Dear Nita:

“my bf is Indian. Specifically from Fiji islands. Do u guys know anyone from those places?”-

– I don’t but I looked it up at Wikipedia (entries: “Fiji” and “Indo-Fijians”):  Fiji is located in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of 332 islands, of which 106 are inhabited by people, and 522 smaller islets. The two biggest islands are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. The islands are mountainous and covered with thick tropical forests.

Fiji used to be a British colony (like its neighbors New Zealand and Australia), then won its independence in 1970, and became a Republic in 1987.

In 1878 Indian people were brought to Fiji from India, first from Calcutta, then from Madras and Bombay, as indentured laborers (similar to slaves) to work  on the sugarcane fields of Fiji. They were brought on sailing ships (a 73 day trip), or steamers (a 30 day trip).

By 1916, about 61 thousand Indians from were brought to Fiji. The idea was that the Indian workers will work for five years in Fiji and then return to India at their own expense. The great majority chose to stay, many couldn’t afford the trip back. Later, in the 1900s, Indians started arriving in Fiji as free agents (not as indentured laborers). Among them were religious teachers, missionaries and at least one lawyer.

As a result of the years of Indian indentured labor, similar to slavery, Indian people of different castes lived together, ate together and the caste system ended. Also, there was a shortage of Indian women in Fiji, in the early days, which resulted in many marrying outside their caste.

Because people from different areas of India were living together, a new language called Fiji Hindi was formed from the different languages and dialects of India. Later the language was further enriched by including many native Fijian words and English words.

Most of the population in Fiji from 1956- the 1980s were Indo-Fijians, but because of political unrest and discrimination in the 1980s, lots of Indo-Fijians who could afford it,  left Fiji. Currently, Indo-Fijians are no longer the majority, but 40% of the population (almost 60% of the population are native Fijians).

– did you know any of the above information?

You shared that your boyfriend and his parents are of Indo-Fijians origin, that his parents were against his relationship with you, but he lived with you for 8 years and considered court marriage with you. Then “all of a sudden”, 3 days after he visited his mother, he met a woman that his mother wants him to marry and he is threatening you with a legal restraining order.

Did he threaten you with a legal restraining order because you went to his mother’s house one time, when she opened the door to you and told you to go away, and did you refuse to leave her house?

anita

• This reply was modified 4 years, 4 months ago by .