Thunder in Guyana
Encyclopedia
Thunder in Guyana is a feature film by Suzanne Wasserman released in 2003. It is a documentary about Janet Jagan
(née Rosenberg), an American
-born Jewish woman who moved to then-British Guiana
and was later elected President. The film was shown on Independent Lens
, a series on PBS
.
, she grew up to become president of Guyana
; a South American nation. Janet Rosenberg Jagan, pegged "the Second Eva Peron", in an effort to explain how her typical Jewish upbringing led to her out-of-the-ordinary adult life pursuing service work and Marxist politics in Latin America.
“I don’t know that people see White when they look at me,” Janet said in an interview, believing that her years in Guyana have allowed her to resemble the general population. “I’ve been around for a long time. Fifty-four years is a long time.”
Thunder in Guyana uncovers an atypical story of a woman who refused to allow her reservations or others opinions to prevent her from doing what she believed in. And through an account of Janet’s biography her intimately connected past with Guyana comes alive. Historic newsreel footage traces the British colony’s slow emancipation and assertion of independence, while discussions with Janet and her followers describe what the courageous female elected official did to organize and educate the country’s impoverished working class
.
The days of her youth were relatively ordinary; nevertheless Janet was not an average youngster. Relatives and relations remember that, in her younger years, Janet was remarkably energetic and good-looking, and she was a stand out in all she undertook. As a matter of fact, she was so physically fit and strong-minded that she could have taken part in the Olympics games for swimming. However she could also be very defiant. In the film, Janet laughs recalling how enraged her mother and father were when they learned that, as a teen, she took flying lessons! With the monetary allowance they provided her with.
Being a rebellious woman was not the sole reason for Janet to make a journey to Guyana; it was love. This same love was the purpose that kept her in the country for the remainder of her life. While a student at university, a handsome Guyanese exchange student, Cheddi Jagan
, caught Janet’s eye. As a team they ventured into leftist politics, connecting through controversial ideas that excited them both and would serve as the bond to their relationship. When Janet traveled with Cheddi back to his native country, her father believed she would return to the United States within one year. He was mistaken; Janet has lived the majority of her adult life in Guyana, working with the government and public sector.
It is the suggestion of the film that Janet’s Jewish background enabled her to connect to the poor laborers of Guyana. Ms. Jagan grew up in an antisemitic, mostly-gentile community. Due to this fact, Janet experienced being made to feel lesser and subjugated. She recalls that her male relatives struggled to find employment, and she remembers that her school friends would tell mean racially prejudiced stories that they didn’t completely understand. Possibly her push for civil rights in Guyana was her personal means of fighting in opposition to the discrimination that she had experience first hand.
These days, after devoting her time to fighting for a nation’s poor, Janet is seen as a self-sacrificing and relentless force, even into her mature years. “She’s been there from the very beginning. She’s put her neck out more than most Guyanese,” Janet daughter-in-law (who is Guyanese) exclaims. “She’s more Guyanese than most Guyanese you’ll meet,” she adds, “she’s more Guyanese than me!”
However, Janet was not constantly admired by all. At the beginning of her involvement with politics, Janet’s opponents spread bogus reports that she was a family member of the legendary Rosenbergs who were put to death for spying. Also during this time, an American journalist indicated that she was spreading propaganda to enlist communists.
Luckily, contentment isn’t dependent on how people regard you, or even ease of life. Ms. Jagan’s tale shows that an agreeable life is the result of confidence within one’s self and living according to one’s beliefs. She and Cheddi were so focused on their cause that it didn’t matter what critics thought or said, and, if she could help the people, Janet didn’t mind living in an impoverished nation.
At eighty-two (at the time of filming), she still keeps an office, even now working for the Guyanese citizens, and happily doing so.
Janet Jagan
Janet Jagan was an American-born socialist politician who was President of Guyana from December 19, 1997, to August 11, 1999. She previously served as Prime Minister of Guyana from March 17, 1997, to December 19, 1997....
(née Rosenberg), an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-born Jewish woman who moved to then-British Guiana
British Guiana
British Guiana was the name of the British colony on the northern coast of South America, now the independent nation of Guyana.The area was originally settled by the Dutch at the start of the 17th century as the colonies of Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice...
and was later elected President. The film was shown on Independent Lens
Independent Lens
Airing weekly on PBS through ITVS, the Emmy Award-winning series Independent Lens introduces new drama and documentary films made by independent filmmakers. Past seasons of Independent Lens have been presented by hosts Angela Bassett, Don Cheadle, Susan Sarandon, Edie Falco, Terrence Howard, Maggie...
, a series on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
.
Summary
A Jewish girl from ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, she grew up to become president of Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
; a South American nation. Janet Rosenberg Jagan, pegged "the Second Eva Peron", in an effort to explain how her typical Jewish upbringing led to her out-of-the-ordinary adult life pursuing service work and Marxist politics in Latin America.
“I don’t know that people see White when they look at me,” Janet said in an interview, believing that her years in Guyana have allowed her to resemble the general population. “I’ve been around for a long time. Fifty-four years is a long time.”
Thunder in Guyana uncovers an atypical story of a woman who refused to allow her reservations or others opinions to prevent her from doing what she believed in. And through an account of Janet’s biography her intimately connected past with Guyana comes alive. Historic newsreel footage traces the British colony’s slow emancipation and assertion of independence, while discussions with Janet and her followers describe what the courageous female elected official did to organize and educate the country’s impoverished working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
.
The days of her youth were relatively ordinary; nevertheless Janet was not an average youngster. Relatives and relations remember that, in her younger years, Janet was remarkably energetic and good-looking, and she was a stand out in all she undertook. As a matter of fact, she was so physically fit and strong-minded that she could have taken part in the Olympics games for swimming. However she could also be very defiant. In the film, Janet laughs recalling how enraged her mother and father were when they learned that, as a teen, she took flying lessons! With the monetary allowance they provided her with.
Being a rebellious woman was not the sole reason for Janet to make a journey to Guyana; it was love. This same love was the purpose that kept her in the country for the remainder of her life. While a student at university, a handsome Guyanese exchange student, Cheddi Jagan
Cheddi Jagan
Cheddi Berret Jagan was a Guyanese politician who was first elected Chief Minister in 1953 and later Premier of British Guiana from 1961 to 1964, prior to independence. He later served as President of Guyana from 1992 to 1997.- Biography :The son of ethnic Indian sugar plantation workers, Jagan...
, caught Janet’s eye. As a team they ventured into leftist politics, connecting through controversial ideas that excited them both and would serve as the bond to their relationship. When Janet traveled with Cheddi back to his native country, her father believed she would return to the United States within one year. He was mistaken; Janet has lived the majority of her adult life in Guyana, working with the government and public sector.
It is the suggestion of the film that Janet’s Jewish background enabled her to connect to the poor laborers of Guyana. Ms. Jagan grew up in an antisemitic, mostly-gentile community. Due to this fact, Janet experienced being made to feel lesser and subjugated. She recalls that her male relatives struggled to find employment, and she remembers that her school friends would tell mean racially prejudiced stories that they didn’t completely understand. Possibly her push for civil rights in Guyana was her personal means of fighting in opposition to the discrimination that she had experience first hand.
These days, after devoting her time to fighting for a nation’s poor, Janet is seen as a self-sacrificing and relentless force, even into her mature years. “She’s been there from the very beginning. She’s put her neck out more than most Guyanese,” Janet daughter-in-law (who is Guyanese) exclaims. “She’s more Guyanese than most Guyanese you’ll meet,” she adds, “she’s more Guyanese than me!”
However, Janet was not constantly admired by all. At the beginning of her involvement with politics, Janet’s opponents spread bogus reports that she was a family member of the legendary Rosenbergs who were put to death for spying. Also during this time, an American journalist indicated that she was spreading propaganda to enlist communists.
Luckily, contentment isn’t dependent on how people regard you, or even ease of life. Ms. Jagan’s tale shows that an agreeable life is the result of confidence within one’s self and living according to one’s beliefs. She and Cheddi were so focused on their cause that it didn’t matter what critics thought or said, and, if she could help the people, Janet didn’t mind living in an impoverished nation.
At eighty-two (at the time of filming), she still keeps an office, even now working for the Guyanese citizens, and happily doing so.
External links
- Official site.
- Independent Lens: Thunder in Guyana.