Coolie was related to Asian labourers especially our ancestors that came from India. The word coolie is not only used in English but came from the Turkish words for slave. Although the word coolie is not used that commonly, people in German and Dutch use the word “Koelie” with the same pronunciation which means backbreaking, humiliating, and labor. The word was used in the American military during the Vietnam war, when “coolie” was referred to Asian farmers and labourers working in the American areas. American designers also used coolie for Asian-inspired clothing like coolie pajamas, coolie hats, and coolie coats. In the 1950s, Branch Rickey who hired Jackie Robinson was accused of paying players “coolie wages”. Coolie money was the money that enslaved people were allowed to earn by working for people other than their enslavers. Guyanese political scholar Walter Rodney cited that, “Indenture, unlike slavery, was constantly producing free citizens in large numbers”. The Guyanese political scholar identified the indentured labour system as one of the common practices of exploitation that African and Indian Guyanese fought against, until it ended. The conception of change which the Guyanese workers entertained during the war was by no means restricted to the exploration of the interior. On a number of vital fronts they were prepared to wage a struggle against the forces of oppression. The conception of change which the Guyanese workers entertained during the war was by no means restricted to the exploration of the interior. On a number of vital fronts they were prepared to wage a struggle against the forces of oppression.
