My family hails from Guyana, and we are considered Indo-Guyanese. Our ancestors were indentured servants that were brought to Guyana after the abolition of slavery to fill the void in free labor. Over three generations, we have lost almost all of our ancestors' previous culture. It feels so far removed that I would get offended at being called Indian due to the fact that I strongly identify with the West-Indian culture and the Caribbean way of life.  
As my maturity ripened over the years, I have become a disciplined student of history. My perspective has since shifted when I bridged the context of colonization and erasure. my mind has since “cracked open” to the unlimited possibilities of rediscovery. One of my current missions is to try to bridge the gap between the past and the present. 
As a child, I remember always being intrigued by my mother’s silver bangles. I absolutely loved how she adorned herself with them, I loved the soft jingle sounds they made which sounded like sweet music to my ear. As I grew older, I received four pairs of those exact bangles when I got my first degree. Since then, I have gained new reverence for these bangles because I have come to understand that it is an integral part of my culture- a culture that feels far removed. These bangles have now become more than just jewelry. They are my only tangible link to an erased past, a sole artifact bridging my ancestors heritage to my own.

– Nadyia Hamid

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant