You're SO white!

 

We have made some interesting observations about politics and race since being in Guyana.    As I have mentioned before, the country has a mixed racial population – predominantly East Indian (Indo-Guyanese) about 42%, then about 30% Afro-Guyanese and the rest are a mixture of Amerindian, European and Chinese.     Politically the country was under British rule until independence in 1966 when a series of Marxist Governments impoverished the country, ripped up the railway lines, banned imports, depleting natural resources etc and many people left to live in other countries.  I have mentioned before that 80% of people with degrees leave Guyana to live and work in the Caribbean, the USA, Canada and Britain which has left a ‘brain drain’ and a declining population which adds to the country’s economic and social problems.    The current political parties are deeply divided on racial grounds – although people seem to live alongside each other amicably, we have been told that there is an undercurrent of racism between the Indo and Afro Guyanese – for example Afro Guyanese won’t bother applying for a job at a business run by Indians as they say they only employ their own race.    When we moved here I was concerned about how we would be perceived being white and British and wondered if people would feel antagonistic towards us.  This has not been the case at all and everyone we have met has been very friendly and welcoming even if they are intrigued by us and our white skin and floppy hair!     We worried they might see us as symbols of oppression and colonialism.  In actual fact we have realised that we are the ones trying to help them break free from the oppression in the nation and the church and seeking to increase their self worth and enable them to rise up and be who God called them to be.  We also seek to encourage them to worship in their own vibrant style and not feel they have to do everything the way the British taught them which is a bit staid and belongs to a bygone era!  I think they realise that we love them and have their best interests at heart so most people have taken us into their hearts.    We have had some funny comments made to us… ·        One man said to Mark ‘You’re SO white’ in complete incredulity! ·        A young girl asked Mark, ‘Why are you so red?!’ ·        One of the youth said my hair looks like a mop!  That made me feel a whole lot better about the hideous condition of my hair! ·        When introducing me to some locals one of the youth said, ‘This is Sister Carolyn our pastor’s wife…she is white!’   I said to her that they could probably see that for themselves!    We have had children staring at us (I think some of the more rural communities never see a white person!) and when we go to Georgetown we are a target for all the beggars who associate white people with money.  Bearing in mind our training we try not to give money but carry around packets of biscuits and peanuts and Christian leaflets to give out!