Javanese Surinamese

Last updated

Javanese Surinamese
ꦎꦫꦁꦗꦮꦯꦸꦫꦶꦤꦩꦺ
Wong Jåwå Surinamè(in Javanese)
Javaanse Surinamers(in Dutch)
WajangSuriname.jpg
Wayang Kulit played by Surinamese Javanese
Total population
est. 80,000 (2021) [1]
Regions with significant populations
Paramaribo: 23,670 (10%) · Wanica: 21,175 (18%) · Commewijne: 14,829 (47%)
Languages
Surinamese-Javanese  · Dutch  · Sranan Tongo, Indonesian
Religion
Majority:
Sunni Islam 67.0%
Minority:
Christianity 21.4%, Kejawèn 5.6%, Hinduism 1.2%, No religion 2.8%, Other 0.8%, Unknown 1.2%
Related ethnic groups
Javanese  · Javanese French Guianans

Javanese Surinamese are an ethnic group of Javanese Indonesians descent in Suriname. They have been present since the late 19th century, when their first members were selected as indentured laborers by the Dutch colonizers from the former Dutch East Indies.

Contents

History

Javanese immigrants from the Dutch East Indies, picture taken between 1880 and 1900. COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Suriname immigranten afkomstig uit Nederlands-Indie de vrouw rechts draagt een peniti tak broche TMnr 60008927.jpg
Javanese immigrants from the Dutch East Indies, picture taken between 1880 and 1900.

After the abolition of slavery, the plantations in Suriname needed a new source of labor. In 1890, the influential Netherlands Trading Society, owner of the plantation Mariënburg in Suriname, undertook a test to attract Javanese indentured workers from the Dutch East Indies. Until then, primarily Indian indentured workers from British India worked at the Surinamese plantations as field and factory workers. On 9 August, the first Javanese arrived in Paramaribo. The test was considered successful and by 1894 the colonial government took over the task of recruiting Javanese hands. They came in small groups from the Dutch East Indies to the Netherlands, and from there to Paramaribo. The transport of Javanese immigrants continued until 1914 (except 1894) in two stages through Amsterdam.

Monument commemorating 100 years (1890-1990) of Javanese presence in Suriname. Sana Budaya, Paramaribo, Suriname. Javanese immigration memorial, Paramaribo, Suriname.jpg
Monument commemorating 100 years (1890-1990) of Javanese presence in Suriname. Sana Budaya, Paramaribo, Suriname.

The workers came from villages in Central and East Java. Departure points were Batavia, Semarang and Tandjong Priok. The recruited workers and their families awaited their departure in a depot, where they were inspected and registered and where they signed their contract.

The immigrants were recruited to work on the plantations. The exception was a group in 1904, when 77 Javanese were recruited specifically to work at the Colonial Railways. From World War I Javanese also worked at the Suriname Bauxite Company in Moengo. Immigration continued until 13 December 1939. The outbreak of World War II ended transplantation schemes.

Population

A total of 32,965 Javanese immigrants went to Suriname. In 1954, 8,684 Javanese returned to Indonesia, with the rest remaining in Suriname. The census of 1972 counted 57,688 Javanese in Suriname, and in 2004 there were 71,879. In addition, in 2004 more than 60,000 people of mixed descent were recorded, with an unknown number of part Javanese descent.

Religion of Javanese Surinamese [2]

   Sunni Islam (64.21%)
   Christianity (14.46%)
   Buddhism (5.59%)
   Hinduism (1.23%)
   Irreligion (1.82%)
  Unknown (9.27%)
  Not Answered (0.13%)
  Others (3.25%)

Diaspora

In 1953, a large group of 300 families (1,200 people), led by Salikin Hardjo, went back to Indonesia on the ship Langkuas of the Royal Rotterdam Lloyd. They intended to settle in Java or Lampung, but their request was not approved by the Indonesian government, and instead they were sent to West Sumatra. They established the village of Tongar, also referred to as Tongass in Pasaman Regency, north of Padang, clearing land and building new houses. They integrated smoothly with the Minangkabau community, despite the fact that most of the Javanese were Christian. Marriages with the mainly Muslim Minangkabau were common. The current generation is said to identify more as Indonesian than Surinamese, but still maintain contacts with family and friends in Suriname and the Netherlands, sometimes traveling to those countries.

In the 1970s, 20,000-25,000 Javanese Surinamese went to the Netherlands. They settled mainly in and around cities such as Groningen, Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, and Zoetermeer. They are well integrated into Dutch society, but preserve their Javanese identity through associations and regularly organized meetings. Most still have relatives in Suriname and send remittances, and regularly visit Suriname.

Notable people

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suriname</span> Country in South America

Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America, sometimes considered part of the Caribbean and the West Indies.

Sranan Tongo is an English-based creole language that is spoken as a lingua franca by approximately 519,600 people in Suriname.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moengo</span> Resort in Marowijne District, Suriname

Moengo is a town in Suriname, located in the Marowijne district, between Paramaribo and the border town Albina on the Cottica River. Moengo is also a resort (municipality) in the district of Marowijne. Moengo was the capital of Marowijne District between 1932 and 1945. The current capital is Albina.

Indo-Surinamese, Indian-Surinamese or Hindustani Surinamese are nationals of Suriname who trace their ancestry to the Indian subcontinent. Their ancestors were indentured labourers brought by the Dutch and the British to the Dutch colony of Suriname, beginning in 1873 and continuing during the British Raj. Per the 2012 Census of Suriname, 148,443 citizens of Suriname are of Indo-Surinamese origin, constituting 27.4% of the total population, making them the largest ethnic group in Suriname on an individual level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islam in Suriname</span>

According to the official data, the Muslim population of Suriname represents about 13.9 percent of the country's total population as of 2012, which is the highest percentage of Muslims in the Americas. Though the majority belong to the Sunni sect of Islam, there are some Shi'a, and a small population of Ahmadiyyas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michiel van Kempen</span> Dutch writer, art historian and literary critic

Michaël Henricus Gertrudis (Michiel) van Kempen is a Dutch writer, art historian and literary critic. He has written novels, short stories, essays, travel literature and scenarios. He was the compiler of a huge range of anthologies of Dutch-Caribbean literature and wrote an extensive history of the literature of Suriname, in two volumes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surinamese people</span> Ethnic group

Surinamese people are people who identify with the country of Suriname. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Surinamese, several of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being Surinamese.

Susanna du Plessis (1739–1795) was a plantation owner in Dutch Surinam. She is a legendary figure in the history of Surinam, where she probably unjustly has become a metaphor of a cruel and sadistic slave owner. She is the subject of songs, plays, fairy tales and legends as well as books.

Chinese Surinamese people are Surinamese residents of ethnic Chinese origin. The earliest migrants came in the 19th century as indentured laborers; there was another wave of migration in the 1950s and 1960s. There were 7,885 Chinese in Suriname at the 2012 census, constituting 1.5% of the total population. They constitute the largest component of the 'other' ethnic category, which makes up 2.3% of the population as per the CIA World Factbook. The majority of the Chinese Surinamese consider Hakka of Guangdong as their ancestral homes. There is a small minority of Heshan, Jiangmen origin Cantonese and Hakkas as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Suriname</span>

Surinamese culture has strong Asian, African and European influences. The population is mainly composed of the contribution of people from India, Africa, China, Europe, and Indonesia, as well as indigenous peoples who lived in the area, before the arrival of European settlers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brazil–Suriname relations</span> Bilateral relations

Brazil–Suriname relations are the bilateral relations between the Federative Republic of Brazil and the Republic of Suriname. Diplomatic relations were established on 3 March 1976. Brazil has an embassy in Paramaribo since the independence of Suriname on 25 November 1975. Suriname has an embassy in Brasília since 1976, and a consulate in Belém since 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawa Railway</span> Railway in Suriname

The Lawa Railway was a 173-kilometre-long single-track metre gauge railway in Suriname. It was built during the gold rush in the early 20th century, from the harbour town Paramaribo to Dam at the Sara Creek, but it was not extended to the gold fields at the Lawa River, as originally intended.

Cannabis in Suriname is illegal. Cannabis is the most popular illegal drug in Suriname.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salikin Hardjo</span> Javanese-Surinamese social activist (1910–1993

Salikin Mardi Hardjo was a Javanese Indonesian social activist born in Malang, Jawa Timur, Indonesia. He is known for his opposition to Dutch colonial rule in Suriname in the 1930s, advocacy for the Javanese community in Suriname, and their perceived marginalisation and orchestrating the repatriation of many Javanese-Surinamese to Tongar in West Sumatra near Padang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grace Schneiders-Howard</span> Surinamese social worker and politician

Grace Schneiders-Howard was a Surinamese social worker and politician. Initially beginning her career in civil service as an agent for immigrant workers, she later worked in the Hygiene Department to develop sanitation services in the country. When women were allowed to run for office, but without the right to vote, she ran as a candidate for the Estates of Suriname. Elected in 1938, she became the first woman to serve in the Surinamese legislature. A controversial and abrasive figure, Schneiders-Howard was convinced of her own racial and social superiority, using her work with migrants and the poor to propel her own aims and views of how society should be organized. A pioneer woman in many fields, she was condemned by her opponents, who questioned her morals, her motivations and even her sanity. Her lasting impact was upon bringing improved sanitation of the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maxi Linder</span> Dutch prostitute (1902-1981)

Maxi Linder the alias used by Wilhelmina Rijburg (1902–1981) was a well-known and influential Surinamese prostitute. In her heyday, she had access to the highest social and political figures. She used her earnings to fund the education of disadvantaged youth and made the first attempt in the country to organize sex workers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nola Hatterman</span> Dutch actress and painter (1899–1984)

Nola Hatterman was a Dutch actress and painter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Javanese diaspora</span> People of Javanese ethnicity residing outside Indonesia

The Javanese diaspora is the demographic group of descendants of ethnic Javanese who emigrated from the Indonesian island of Java to other parts of the world. The Javanese diaspora includes a significant population in Suriname, with over 13% of the country's population being of Javanese ancestry. Other major enclaves are found in Australia, French Guiana, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Caledonia, Singapore, South Africa, and Sri Lanka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squatting in Suriname</span> Occupation of unused land or derelict buildings without the permission of the owner

Squatting in Suriname is the occupation of unused land or derelict buildings without the permission of the owner. Maroons and indigenous peoples such as Tiriyó Amerindians have squatted buildings and illegal gold prospectors have occupied land.

References

  1. "Indonesia Suriname To Enhance Economic And Socio Cultural Cooperation | Portal Kementerian Luar Negeri Republik Indonesia". kemlu.go.id. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  2. Aris Ananta, Evi Nurvidya Arifin, M Sairi Hasbullah, Nur Budi Handayani, Agus Pramono. Demography of Indonesia's Ethnicity. Singapore: ISEAS: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2015. p. 270 (based on 2010 census data).