STORY

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April is a special month for the Indo-Caribbean Canadian Association because it's our anniversary month. At merely two years old, our organization has grown, built a reputation, and proudly delivered on a number of objectives for Canada’s Indo-Caribbean community. Throughout this journey, as we onboard new volunteers, the one thing that has become evident is that we are boundless. While our community deals with the ongoing risk of falling victim to stereotypes that box us in, or being rather niche in that we have remained largely undiscovered and under-recognized, our talents and ambition prove that we have the full potential to exceed expectations and defy limitations.

 

Story has been the  most recent addition to our catalogue of programs and opportunities delivered by the Indo-Caribbean Canadian Association. It uniquely captures the diverse voices of the emerging Canadian Indo-Caribbean community while also providing an outlet for creativity, talent, and ambition.

 

We start off the issue by exploring Denyse Thomasos’ distinguished artwork as reviewed by Tricia Gopi. Tricia reveals Denyse’s work to be a compelling but haunting retelling of Caribbean history that is truly breathtaking. A personal favourite of mine is a piece by Ayesha Khan, who is also one of two vice-chairs of ICCA. It really captures her wit and charm and uncovers the intersectionalism that many first and second-generation Indo-Caribbeans face growing up in a West Indian home. Our Editor-in-Chief, Felicia Gopi, provided a critical look into the issue of colourism that plagues our community and how it can often seep into different parts of our lives, including how we express ourselves through clothes. Finally, the second vice-chair of the organization, Ricky Sookram, is our spotlight volunteer of the month. His passion to give back to the community is clear, and through his work, he is delivering much-needed leadership in the community.  

 

Both Felicia and Rebecca continue to work endlessly to produce each month’s issue. I'm probably one of the only outsiders who get to see the magnitude of effort and determination that they put into each one. This work is worth it. It is the house of the cadre of talent within the Indo-Caribbean Canadian Association. It is a repository of thoughts, reflections, and ambitions.

 

To each and every reader, subscriber, and follower -  thank you. We are volunteers who put in many hours to produce our countless deliverables, seeing members of our community enjoy our content is truly rewarding. On behalf of the team at the Indo-Caribbean Canadian Association, we hope you enjoy this edition of Story.