ABSTRACT
Chapter 4 adopts a counter-perspective by addressing the Creolisation of the studied British Indian group. In Caribbean scholarship it is often argued that Creolisation is a prerequisite for rooting and becoming part of the nation. Beneath this conception is the idea that nations require a culturally homogeneous population, and therefore ethnic groups should blend together. The chapter focuses on the strongest case of dissolution, namely douglarisation (descendants from Afro- and Indo-Caribbeans), the ethnic language and the embracement of the national identity to demonstrate how nationalism fosters acculturation. At the same time, the chapter discloses two powerful counterforces, i.e. cultural flow from the Indian diaspora and the creation of local Indian culture. It concludes that while there is some degree of Creolisation, as well as Westernisation, and group bonding has politically waned, community life and ethnic identity, pivotal for the feeling of home, have been largely retained.
