Split Me in Two: Exploring Dougla Identity in the Caribbean

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Have you ever wondered about the beautiful complexity that arises when different cultures blend? The Caribbean term "Dougla" captures exactly that—specifically describing people of mixed African and Indian heritage in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Suriname. Today we unpack this fascinating identity that emerged from the region's colonial past of enslavement and indentured servitude. Derived from the Hindi word "Dogala" (meaning "double" or "mix"), the term once carried negative connotations but has been powerfully reclaimed as a symbol of pride. 

This blending of worlds symbolizes the Caribbean's remarkable capacity for cultural resilience and reinvention. It reminds us that some of humanity's most beautiful creations emerge at the intersection of different traditions. Subscribe to Strictly Facts for more explorations of Caribbean history and culture, and join our conversation about the diverse heritage that shapes our world today!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Strictly Facts a guide to Caribbean
history and culture.
Hosted by me, alexandria Miller.
Strictly Facts teaches thehistory, politics and activism
of the Caribbean and connectsthese themes to contemporary
music and popular culture.
Welcome to Strictly Facts aguide to Caribbean history and

(00:22):
culture, the podcast where weexplore the rich cultures,
histories and identities of theCaribbean.
I'm your host, alexandria, andin today's episode we're diving
into a part of Caribbeanmultiracial identity and ethnic
identity that we sometimesoverlook, especially Dougla.
Dr Hossain, in our last episode, described herself as a proud

(00:44):
Dougla woman and I thought whynot explore that term more?
Dougla, what does it mean,where does it come from and how
has it shaped Caribbean identity, especially in terms of mixed
ethnicity?
When we think about ethnicidentities in the Caribbean, we
often think of the labels thatstem from the various historical

(01:04):
in the Caribbean.
We often think of the labelsthat stem from the various
historical, racial and culturalinfluences that have shaped who
we are.
For centuries, the Caribbeanhas been a melting pot of sorts
of different peoples indigenouscommunities, the region's
original inhabitants, enslavedAfricans, european colonizers,
asian indentured servants andseveral others, colonizers,
asian indentured servants andseveral others.
Duggala is just one of the manyterms that encapsulate this

(01:28):
rich and complex mix ofethnicities.
So what does Duggala mean?
Duggala is a term primarily usedin the Caribbean and diaspora,
particularly in countries likeTrinidad and Tobago, guyana and
Suriname, to describeindividuals of mixed African and
Indian descent.
The word itself has roots inour colonial histories of

(01:48):
enslavement and indenturedservitude and reflects the union
of these two historicallysubjugated groups.
The origins of the term aresomewhat debated, but it's
generally thought that Duggalais derived from the Hindu word
Duggala, which means double ormix.
However, historically, therehas been some contention about

(02:10):
the meaning of Duggla.
Once used to deride mixed-racepeople's legitimacy, it has not
always been seen as a positiveword and to that point, as we
continue to move and migrate, ithas sometimes been used now, in
modern day, to describe thejoining of other mixed race
groups, not just Afro-Indianpeople.

(02:31):
What makes Duggala interestingis how it contrasts with other
terms that describe mixedethnicity in the Caribbean.
Historically, the Caribbean hasseen an array of complex
identities and labels.
In some contexts, terms likemulatto someone who is of mixed
African and European descent ormestizo, of African and

(02:55):
indigenous descent, have beenused.
These terms often carry heavyconnotations of racial hierarchy
, with European ancestry beingconsidered superior in many
societies and they aren't aspopular in today's world.
But Dugla doesn't quite fitinto that same framework.
It is a term that in many wayshas been reclaimed by the people

(03:18):
of mixed African and Indiandescent as a point of pride,
despite its earlier negativeconnotations.
It signifies a blending ofcultures, two of the most
prominent racial and ethnicgroups in the Caribbean.
In that sense, the word itselfhas evolved from something
potentially derogatory tosomething that can carry

(03:38):
empowerment and pride in itsmulticultural roots.
In some ways, dougla offers asense of solidarity, as it
acknowledges both African andIndian heritage, in the same
breath lifting up those who aredescended by historically
marginalized people in aracially divided society.

(03:59):
While the term has been used ina variety of ways, today it is
overwhelmingly serving us as areminder of the fusion of
cultures that have made theCaribbean what it is today.
You might be wondering how doesDouglas show up in Caribbean
popular culture?
I'm always looking for those,as you all know.

(04:19):
So whether it's woven into thefabric of the region's music,
literature and even politics.
I'm here to give you someexamples.
One of the most significantplaces where we see the
influence of Dugla is in ourmusic.
Of course, artists have longacknowledged and celebrated the
fusion of African and Indianmusical traditions, creating

(04:41):
rhythms and melodies that blendthese two cultures into
something entirely unique.
In fact, the fusion of Africanand Indian rhythms gave rise to
the distinct sounds of Trinidad,especially when we think of
Calypso and Chutney Soka.
Many of these music stylescelebrate the Dougal identity,
acknowledging both African andIndian cultural roots in their

(05:04):
melodies and lyrics.
A great example of this is the1961 song Split Me in Two by
Trinidadian-Kalepsonian CletusAli, whose stage name is none
other than Mighty Duggla.
In it, he aptly describes themutual understanding of Duggla's
motherlands when he sings ifthey sending indians to india

(05:28):
and africans back to africa,well, somebody please just tell
me, were they sending poor me?
I am neither one nor the other.
Six of one, half dozen of theother.
So if they sending all thesepeople back home, for true, they
got to split me in two.
The song was so important thatMighty Duggla won the Calypso

(05:49):
Monarch with the song in thatyear.
Additionally, the 2021 bookDuggla in the 21st Century,
adding to the mix by Sue AnnBarrett and Aaliyah Ranjit Singh
, bring us into the modern day.
In it, they explorecontemporary notions and
complications of Dugla identity,like skin color, hair type and

(06:10):
much more.
To wrap things up, the termDugla represents more than just
a simple description of someonewith mixed African and Indian
heritage.
It symbolizes the rich historyof cultural exchange, adaptation
and survival in the Caribbean.
It acknowledges the blending oftwo distinct worlds African and

(06:31):
Indian and highlights theCaribbean's ability to create
new, unique cultural expressions.
It has also become a tool forempowerment, offering people of
mixed heritage a way to embraceboth sides of their identity in
a region built on diversity andinterconnection.
And with that, I hope yougained some tremendous insight

(06:55):
in our episode today in terms ofthe meaning and significance of
Dugla as an ethnic identity andhow it has shaped Caribbean
culture, both past and present.
As always, thank you so much fortuning in.
Be sure to subscribe toStrictly Facts on your favorite
podcast platform, share with afamily member or friend and

(07:17):
definitely be in moreconversation with us in terms of
the diverse and fascinatinghistories and cultures that make
us who we are.
Until next time, I'm Alexandria, and this has been another
episode of Strictly Facts, aguide to Caribbean history and
culture Little more.
Thanks for tuning in toStrictly Facts.
Visit strictlyfactspodcastcomfor more information from each

(07:39):
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