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"Children Of The Sugarcane"
My daughter's great grandmother from her paternal side recently contacted me, over a warm and hearty phone conversation she expressed her need of getting to know my baby and being a part of her life. I was filled with appreciation and deep respect for her.
Thoughts then dawned upon me, I want my daughter to know her heritage, her roots and her ancestral lineage. Our culture is so rich, so vibrant and being a part of the melting pot of diversity sure makes us unique. We are people whose genetics are not of this land. The land in which we inhabit is home but our genetics tell a different story. I remember reading these words years ago that read, "African wings with Indian roots", I loved those words! How true are they?
Our forefathers left our homeland, India over a 150 years ago. The ports of Madras and Calcutta served as the points of embarkation for them. If it weren't for them? Could we have gotten a chance to be educated, liberated and as free thinking as we are today?
Our forefathers had foresight as they agreed to become indentured labourers to escape the widespread poverty and famine in the 19th century. Some travelled alone; others brought their families to settle in the colonies they worked in. They rose and progressed from barracks dwellers to homeowners.
Thanks to those sacrifes, my daughter will have parents who grew up with their own set of struggles but we were fortunate enough to have studied and hold the titles, "engineer" and "teacher". We are the answered prayers of our ancestors. We were fortunate enough to have travelled, to be welcomed and born in a country like South Africa which boasts it's own culture and heritage.
Yes, the term is quite popular now, we are indeed, "Children of Sugarcane", it's actually the title of a book written by Joanne Joseph. A beautiful description of who we are.
Our grandparents faced poverty, slavery and harsh conditions so we could one day live lives of quality, how could we ever repay that? By embracing who we are, by not allowing the future generations to dilute our identity. My daughter will know her heritage, whatever she chooses as her religious belief will be solely up to her but heritage? That's imprinted into who we are.
Men and women years ago have paved the way for the lives we live today, best to appreciate them, yeah?
I've read articles on our History and I'm so grateful and thankful to be a part of such a rich culture. Why do we look the way we do? How many thousands of people have the same eyes and smile? How many mixes are concocted in our genes? I find this so absolutely fascinating. I'm enthralled by it all and I cannot wait to discover more.
© Memoirs of Maryannable's Mashables
Thoughts then dawned upon me, I want my daughter to know her heritage, her roots and her ancestral lineage. Our culture is so rich, so vibrant and being a part of the melting pot of diversity sure makes us unique. We are people whose genetics are not of this land. The land in which we inhabit is home but our genetics tell a different story. I remember reading these words years ago that read, "African wings with Indian roots", I loved those words! How true are they?
Our forefathers left our homeland, India over a 150 years ago. The ports of Madras and Calcutta served as the points of embarkation for them. If it weren't for them? Could we have gotten a chance to be educated, liberated and as free thinking as we are today?
Our forefathers had foresight as they agreed to become indentured labourers to escape the widespread poverty and famine in the 19th century. Some travelled alone; others brought their families to settle in the colonies they worked in. They rose and progressed from barracks dwellers to homeowners.
Thanks to those sacrifes, my daughter will have parents who grew up with their own set of struggles but we were fortunate enough to have studied and hold the titles, "engineer" and "teacher". We are the answered prayers of our ancestors. We were fortunate enough to have travelled, to be welcomed and born in a country like South Africa which boasts it's own culture and heritage.
Yes, the term is quite popular now, we are indeed, "Children of Sugarcane", it's actually the title of a book written by Joanne Joseph. A beautiful description of who we are.
Our grandparents faced poverty, slavery and harsh conditions so we could one day live lives of quality, how could we ever repay that? By embracing who we are, by not allowing the future generations to dilute our identity. My daughter will know her heritage, whatever she chooses as her religious belief will be solely up to her but heritage? That's imprinted into who we are.
Men and women years ago have paved the way for the lives we live today, best to appreciate them, yeah?
I've read articles on our History and I'm so grateful and thankful to be a part of such a rich culture. Why do we look the way we do? How many thousands of people have the same eyes and smile? How many mixes are concocted in our genes? I find this so absolutely fascinating. I'm enthralled by it all and I cannot wait to discover more.
© Memoirs of Maryannable's Mashables
