I read about that situation in Birmingham, and we had some propaganda exchanges here some years ago as a result of a claim that Africans were raping Indian women in central Trinidad. Some Indians protested. Some went to Canada and were seeking refugee status with that story. When some arrests were made, the reality came out. It was some Indian males wearing dreadlock wigs that were raping Indian girls. It was very embarrassing here for those Indians who thought they had an issue to exploit.

Of course there are some exchanges in terms of cultural misunderstanding, but nothing close to a riot. Indians and Africans are about equal in numbers in Trinidad - around 40% each of the entire population. And really, no side has shown that they are interested in riots. It is not that bad here. Racism is alive and well here though.

The economic landscape is dominated by the minority White population, the civil services by Black Africans, and the agriculture sector by Indians. There are many more Indian business people than Africans, and that is as a result of history and socializing factors. For example, Indian marriages take place with dowry, so families have a financial capital head start. Africans do not have dowry. Indian females often move into the homes of their in-laws following marriage. The family resources stay in the family longer. Africans move away from family and set up new homes.

Then we have the situation of how they settled Indians and Africans in Trinidad. Africans were herded on lands that were not fit for agriculture following Emancipation, and Indians were settled on feritile agricultural lands. In addition, some Indians were compensated with land following their Indentureship period. This gave some Indians a capital head start. Africans largely remained dependant on the state for jobs.

These are some broad generalizations, offering an idea of how the Indians and Africans relate in Trinidad, and some of the general explanations.

If you want to get some more on Trinidad you should check out our other Websites:
http://www.triniview.com,
http://www.trinisoca.com,
http://www.pantrinbago.com
and
http://www.trinidadandtobagonews.com.