White Trinidadians and Tobagonians

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White Trinidadians and Tobagonians
Total population
8,669 [1] (2011)
Languages
Trinidadian English [2]
Religion
Anglicanism, Roman Catholicism, Presbyterianism, Evangelical Christianity, Irreligion [3]
Related ethnic groups
European Caribbeans, Portuguese Trinidadians and Tobagonians, English people, Scottish people, Welsh people, Irish people, French people, Germans, Portuguese people, Dutch people, Corsicans, Spaniards, Italians, Russians

White Trinidadians and Tobagonians (sometimes referred as Euro-Trinidadians and Tobagonians or local-whites) are Trinidadians and Tobagonians of European descent. However, while the term "White Trinidadian and Tobagonian" is used to refer collectively to all Caucasians who are Trinidadian and Tobagonian, whether by birth or naturalization, the term "local-white" is used to refer more specifically to Trinidad and Tobago-born Caucasians and, in particular, those who trace their roots back to Trinidad and Tobago's early settlers. [4]

Contents

White Trinidadians and Tobagonians account for less than 1 percent of the population of Trinidad and Tobago. However, the classification is primarily a superficial description [5] based on phenotypic description, as opposed to genotypical classification.[ citation needed ]

Most white Trinidadians and Tobagonians are of Portuguese stock. [6]

European Trinidadians are often referred to as French Creoles, even if are they are of non-French ancestry such as Spanish, British, Portuguese, or German descent. [7]

History

Before the arrival of Europeans, Trinidad and Tobago was mainly inhabited by various indigenous tribes such as Arawaks, the Caribs, and the Warao people who came to the island via South America. Christopher Columbus was the first European to set foot in the island. The British brought African slaves to Trinidad and Tobago. [8]

The first Europeans to discover and settle in Trinidad and Tobago were the Spanish. [9] Trinidad was originally a Spanish colony and was under Spanish rule until the British took hold of Trinidad in 1797. [10] The French and the English later colonized the islands. The French arrived during Spanish colonization. Portuguese people were brought to replace freed African slaves. Europeans make up to 0.6 percent of Trinidad and Tobago's population. Many live in the suburbs of Port of Spain. Many Europeans in Trinidad and Tobago are of British, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and German heritage. [11]

A small population of Portuguese Jews arrived in Trinidad in 1850 to 1900. They primarily came from Venezuela, British Honduras (now present-day Belize), and Curaçao. [12]

Origins

Many white Trinidadians originate from the colonial era, in which English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, French, Portuguese, Dutch, German, and Corsican people filled the gap required to work as overseers on estates, farming sugarcane and cocoa, and to fill the gap required for labour on agricultural estates at the time. [13]

Notable European Trinidadians and Tobagonians

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Trinidad and Tobago 2011 Population and Housing Census Demographic Report" (PDF).
  2. ↑ "Living in Trinidad and Tobago". UNHCR. Retrieved 19 May 2025. The official language of Trinidad and Tobago is English and all government and business activities are conducted in Standard English (United Kingdom).
  3. ↑ International Religious Freedom Report. "Trinidad and Tobago 2022 International Religious Freedom Report". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 19 May 2025. The population is predominantly Christian, including Roman Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian, and Evangelical denominations. Individuals of European descent (White Trinidadians) have historically belonged to these Christian groups, although some identify as nonreligious.
  4. ↑ Intercontinental Book Centre. "A Look at the Caribbean and its People and Culture – Chapter Five: Trinidad and Tobago". Intercontinental Book Centre. Retrieved 19 May 2025. The term "local-white" is often used in Trinidad to refer to Trinidad-born Caucasians, particularly those descended from early European settlers.
  5. ↑ Walker, James (24 September 2012). "But You Not Even White! Prejudice and Light-skinned West Indians". Outlish. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  6. ↑ Butcher, Charity (16 April 2019). The Handbook of Cross-Border Ethnic and Religious Affinities. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN   9781442250222.
  7. ↑ World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Trinidad and Tobago
  8. ↑ Introduction to Trinidad and Tobago.
  9. ↑ "The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago".
  10. ↑ Brereton, Bridget (1996). An Introduction to the History of Trinidad and Tobago. Heinemann. ISBN   9780435984748.
  11. ↑ Sheehan, Sean; Yong, Jui Lin; Oswald, Vanessa (15 April 2020). Trinidad and Tobago. Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC. p. 68. ISBN   9781502655820.
  12. ↑ Arbell, Mordehay (2002). The Jewish Nation of the Caribbean: The Spanish-Portuguese Jewish Settlements in the Caribbean and the Guianas. Gefen Publishing House. ISBN   978-965-229-279-7.
  13. ↑ "Sweet Sorrow: The Timeline of Sugar in Trinidad and Tobago". The Caribbean History Archives. caribbeanhistoryarchives.blogspot.com. Retrieved 19 May 2025. During the colonial period, Trinidad attracted settlers from Britain, France, Portugal, the Netherlands, Germany, and Corsica. These Europeans arrived as estate owners, managers, and overseers in the sugar and cocoa industries, especially following the Cedula of Population in 1783 and the British capture in 1797.
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