Afro-Arubans

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

Afro-Arubans are Arubans of predominantly African ancestry. Afro-Arubans are a minority ethnic group in Aruba, representing 15% of Aruba's population. [1] Like other Arubans, Afro-Arubans speak Papiamento, a Portuguese-based creole language commonly spoken on the ABC islands, [2] as well as Dutch, Spanish, English and other languages. Papiamento dates back at least 300 years and is pre-dominantly based on Afro-Portuguese linguistic structures combined with vocabulary and influences from Spanish, West African languages, Dutch and Amerindian languages. [3]

Contents

While Aruba had enslaved Africans, [4] the island had very few slave-based plantations due to its poor soil and arid climate, [5] resulting in Aruba having a much smaller population of people of predominantly African descent than most other Caribbean islands. Most Afro-Arubans today descend from nearby Caribbean islands and nations such as Sint Maarten, Dominican Republic, Suriname, Haiti, Jamaica, Grenada, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, the Lesser Antilles and South America. [6] Many Afro-Arubans live in Aruba's second largest city, San Nicolaas, located on the southern tip of the island. [7]

History

Afro-Arubans arrived in Aruba in three waves. [8]

During the colonial era, enslaved Africans were transported to Aruba by Dutch settlers, [9] although not in large numbers as the Dutch (and before them, the Spanish) considered Aruba too dry for large-scale plantations. [10]

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, [11] later developing into what is today known as San Nicolaas English (known locally as Bush English).

In the 21st century, most recent African-descended immigrants to Aruba come from a new inflow of Haitian, Surinamese, Curaçaoan and Dominican labor migrants. [12]

Notable people

References and footnotes

  1. ↑ Nooyen, R. H. (1965). Millefiori di Aruba. [Oranjestad, Aruba] : Publica cu cooperacion di Stichting Aruba Nostra.
  2. ↑ "Language and education on the ABC islands".
  3. ↑ "Aruba - History and Heritage". Smithsonian Institution . Retrieved 2013-06-20.
  4. ↑ "Millefiori di Aruba". 1965.
  5. ↑ Nooyen, R. H. (1965). Millefiori di Aruba. [Oranjestad, Aruba] : Publica cu cooperacion di Stichting Aruba Nostra.
  6. ↑ "The foreign born population of Aruba" (PDF). arubademographics.com. January 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  7. ↑ "Exploring the Mainstreet of San Nicolas". 12 June 2019.
  8. ↑ Redactie (2023-08-03). "'African influence clearly visible on Aruba' | Caribbean Network". caribbeannetwork.ntr.nl. Retrieved 2024-12-27.
  9. ↑ "History of slavery on Aruba and St. Eustasius online". 29 June 2023.
  10. ↑ "Millefiori di Aruba". 1965.
  11. ↑ Devonish, Hubert; Richardson, Gregory. "The English Creole of Aruba: A Community-Based Description of the San Nicolas Variety".
  12. ↑ Redactie (2023-08-03). "'African influence clearly visible on Aruba' | Caribbean Network". caribbeannetwork.ntr.nl. Retrieved 2024-12-27.


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