by Alex Bacchus (they/them)

I changed the name! Meh chanj di name! J’ai changé le nom! An chanjé non-la! Ik heb de naam veranderd! मैंने नाम बदल दिया! Maiṅ ne naam badal diyaa! !میں نے نام بدل دیا

I have changed the name of this project. I recently learned the c-word—a word so commonly reclaimed amongst my diasporic circles of Indo-Guyanese and Trinidadians—is a word that brings pain for many others and is rejected and not used at all by other diasporas. While saying that, I don’t say that all Guyanese and Trinidadians embrace the word. I was aware of a debate, but I was ignorant and I did not fully calculate the word’s pain and its complete rejection by other communities. The original title of this project with the (in)famous c-word would serve if this was solely examining Guyanese and Trinidadian diasporas, but being that this project extends to include other diasporas and seeks to build conversations, it is essential to have greater sensitivity and to be inclusive by avoiding the c-word. It is crucial to be in conversation with other diasporas descending from indenture and to be aware of their decolonial movements and methods if we are to be in full solidarity with them.

I do feel there is potential in reclaiming the c-word, and it is a word that has been important to me. But I am recognizing more the boundaries and limitations of reclaiming in different spaces and diasporas.

I am grateful to be able to talk about this with others and gain their insight and wisdom. A crucial question that arose from those advising me on the matter was “is the name a collaborative effort or one you choose on your own?”

The word must be discussed and we must have awareness of the diverse relationships that exist with the word in reconciling the history from which we descend. Simultaneously, this must be accompanied by sensitivity, something that I have lacked to include, and I apologize for causing any pain through my work. Reconciliation is neither an easy nor comfortable task. And I acknowledge this has been a bold start to reconciliation.

You can observe the changes and evolution of my perspectives in the posts “The C-Word Continued” and “What is a Coolie?”