Guyana	Asians in the Americas
General Overview  Brief Description  Demographic Resources  Sources Official Census  Foreign Affairs/Immigration  Municipal Registries  Parochial Records  Information/Research Resources, Dissertations and Scholars  Societies and Associations  Embassies  Miscellaneous

General Overview

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Ethnic Groups: East Indian 49%, black 32%, mixed 12%, Amerindian 6%, white and Chinese 1% Religions: Christian 50%, Hindu 33%, Muslim 9%, other 8% Languages: English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu [1]

Visit the CIA World Factbook for more information on this country http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/gy.html

Brief Description

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Arrival of Asian Peoples:

Indians first arrived on May 5, 1838 [2]. "Aboard the Whitby and the Hesperus (the first coolie ships that sailed to the Caribbean colonies), the majority the first Indian immigrants to arrive in British Guiana were the Dhangars from the Chota Nagpur area of northern India" [3]. Seven ships carrying 3,057 Chinese laborers sailed to British Guiana in 1861-1862 [4]. Top of Page

Geographic and Labor Concentration:

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Demographic and Historical Information:

By 1917, 238,909 Indian laborers had immigrated to British Guiana [5]. Top of Page

Demographic Resources

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Official Census:

Statistical Agency Ministry of Planning and Economic Development Statistical Bureau Georgetown National Repositories University of Guyana at Tukeyen East Coast Demerara, Guyana P.O. Box 11112 phone: (592)-222-3586(-3591) http://www.sdnp.org.gy/uog/library.html Main U.S. Repositories New York Public Library 188 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016 (212) 592-7000 http://www.nypl.org/research/sibl/index.html Population Research Center (University of Texas) 1800 Main Building The University of Texas at Austin Austin, Texas 78712-1127 phone: (512) 471-5514 fax: (512) 471-4886 http://www.prc.utexas.edu/ 1861 Country of birth: Race: (origin rather than complexion) "Tables included number of indentured immigrants." [6] 1871 Country of birth: Race: (origin rather than complexion) "Tables included number of indentured immigrants." [7] 1881 Country of birth: Race: (origin rather than complexion) Tables included number of indentured immigrants. [8] 1891 Country of birth: Race: (changed from origin to complexion), occupation (and economically active/ inactive), "Tables included number of indentured immigrants." [9] 1901--No census taken 1911 Country of birth: Race: (changed from origin to complexion), Religion: Tables included number of indentured immigrants. A separate section for East Indians was produced. "Figures of immigration and emigration from other sources were incorporated." [10] 1921 "Same as 1911 plus size of household, orphanhood, registered voters, and place of work. Table of immigration (arriving and leaving) from 1835 to 1921 was included in the report." [11] 1931 "Same as 1921 but dropped place of work, orphanhood, and registered voters. First report to have a copy of the schedule used (household) and first to state that the census was self-enumerated. Marital status expanded to include divorce, occupation included both main and subsidiary. Age groups are nonstandard (one, two, three, four, five, six to ten, eleven to fifteen..." [12] 1946 Birthplace Religion (specific denomination), Race: white, black, East Indian, Syrian, Chinese, other Asiatic, mixed or colored (African with white or with Asiatic) [13] 1960 Race: Negro, White, East Indian, Chinese, Mixed, Portuguese, Amerindian, Carib, Syrian and Lebanese, and Other. [14] Religion: Anglican, Orthodox Baptist, Spiritual Baptist, Baptist Type Not Stated, Bible Students, Brethren, Christian Catholic, Christian Science, Church of Christ, Church of God, Congregational, Episcopal, Ethiopian Orthodox, Other, Faith Healing, Gospel Hall, Greek Orthodox, Jehovah Witness, Lutheran, Methodist, Moravian, Nazarene, Open Bible Church, Pentecostal, Presbyterian (Canadian Mission), Presbyterian (Scottish), Pilgrim Holiness, Quakers, Roman Catholic, Salvation Army, Seventh Day Adventist, Sordomite, Other Christian, Buddist, Confucian, Hebrew (Jewish), Hindu Sanatanist, Hindu (Arya Samaji'st), Hindu (Arian), Hindu (Kabir Sabha Pan'thee), Hindu (Seunarine Pan'thee), Hindu (Ramanandee), Hindu (Other), Muslim (TackveeYatul Islamic Association), Muslim (Anjumansunnatul Jamaat Association) Muslim (Other), Other Non-Christian, Religion Not Stated [15] 1970 Race: Negro/black, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian, Portuguese, Syrian/Lebanese, white, mixed, other races (classification supplied by the respondent) Religion: specified religious denomination according to respondent's preference not official membership Migration: birthplace for native born, parish; for foreign born, country and year of immigration [16] Top of Page

Foreign Affairs/Immigration:

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Takuba Lodge 254 South Rd and New Garden St Georgetown phone: 592-226-1607, 226-1609 fax: 592-225-9192 E-mail: minfor@sdnp.org.gy www.minfor.gov.gy Ministry of Home Affairs 6 Brickdam Stabroek, Georgetown phone: 592-225-7270 fax: 592-226-2740 National Library 76/77 Church & Main Streets Georgetown phone: 592-227-4053, 227-4052, 226-2690, 226-2699 fax: 592-227-4053 E-mail: natlib@sdnp.org.gy http://www.sdnp.org.gy/natlib/ Top of Page

Municipal Registries:

Ministry of Local Government De Winkle Bldgs Fort St. Kingston, Georgetown phone: 592-225-8624 Top of Page

Parochial Records:

Guyana Council of Churches 26 Durban St. Lodge, Georgetown phone: 592-225-3020 E-mail: bishopedghil@hotmail.com The Anglican Communion Bishop of Guyana Austin House 49 High Street Georgetown 1 phone: 592-226-4183 fax: 592-226-3353 The Baptist Convention of Guyana POB 10149 Georgetown phone: 592-226-0428 The Lutheran Church in Guyana Lutheran Courts POB 88 New Amsterdam phone: 3-3425 fax: 3-6479 E-mail: lcg@guyana.net.gy The Roman Catholic Church Bishop of Georgetown Bishop's House 27 Brickdam POB 10720 Stabroek, Georgetown phone: 592-226-4469 fax: 592-225-8519 E-mail: rcbishop@solutions2000.net Hindu Religious Centre Maha Sabha 162 Lamaha St. POB 10576 Georgetown phone: 592-225-7443 The Central Islamic Organization of Guyana M.Y.O. Bldg. Woolford Ave. Thomas Lands POB 10245 Georgetown phone: 592-225-8654 fax: 592-225-7313 E-mail: ciog@sdnp.org.gy Guyana United Sad'r Islamic Anjuman 157 Alexander St. Kitty POB 10715 Georgetown phone: 592-226-9620 Top of Page

Information/Research Resources, Dissertations and Scholars:

Chatterjee, Sumita. Indian Women's Lives and Labor: The Indentureship Experience in Trinidad and Guyana: 1845-1917. University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 1997. Hall, Laura Jane. The Chinese in Guyana: The Making of a Creole Community. University of California, Berkeley, 1995. Look Lai, Walton. Sugar Plantations and Indentured Labor: Migrations from China and India to the British West Indies, 1838-1918 (Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, British Guiana). New York University, 1991. Top of Page

Societies and Associations:

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Embassies:

China, People's Republic of 108 Duke St. Kingston, Georgetown phone: 592-227-1651 India Bank of Baroda Bldg. 10 Ave of the Republic POB 101148 Georgetown phone: 226-3996 fax: 592-225-7012 Korea, Democratic People's Republic 82 Premniranjan Place Georgetown phone: 592-226-0266 Suriname 304 Church St. POB 10508 Georgetown phone: 592-226-7844 Top of Page

Miscellaneous:

"Children born to parents of different racial groups were classified as Mixed." [Population Census 1960. Vol. 3. Parts B and D. Port of Spain: Central Statistical Office, 1967. pp. ix] Top of Page

Sources

[1] http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook. Accessed 01/22/2002. [2] Ramdin, Ron. Arising from Bondage: A History of the Indo-Caribbean People. New York: I.B. Tauris Publishers, 2000. p. 14. [3] Ibid. p. 53. [4] Ibid. p. 8. [5] Ibid. p. 16. [6] Goyer, Doreen S. The Handbook of National Population Censuses : Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, and Oceania. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1983. p. 206. [7] Ibid. [8] Ibid. [9] Ibid. [10] Ibid. [11] Ibid. [12] Ibid. [13] Goyer, Doreen S. The Handbook of National Population Censuses : Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, and Oceania. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1983. pp. 103-104. [14] Population Census 1960. Vol. 3. Parts B and D. Port of Spain: Central Statistical Office, 1967. p. ix [15] Ibid. pp. 7-1-7-4. [16] Goyer, Doreen S. The Handbook of National Population Censuses : Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, and Oceania. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1983. p. 108. Top of Page