Wazir and Jordanna Ishmael Oral History
Jordanna Ishmael, an attorney at a law firm in Miami, speaks to her father Wazir Ishmael about his journey as a ten year-old boy from the sugar plantation in Berbice, Guyana where his father had worked as a "dispenser" (a cross between a pharmacist and physician) to the Bentham Grammar School, a boarding school in England. When he arrived there in 1970, he was one of two children of color there.
Photograph of Wazir Ishmael
Wazir Ishmael is pictured here, at age 10, with his father Yussuph Ishmael, a dispenser at the Rose Hall Sugar Estate in Guyana, and Alan Dabbs, whose family Wazir stayed with during school holidays when he was in boarding school.
Ghanesh Maragh Oral History Interview
Ghanesh Maragh, a hospitality and entertainment professional, discusses his families' origin in India, his faith as a Hindu, and his craft as one of the remaining Nachaniya dancers - a folk dance brought from North India to Jamaica.
In this slideshow, you will see:
Andrea Maragh Macko Oral History Interview
Andrea Maragh Macko discusses her migration from Jamaica to NY then Miami and growing up in a strict Hindu household, her family history of Pandits, and founding mandirs in Jamaica and Miami, FL. Her family was very involved in growing Lakshmi Narayan Mandir and then Amar Jyoti mandir in Miami. Andrea also discusses the songs and traditions passed down in her family.
Henry Jaghai Oral History Interview
Henry Jaghai, a retired horse breeder & owner, and entrepreneur, discusses his love of horses, tracing his ancestry from India to Jamaica, his record label in Jamaica that produced Indo-Jamaican music, and why his family ultimately moved to the U.S.
Savitri Tolan Oral History Interview
Savitri Tolan, a behavioral therapist, discusses her wedding (which was a fusion of Indo-Jamaican/Indo-Guyanese traditions), her faith as a Hindu, her passion for Bollywood dancing, her family's musical traditions with songbooks and memorization, the annual family reunion, and her desire to preserve Indo-Jamaican traditions to teach her son.
In this slideshow, you will see:
Rajiv Maragh Oral History Interview
Rajiv Maragh, an entrepreneur and jockey, discusses moving to Florida from Jamaica, his career as one of the few Indo-Jamaican jockeys, his entrance in the Kentucky Derby multiple times, and his almost 2000 wins. Rajiv comes from a horse racing family with multiple generations before him being involved in the sport.