Coolie: Meaning, History, and Cultural Significance

The word “coolie” evokes a tangled legacy of labor, migration, and colonial influence. Used across Asia and the global diaspora, the term originated as a marker for manual laborers—often migrants pressed into low-wage, physically taxing work. From the bustling railway stations of colonial India to the harbors of 19th-century America, “coolie” became emblematic of a […]