The East Indian community in Belize traces its roots back to the 19th century when groups of Indian migrants arrived in waves, each contributing to the country’s cultural and economic landscape. They first made their way to the wider Caribbean, with many stopping in Jamaica before making their way to Belize. The first recorded group of East Indians arrived in 1858—mutineers from the Indian Rebellion of 1857 who were exiled by the British. Later, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, a second wave of East Indians arrived as indentured laborers, brought to work on plantations. This group was brought to Toledo by Confederate settlers from the southern United States, who had migrated to Belize after the U.S. Civil War. However, the Confederates eventually left Belize and returned to the U.S. due to various factors, including an unwillingness to assimilate into Belizean society and growing tensions over their mistreatment of East Indian laborers. The most recent wave of migration, starting in the 1970s and continuing today, has been driven by East Indian merchants seeking new business opportunities. Many East Indians in Belize can trace their ancestry back to the Calcutta and Madras regions of India, while others arrived from Caribbean nations such as Guyana.

Indentureship had a lasting impact on the East Indian community, leading to significant cultural erasure, including the loss of knowledge of their language, music, and traditional dress. By the time the Confederates departed, the East Indians living in Toledo were fully Belizean, having been born and raised in the country for generations. Recognizing their deep ties to the land, several key members of the East Indian community petitioned the colonial government to grant them ownership of the lands previously held by the Confederates, arguing that they had lived and worked there for decades. The petition was successful, leading to the establishment of East Indian villages such as Jacintoville, Eldridgeville, Forest Home, and Cattle Landing—communities that remain vibrant to this day. Over time, the East Indians integrated into Belizean society while preserving key aspects of their heritage, particularly through their cuisine. Today, East Indians in Toledo and across Belize continue to thrive in agriculture, entrepreneurship, education, civil service, and trade, contributing to the country’s rich multicultural identity. In recent years, there have been efforts to reclaim and revive East Indian cultural traditions, ensuring that their rich history and heritage remain a vibrant part of Belize’s diverse cultural landscape.