92 HENRY E. ROSEBOOM AND CEDRIC DOVER 



community, and of their susceptibility to improvement, is afforded by their 

 attitude towards the name applied to them (Dover, in Wallace, 1930). The 

 term Eurasian was first used by the Marquess of Hastings (1813-1823), 

 but several other designations are also known. These range from epithets 

 like half-castes, mixed-bloods, and country-borns to more euphemistic 

 names such as Burghers, Anglo-Burmans, Anglo-Chinese, Anglo-Indians 

 and so on. In India, when they cannot, for obvious reasons, claim to be 

 Europeans, they endeavor to establish their connection with the ruling race 

 by referring to themselves as Anglo-Indians. This attitude is reflected in 

 Stark's historical narrative, where they are pathetically referred to as 

 England's Hostages to India. The reasons for this attitude, and the dis- 

 abilities associated with it, need no emphasis. That it is associated with 

 economic conditions is proved by the fact that, with the changing perspec- 

 tive in the East, an increasing number of Eurasians now feel no shame in 

 being known as such, and realise the advantages of a logical, universal name. 

 Yet it was only some thirty years ago that the Secretary of State for India 

 was petitioned by a special deputation to sanction official recognition of the 

 term Anglo-Indian, the leader of the deputation rhetorically declaring on 

 his return that: 



Britishers we are and Britishers we ever must and shall be. Once we relinquish this 

 name (Anglo-Indian) and permit ourselves to be styled "Eurasians" or "Statutory natives 

 of India" we become estranged from our proud heritage as Britishers. 



THE FUTURE OF EURASIANS 



This brief survey of the Eurasian community does not furnish a cheerful 

 picture of the present position. The people are depressed and repressed, 

 and consist mainly of subordinates who are poverty-stricken and ill-edu- 

 cated though literate. Their political, economic, and social positions are 

 precarious and unhealthy. In their character make-up there are many 

 weaknesses and defects, but there seems to be no proof in support of the 

 contention that the half-caste is inherently inferior to either of his parents. 

 Indeed, scientific studies, such as those of Shapiro (1929), Reuter (1931), 

 and Davenport and Steggerda (1929) have shown 2 no evidence of hybrid 

 inferiority. On the contrary, Shapiro's and Reuter's work provide definite 

 indications of hybrid vigour. 



Lord Olivier believes that in "so far as there survives in a mixed race the 

 racial body of each of its parents, so far it is a superior human being, or 



2 See also the discussion in Heynes-Wood and Dover (1932). 



