This history begins with the arrival of the first boatload of indentured Indians in Natal in 1860. It concludes with a chapter on life in post-apartheid South Africa, and details the struggles of Indian South Africans as they deal with the ever-present threat of repatriation. Weaving together events such as the independence of India, the arrival of apartheid and forced removals under the Group Areas Act with the textures of everyday life, it constantly poses the question: what does it mean to belong?.