Afro-Arubans

Last updated
Afro-Arubans
Afro-Arubanen (Dutch)
Languages
Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish, English
Religion
Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Other Afro-Caribbeans, Afro-Curaçaoan, African people, Afro-Venezuelans Afro-Dutch

Afro-Arubans are Arubans of predominantly African ancestry. Afro-Arubans are a minority ethnic group in Aruba, representing 15% of Aruba's population. [1] Many Afro-Arubans live in Aruba's second largest city, San Nicolaas, located on the southern tip of the island. [2]

Contents

While Aruba had enslaved Africans, [3] they were in smaller numbers as the island had very few slave-based plantations due to its poor soil and arid climate. [4] Most Afro-Arubans today descend from nearby Caribbean islands and nations such as Sint Maarten, Dominican Republic, Suriname, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, the Lesser Antilles and South America. [5]

History

Afro-Arubans arrived in Aruba in three waves. [6]

During the colonial era, enslaved Africans were transported to Aruba by Dutch settlers, [7] although not in large numbers as the Dutch (and before them, the Spanish) considered Aruba too dry for large-scale plantations. [8] Papiamento, the now common language of the ABC islands, [9] [10] dates back at least 300 years and is predominantly based on Afro-Portuguese linguistic structures combined with vocabulary and influences from Spanish, West African languages, Dutch, English and Amerindian languages. [11] [12] Papiamento arrived in Aruba from Curaçao. Prior to the 20th century, most black Arubans likely arrived free or enslaved from Curaçao or from Africa via Curaçao, or descended from earlier migrants from Curaçao, which was historically the largest Dutch slave trading port in the Caribbean. [13] [14] [15]

Small scale migration from Curaçao, and from other Caribbean islands, to Aruba continued after emancipation. [16] Slaves did not form a separate Afro Caribbean culture and after emancipation in 1863, former slaves integrated in the free society rapidly (Alofs 2003a. [17]

Throughout the 20th century, many immigrants from the British West-Indies (namely from Trinidad and Grenada) settled in San Nicolaas, namely to work in the Aruban oil industry. Many brought their local English Creoles and dialects to the town, [18] later developing into what is today known as San Nicolaas English (also known locally as Bush English, Sani English, We English, Village Talk etc.). [19] [20]

In the 21st century, most recent African-descended immigrants to Aruba come from a new inflow of Haitian, Surinamese, Curaçaoan and Dominican labor migrants. [21]

Notable people

References and footnotes

  1. ↑ Nooyen, R. H. (1965). Millefiori di Aruba. [Oranjestad, Aruba] : Publica cu cooperacion di Stichting Aruba Nostra.
  2. ↑ "Exploring the Mainstreet of San Nicolas". 12 June 2019.
  3. ↑ "Millefiori di Aruba". 1965.
  4. ↑ Nooyen, R. H. (1965). Millefiori di Aruba. [Oranjestad, Aruba] : Publica cu cooperacion di Stichting Aruba Nostra.
  5. ↑ "The foreign born population of Aruba" (PDF). arubademographics.com. January 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  6. ↑ Redactie (2023-08-03). "'African influence clearly visible on Aruba' | Caribbean Network". caribbeannetwork.ntr.nl. Retrieved 2024-12-27.
  7. ↑ "History of slavery on Aruba and St. Eustasius online". 29 June 2023.
  8. ↑ "Millefiori di Aruba". 1965.
  9. ↑ "Language and education on the ABC islands".
  10. ↑ "Papiamentu". www.hawaii.edu. Retrieved 2025-06-02.
  11. ↑ "Aruba – History and Heritage". Smithsonian Institution . Retrieved 2013-06-20.
  12. ↑ "Aruba", The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 2025-03-25, retrieved 2025-03-30
  13. ↑ Benjamins & Snelleman 1917, p. 747, .
  14. ↑ https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/34514/chapter-abstract/292848676?redirectedFrom=fulltext
  15. ↑ https://islandsinbetween.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2010-abc-volume.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com
  16. ↑ https://islandsinbetween.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2010-abc-volume.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com
  17. ↑ https://dutchculture.nl/sites/default/files/files/UNESCO%20Aruba%20Heritage%20report%20Luc%20Alofs%20okt08_0.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com
  18. ↑ Devonish, Hubert; Richardson, Gregory. "The English Creole of Aruba: A Community-Based Description of the San Nicolas Variety".
  19. ↑ "Proyecto Ingles di San Nicolaas" (PDF).
  20. ↑ The Local (1985-03-14). The Local (March 14, 1985). San Nicolas: The Local.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  21. ↑ Redactie (2023-08-03). "'African influence clearly visible on Aruba' | Caribbean Network". caribbeannetwork.ntr.nl. Retrieved 2024-12-27.


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