This corn soup was one of the BEST I've had. The taste, the consistency was on point. The heat was there and not too overpowering (Maybe they used pimento 🌶️). Lastly, serving the soup in a @imusausa pot was a nice touch!

🥥 🦐 The Coconut curry shrimp - This was served along with spinach rice and plantin* The shrimp was well seasoned and blended well with the coconut curry. The rice was tasty by itself and cooked just right and the plantin* was an essential part of the meal.

🍹🔥 The Moko Jumbie - I really don't drink but LAWD this drink was everything and then some. The drink normally consists of Johnnie Walker which was substituted with Hennessy, then a splash of Mauby, splash of cranberry juice, then lastly a twist of lime. Honestly, the mixture of everything blended really well!

📍Savannah Spiced

158 Utica Ave

New York, NY 11213