Dear Editor,
I regret inadvertently identifying Mr Seelochan Beharry as a candidate of the AFC and a former member of the PPP as he pointed out in his letter ‘Bisram’s letter contains two major errors‘ (SN, Nov 9). No malice was intended. I do not know and do not recollect ever meeting the gentleman and I concede I was incorrectly advised about his political background by a friend in New York. The error came to my attention on Tuesday afternoon and it is regretted. I thank Mr Beharry for bringing it to the public’s attention. I am sorry that I do not have access to the AFC’s list for perusal unlike Mr Beharry, who does have such access, and as such I could not verify info about his background.
Contrary to what Mr Beharry advises, I could not ask Mr Donald Ramotar, PPP presidential candidate, about Mr Beharry’s politics or background because I do not communicate with him.
We are not associates or friends and I don’t have access to him. I met Mr Ramotar just as any other ordinary individual would at a public function or in NY as a media operative.
With regard to my being identified as an Indian American, as an academic, Mr Beharry should know that in the US people are identified by their ethnicity. So we have Irish Americans, Italian Americans, Hungarian Americans, Ukranian Americans, Russian Americans, etc, even when they don’t have passports from those countries. Children born to Guyanese parents in the US identify themselves and are so identified by others as Guyanese Americans and they don’t have Guyana passports. Children of Indo-Guyanese Americans view themselves and are seen by others as Indian Americans. In the official US census, including the one conducted in 2010, people are identified by their ethnicity.
There is a category for Indian Americans, which we (FIA, AIA, Indo-Caribbean Club, Vassan Ramracha, Baytoram Ramharack, Vishnu Bisram, etc) fought for and obtained since the 1980 census. Indo-Guyanese and other Indo-Caribbean people were instructed to mark the Indian American category in identifying themselves, because that is how they are seen in the US. Similarly, Afro-Guyanese and other Afro-Caribbeans were instructed to mark the African American category.
It is curious that Mr Beharry would not see himself falling under the categories of Indo-Guyanese, Indo-Caribbean or Indian American. My colleagues and I have been struggling for over 34 years to gain ethnic equality in America and elsewhere for all groups so that people like Mr Beharry can be treated with respect.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
