The term “Coolie” is thought to be derived from the Hindi word “quli,” meaning “day worker.” In Dutch it specifically refers to untrained contract/indentured laborers from Asia, who in the 1850s worked in the Dutch colonies of the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) and later in the West Indies (Suriname). The term has also been used to describe contract laborers, especially from India, working in the British colonized regions of the Caribbean. There has been broad agreement among scholars, activists and diverse communities of interest from the mid-20th century onwards that the term is offensive. It is still used as a term of abuse for people of Asian descent.