One does not have to experience racism in order to write about it

Feb 14, 2021 Letters

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Dear Editor,

Kaieteur News – The UK government’s reaction to events, point to the existence of racism. Mr. Charles Sohan, (Feb 12) claims that because I had no personal experience of life in England, my narration of experiences of Guyanese migrants on bouts of racism “lacks credibility.” Such a statement is not scholarly and would be rejected in academia. Mr. Sohan may wish to reexamine that remark. If one had to live in a place to write about it, then not much would be published. Most writers did not observe election riggings in Guyana, but they still penned articles.
It is true that I did not live in UK, but I listened to enough narration of experiences of racism and read a lot from scholars to know that non-Anglo Saxons, Sohan included perhaps without actually recognizing it, experienced racism in the UK. Not all British are racist or not all of UK is a racist society. I did not live in the South of the US. But I know there was Jim Crow racism from my readings and from interaction with Black Americans who trekked up north and studied with me in the 1970s. One does not have to experience racism in order to write about it. I did not live in India or Africa. But I know that White imperial rule was racist. I lived in Guyana and America and I experienced racism.

I do a lot of writing of experiences of Guyanese and Indians in the diaspora on their experiences as migrants. Research sheds new light on how people view racism. Sohan, not experiencing racism does not mean it did not exist. Shridath Ramphal did not admit to election rigging. Does that mean Burnham or Hoyte did not rig elections? Charles Sohan is perhaps the only one who said he did not experience racism in England while living there between 1953 and 1961. Also, Ted Braithwaite in “To Sir, With Love” wrote there was no racism exhibited towards him when he lived with a White family; his almost lifelong partner was a White woman. One Guyanese I interviewed did say that he had no difficulties in obtaining a job. He left one job and got another right away. He had no difficulty in finding accommodation. But he did confess there were signs in front of several homes or work places – “No Irish, No Dogs, No Welsh, No Scottish, No Coloureds, No Blacks.” These were standards in England until the 1990s. As Sohan insinuated, such signs may have nothing to do with nationality or race. I doubt it. He has suggested these nationalities were rejected probably because they were rowdy or that coming from Boundyard they lacked the “culture” of the British. I doubt that given the behaviour of certain political rulers like Winston Churchill and British government policy towards non-Anglos. Racism can be both overt and covert. And how about the racist treatment of the 1948 Windrush immigrants. The government of UK has acknowledged that there has been a history of racism in the UK. Secretary Priti Patel, also made a comment about racism in UK in making reference to the BLM movement. Such admissions belie what Sohan feels about racism in England. There were race riots in UK; does that not suggest there was racism? Sohan should take a look at a study by Guyanese scholars Drs. Ahmad Baksh and Martin Boodhoo on racism in UK (Impact of Brain Drain on Development – 42% said racial discrimination affected their adjustment in England).
Sohan said his family paid his school fees in London and they were not prohibitive. What is affordable by one family may not be afforded by another. Regrettably in the cruel world in which we dwell, poverty (and racism) does militate against an education. I worked and pursued doctoral education. I cannot comment on whether Sohan met the requirements for entrance into a medical program in UK. He left Guyana to study medicine. I would not belittle anyone’s academic ability. I came to America with the intention to study medicine. I got sidetracked and became obsessed with the Guyana liberation movement and abandoned medicine for doctoral studies in politics, expecting such studies would help to free my people. That does not mean I was less prepared or less qualified to undertake medical studies. One would not know the obstacles that prevent someone like Sohan from achieving personal goals.
Contrary to what Sohan penned, many Guyanese (from the 1950s till now) ventured up north to pursue tertiary education with the hope of getting a part time job. They came from poor families who could not afford to pay tuition. Part time work was the only means for an education including for someone like me who also had to pay varied bills and send assistance to the homeland as well as contribute financially to the liberation movement.
Sohan could be right that the premier government high school in Berbice was the Berbice High School, just over the Canje Bridge coming from the Corentyne. I passed Common Entrance in 1972 and gained admission to BHS. My parents opted instead for Corentyne High School, a private school that was considered more prestigious because of educators affiliated with it. BHS moved to Multilateral around 1974. And another school moved to BHS. CHS results were superior to BHS for several years during J.C Chandisingh’s tenure as principal. I do not have access to Senior Cambridge results during the 1940s or 1950s for either school, and as such cannot comment on which was better performing. Both schools were prestigious up until the 1970s. Their graduates got admission at leading universities, including in UK, where several described their experiences of racial discrimination. Sohan was indeed very fortunate to not have experienced racism in the UK.

Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram

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