ABOUT

Here's a quick Q+A: 

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1. Why is it called "Mangoes and Masala"? 

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If you grew up in a West Indian household, you know Mangoes and Masala are two items you will find in your kitchen no matter what. Mangoes represent the sweetness of the Guyanese identity and Masala represents the South Asian roots in Indo-Caribbean culture. 

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2. What content can we expect? 

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Coming December 2020, there will be blog posts (and book reviews!). The main purpose of this blog is to discuss and provide a safe space for people of Guyanese descent or Mixed Guyanese descent to feel comfortable in exploring their racial identity. Many mixed people are all too familiar with the feeling of "not being enough" for either side. I want to address those feelings and concerns and help others explore ways of feeling more comfortable with their ancestry.

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3. Why is it important to explore your identity? 

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The indentured laborer system persisted for 75 years in Guyana with many of these laborer's from India. It is important to recognize this history. Today, 38.9% of the population of Guyana is of Indian descent. It is important to acknowledge our ancestors and have a safe space to do so. Many Guyanese people have a difficult time finding answers about their ancestry due to poor record keeping of indentured laborer's and overall lack of documentation in the past. This in turn, can make it feel difficult to choose how we identify ourselves and feel "out of place" within our own communities. As a mixed Guyanese person myself, I have always found it hard to accept who I am because I never felt like I looked "Guyanese" enough. I know others felt this way as well, so I am hoping this blog resonates with all of the people who've grown up feeling like they didn't belong in their communities.