Conclusion

This concluding chapter argues that creolization is not a linear process that leads to a more homogeneous society but rather a dialectical process that is negotiated along lines of race, class, and gender. The fact that Indo-Guyanese and Indo-Trinidadians are expressing their differences does not negate the creolization process. Many see creolization as a movement toward one homogeneous culture that has elements of all previous cultural influences. However, creolization is a dialectical process whereby multiple changing cultures exist side by side, each reformulating elements within their respective contexts. This ultimately highlights the much broader question of not just how the Indo-Guyanese and Indo-Trinidadian communities define themselves within their respective societies, but how they define themselves vis-à-vis the broader Caribbean region and how one goes about analyzing Indo-Caribbean identity within the broader context of a “Caribbean identity.”