Teaching how to critically read Indo-Caribbean bodies in nineteenth-century postcards
Starting in 2017, the Kislak Center at the University of Pennsylvania has collected postcards dating from the late nineteenth century that depict Indo-Caribbean life and culture in Trinidad, British Guiana, Suriname and Jamaica. From village scenes to Indo-Caribbean women in studio portraits, the bo...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Pluto Journals
2024-11-01
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| Series: | Journal of Indentureship and its Legacies |
| Online Access: | https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.13169/jofstudindentleg.4.2.0077 |
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| author | Rupa Pillai |
| author_facet | Rupa Pillai |
| author_sort | Rupa Pillai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Starting in 2017, the Kislak Center at the University of Pennsylvania has collected postcards dating from the late nineteenth century that depict Indo-Caribbean life and culture in Trinidad, British Guiana, Suriname and Jamaica. From village scenes to Indo-Caribbean women in studio portraits, the bodies featured in these postcards appear in ethnographic views to promote perceptions of Indo-Caribbeans as being exotic and different. However, as I demonstrate, these postcards are valuable pedagogical tools to help students appreciate how race is constructed visually across locations and time. Drawing upon my use of this postcard collection in the past six years in my course on ‘The Asian Caribbean’, I will discuss how I prepare students to critically read Indo-Caribbean bodies featured in these postcards. From learning the history of indenture in the Caribbean to looking at similar colonial representations from the South Asian subcontinent, the students better appreciate how colonial ideologies of race, gender and progress are produced and reinforced through the visual. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b46d224708d449c099fd41afa9af7fed |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2634-1999 2634-2006 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | Pluto Journals |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Indentureship and its Legacies |
| spelling | doaj-art-b46d224708d449c099fd41afa9af7fed2025-01-22T17:00:11ZengPluto JournalsJournal of Indentureship and its Legacies2634-19992634-20062024-11-01427710110.13169/jofstudindentleg.4.2.0077Teaching how to critically read Indo-Caribbean bodies in nineteenth-century postcardsRupa PillaiStarting in 2017, the Kislak Center at the University of Pennsylvania has collected postcards dating from the late nineteenth century that depict Indo-Caribbean life and culture in Trinidad, British Guiana, Suriname and Jamaica. From village scenes to Indo-Caribbean women in studio portraits, the bodies featured in these postcards appear in ethnographic views to promote perceptions of Indo-Caribbeans as being exotic and different. However, as I demonstrate, these postcards are valuable pedagogical tools to help students appreciate how race is constructed visually across locations and time. Drawing upon my use of this postcard collection in the past six years in my course on ‘The Asian Caribbean’, I will discuss how I prepare students to critically read Indo-Caribbean bodies featured in these postcards. From learning the history of indenture in the Caribbean to looking at similar colonial representations from the South Asian subcontinent, the students better appreciate how colonial ideologies of race, gender and progress are produced and reinforced through the visual.https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.13169/jofstudindentleg.4.2.0077 |
| spellingShingle | Rupa Pillai Teaching how to critically read Indo-Caribbean bodies in nineteenth-century postcards Journal of Indentureship and its Legacies |
| title | Teaching how to critically read Indo-Caribbean bodies in nineteenth-century postcards |
| title_full | Teaching how to critically read Indo-Caribbean bodies in nineteenth-century postcards |
| title_fullStr | Teaching how to critically read Indo-Caribbean bodies in nineteenth-century postcards |
| title_full_unstemmed | Teaching how to critically read Indo-Caribbean bodies in nineteenth-century postcards |
| title_short | Teaching how to critically read Indo-Caribbean bodies in nineteenth-century postcards |
| title_sort | teaching how to critically read indo caribbean bodies in nineteenth century postcards |
| url | https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.13169/jofstudindentleg.4.2.0077 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rupapillai teachinghowtocriticallyreadindocaribbeanbodiesinnineteenthcenturypostcards |