Racism is the insidious enemy of our developing nation, but it’s an invited enemy and food for politicians. Less subtly, it has become the cry of outrage systematically hurled by so many political partisans and propagandists who are incapacitated by their own ineptitude to defend their ideas, ideologies and causes. Racism pollutes Guyana, invades every aspect of life in society; the virtual spheres of existence are far from exempt.
Paradoxically, there are those who purport to defend the construction of a national identity, while simultaneously denying legitimacy to the ethno-cultural diversities of Guyana. And among these, hide the hypocrites, lobbyists, who believe that a national identity must be on par with the interests of specific ethnic groups. These are the people who pose a real threat to nation-building.
One such person is Eric Phillips, who on social media (June 29: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10155530451994241&id=686579240) can be quoted as saying: “So how come there is an entire Ministry devoted to Amerindians and 26 billion in the 2017 budget for them… we all know why the Portuguese stay under the radar…”. When asked “why?” by a Portuguese user, Phillips responded; “Small numbers and the richest per capita”. This obscene discussion can be found on Phillips’ publicly visible Facebook page.
For the purpose of clarification, (but I’m sure Phillips and acolytes know this), Amerindians are indigenous to the Americas, to South America, and therefore represent through their cultural and linguistic heritage, a historical legacy for mankind. They are the bridge between the past and the present. It is for this purpose, for the preservation of that rapidly eroding heritage, that they are a world recognised and protected minority, for whom culture is intrinsically tied to their lands which were taken by force from them by the European colonizers. And it is because the Constitution of Guyana recognizes the rights of our indigenous peoples, and pledges to honour their place in our society, that Amerindian heritage has not disappeared in its entirety today. If Guyana was led by selfish, self-serving individuals such as Phillips, then the chances of indigenous cultural preservation would be slight, if any at all.
As for the Portuguese being the “smallest in numbers”, perhaps this can find clarity in Guyana’s turbulent colonial history, where hostility from the British, the Creoles and the Africans drove so many back to their native Madeira. When it wasn’t the British trying to curb Portuguese economic success via discriminatory economic policies, it was the Creoles and Africans leading riots to loot and destroy their businesses and homes.
Therefore, those who suffer selective amnesia should be reminded that in 1856 the Ange Gabriel riots ravaged Portuguese businesses in the three counties, with damages amounting to over USD 250 000, which at the time was a tremendous loss. There was the famous case of Manuel Gomes Ferreira’s Main Street shop being looted by a mob of 50 individuals in 1865, on the pretext that it was half open on a Sunday. There were also the Cent Bread Riots where mobs of women stormed Portuguese homes in Essequibo, while the men dragged civilians from tram cars and beat them on the streets. Then there were the 1889 Charlestown riots.
The Portuguese acumen for business, cobbled with their cultural specificities which extended to the linguistic and religious realms, were cause for resentment not only from subjects but also from the British Crown. As a result, shop licenses were either denied or came at exorbitant annual costs. Timber was seized. Shop owners were refused permission to trade on Sundays while other non-Portuguese unlicensed shops were allowed to operate. And officially, the Portuguese were dubbed “aliens” long before the question of naturalization even arose, because of their cultural specificities. Last but just as important, came the 28-year Burnham dictatorship which forced Guyanese from across ethnic backgrounds, to flee Guyana.
It is therefore only comprehensible that under such circumstances, so many of these “aliens” heeded the call of the Portuguese Crown to return home, when the conditions were only barely tolerable in British Guiana.
The skewed historical rhetoric peddled by men such as Phillips, can only find ears among those who are unfamiliar with their history. Unfortunately, many of our younger generations are either uninformed or believe that history is irrelevant in the shaping of our country’s future.
However, the 2015 change in Government proves this belief to be erroneous and reminds us that history is our greatest teacher.
