What race/ethnicity for Guyanese?

[Anonymous]

I am white but DH is Asian and I think the race / ethnicity buckets are so bizarre for Asians. There is a world of difference in privilege between someone of Indian Brahaim descent whose parents are from a major urban center and have PhDs in STEM fields/are doctors from someone whose parents fled rural Bangladesh due to some natural disaster that wiped out their home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for your responses. I'm no closer to an answer, but at least I know it was a fair question!

You have an answer they fall into the racial category of Asian. Yes race is a social construct but if you are asking a question in the context of the construct, this is the answer. Just because it is the answer you don't want doesn't means "it is all so confusing I don't get it!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is so dumb. But I would say Caribbean for sure. She is not from India. She’s from the Caribbean.

I can't believe you're calling someone dumb with your comment.

It’s hardly a stupid comment. Despite being on the mainland, Guyana is considered Caribbean and was a founding member of CARICOM, the Caribbean Community.

[Anonymous]

Guyana is a country, not a race. As with most countries, there are people from Guyana of many races. So they would check the race that they are, whether Asian, black or multiracial.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hello. Sorry if this is a dumb question, it's not obvious to me. Literally asking for a friend. My family is from India, so we put down Asian. Not perfect, but made my peace with this a long ago. We were at a college prep meeting at school last night, and the guidance counselors were basically saying to the kids, don't try to play games, be honest about your background. (And following SC decision not sure why this matters anyway?) A mom friend of mine, whose family is from Guyana, going back generations, and mostly of Indian origin said to me, "Ok yeah, honestly what does my kid put?" (Dad is same as mom.) I asked her what she puts on medical forms and she said she just doesn't answer it. Is Asian right? The family visits Guyana every year, is proud of their heritage, they're Hindu (actually she is, her husband's fam is Christian and Muslim), they eat roti everyday lol, etc. She feels like Asian would be wrong or maybe even misleading. They're certainly not Hispanic.

First kids for both of us so we also don't know what the options are. Thanks for any insight.

Don't trust the college admissions people. They say one thing but do another. Guyanese peeps should be able to put down Black and get away with it. Their ancestors went through the same lived experiences as US Blacks so no reason not to.

[Anonymous]

^^ PP again.. The best part with doing this, colleges are not allowed to use race in the admissions process so if they do find out you are not Black and try to rescind your application, that's a lawsuit because they are not supposed to use that info.

Come to think of it.. everyone should do this. What can the colleges do? Rescind your admission and face lawsuits?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If Afro-Cubans can be Hispanic, so can Indo-Guyanese

I know many older Indo-Guyanese who check off the Hispanic box. It is actually common amongst those in my generation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Guyana is a country, not a race. As with most countries, there are people from Guyana of many races. So they would check the race that they are, whether Asian, black or multiracial.

Just as happens in the US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Guyana is a country, not a race. As with most countries, there are people from Guyana of many races. So they would check the race that they are, whether Asian, black or multiracial.

Just as happens in the US.

But Hispanic indicates ethnicity rather than race and can include people who are white, brown or other colors. The Census Bureau refers to culture or country of origin when defining Hispanic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Guyana is a country, not a race. As with most countries, there are people from Guyana of many races. So they would check the race that they are, whether Asian, black or multiracial.

Just as happens in the US.

But Hispanic indicates ethnicity rather than race and can include people who are white, brown or other colors. The Census Bureau refers to culture or country of origin when defining Hispanic.

We know lots of folks with Caribbean origin/background who pick Hispanic as ethnicity.

I’m essays, talk about their family from such such a country - even if they speak no Spanish… It definitely helps.
Also helps if you can be in the Hispanic scholar recognition program which doesn’t have strict rules (just start picking it on all forms in schools asap).

There are many Hispanic Asians (and Wikipedia indicates that many Indo Caribbean are considered Asian Latin Americans and Hispanic)….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is so dumb. But I would say Caribbean for sure. She is not from India. She’s from the Caribbean.

I can't believe you're calling someone dumb with your comment.

It’s hardly a stupid comment. Despite being on the mainland, Guyana is considered Caribbean and was a founding member of CARICOM, the Caribbean Community.

Do you not understand the difference between RACE and NATIONALITY? Honestly? Caribbean is not a race. Just like American is not race.

[Anonymous]

Asian Latino = Hispanic.

Yes, Guyanese is considered Hispanic.
Same with Trinidad.

[Anonymous]

Kudos. Creative scenario this week. I like how it's always a friend of a friend or "my college roommate's cousin."

[Anonymous]

Yes, people from Trinidad and Tobago can be considered Latino because they are from Latin America. However, Trinidad and Tobago is also part of the Anglo Caribbean, which is made up of countries that are primarily influenced by English or Dutch culture, rather than Latin culture.

Trinidad and Tobago's population is made up of many different ethnicities, including:
Afro-Trinidadians
Indo-Trinidadians
White Trinidadians
Cocoa panyol
Mixed indigenous Carib
People of mixed ethnicity

The official language of Trinidad and Tobago is English, but most people speak Trinidad English, a creole language. Some people also speak Spanish, French-derived creole, or Hindi

[Anonymous]

Its like people of Japanese descent born in Peru (huge population there many generations now).
They are actually considered Latino.

Does that count as Hispanic?