Excluded in the Name of the Law: Racist Practices in the Legal System of British Guiana

Abstract

The population of Asian origin in the American continent lived, in the 19th century, with restrictive policies, prejudiced speeches, and continuous stigmatization. Structural racism was a reality that promoted political, economic, and legal exclusion, always based on a deep-rooted ideology. This paper examines how legislation and the political process succeeded in excluding Indians and Chinese in the British colony of English Guiana. We start from the memories of former civil servants, letters of complaint, the report of the Commission of Inquiry, and other documents to understand the role of the judiciary in the exclusion of these populations. The texts by Silvio de Almeida and Grada Kilomba serve as the theoretical basis for understanding structural racism within the English Empire.