coolie

Coolie is a historical term used to describe unskilled laborers from Asia, especially Indians and Chinese, who were recruited for long-term work on plantations, mines, and infrastructure projects during the 19th and early 20th centuries. In modern usage, the word is generally considered pejorative or offensive and is avoided in respectful contexts; it is primarily discussed in historical or scholarly settings.

Etymology and usage notes

The origin of the word is uncertain, but most etymologies trace it to South Asian languages such as Tamil or other regional terms for wage labor, later adopted into English during the colonial era. The term spread through trade and administration and came to describe a broad class of contract laborers rather than a single ethnicity.

Historical context

Coolie labor grew after the abolition of slavery in many colonial territories. Employers recruited workers under indenture contracts to work on plantations in the Caribbean and the Pacific, as well as in parts of Africa and Asia. Chinese coolies were transported to the Americas and Southeast Asia, while Indian and other South Asian laborers worked in places such as the Caribbean, Fiji, Mauritius, South Africa, and Southeast Asia. Conditions often included long hours, restricted movement, low wages, debt bondage, and harsh treatment under contract terms. The term is associated with the broader phenomenon of indentured labor, commonly referred to as the coolie trade.

Modern perception

Today, the term is largely considered outdated and offensive in many contexts. It is used mainly in historical analyses of labor migration and colonial-era labor systems, sometimes with critical emphasis on exploitation and racial hierarchies embedded in indenture contracts.

See also

Indentured labor, Coolie trade, Indian diaspora, Chinese diaspora.