Population
Considering its small size, contemporary Curaçao has a
surprising ethnic and religious diversity. For much of its written history the
island was home to just three major groups: the black majority, which was
largely Catholic; the small Dutch Protestant aristocracy; and a small Sephardic
Jewish elite. With the opening of the Royal Dutch Shell oil refinery (nowadays
Isla) immigrants poured in from all over the world, recasting Curaçao as
a multi-ethnic, diverse island. Each immigrant group has brought its own
customs, food and religious practices, which have intermingled and adapted to
local realities, creating a unique culture. Most groups are well-integrated
into society today; Curaçao has a high percentage of inter-ethnic and
interracial marriages.
Africans & Their
Descendants
From the complex rhythms of local music to
centuries-old folk beliefs, African cultural traditions have had a major
influence on all inhabitants of Curaçao. Today the black majority
occupies important positions of economic and political power. Yet, beneath the
surface of this highly sophisticated island many rich traditions live on which
can be traced to at least the period of slavery. Enslaved Africans and their
descendants fashioned a powerful system of religious practices and beliefs that
sustained them in hard times. Today many of these survive, particularly among
the lower classes. For example, pregnant women and babies are sometimes
subjected to restrictions, aimed at protecting them from the evil eye and other
spirits. From birth to death, black Curaçaoan culture is filled with
many rich folk practices. Like many Caribbean islands, in Curaçao much
of its tradition is passed on by word of mouth. Children grow up listening to
the same stories that their grandparents heard. Since doctors were rarely
available, even in life threatening emergencies, the person (usually a woman)
who understood the medicinal use of plants held a position of high esteem in
the community. Local lore has it that the plants needed to cure a person's
ailments are found growing wild right in their yard (This belief, of course,
dates from the time when people lived in the same house for several
generations). Even today most locals attach great value to the healing
properties of local plants. For information about herbal remedies visit Dina
Veeris her botanical garden.
The Arabs
Middle Eastern peddlers and merchants, mostly Lebanese and Syrians, came to the
island in large numbers after the opening of the refinery, selling their wares
to the newly prosperous workers. Many opened small-scale furniture and
department stores, which have prospered over the years. Middle Eastern
immigrants are predominantly Muslim, with a minority of Bahai's. Their
religious and social life revolves around the island's mosque, as well as
around several smaller community centres. Many have achieved important status
in social and political arenas.
Caribbean
Immigrants
Thousands of immigrants from around the Caribbean
came to Curaçao in the early 1920s to work for the refinery, forming the
backbone of the island's working class and trade union movement. For the first
time, many Protestant churches with a mainly black congregation opened their
doors in Curaçao. It is in large part because of the West Indian
influence that English is so widely spoken on Curaçao today. In recent
years working class women from several Caribbean islands such as Jamaica,
Trinidad and Santo Domingo have come to Curaçao to work as live-in
maids, as waitresses in roadside snack bars and as prostitutes.
The Chinese
When you've had your fill of the
island's nightlife, pickup some takeout from one of dozens of the island's
small Chinese restaurants. Chinese immigrants also operate dry cleaning
establishments and stores that sell household goods and sundries imported from
Asia. Like the Portuguese, some Chinese have tried their hand at agriculture
with fairly good, if on a small scale, success. Most of Curaçao's
Chinese immigrants came here from Surinam. On most other Caribbean islands,
Chinese were brought directly from the mainland China as indentured servants to
replace African slaves after slavery was abolished. Fireworks, of course, are a
Chinese invention; the ones that are let off to mark Curaçao's New Year
are imported directly from China and the local tradition probably originated
from the Chinese New Year celebrations. Even Curaçao's first Carnival
celebrations, at the beginning of the 20th century, may have been tied to the
Chinese New Year.
The Indians
Whether you
stroll along the major shopping streets of Punda and Otrobanda, you are sure to
run into English speaking Indian shopkeepers. Curaçao's Indian community
is close knit; merchants maintain close ties with both to India and friends and
relatives who do a similar bustling retail business on other Caribbean islands
and New York. As the island's rising merchant class, the Indians play a vital
role in the island's economy. Unlike many other immigrant groups they have not
entered local politics; however, they play a powerful and prominent role in
merchants' organizations.
The Jews
From the time
they first arrived seeking a haven from persecution, Curaçao's small,
tight knit Jewish community has had an extraordinary impact on the island's
economy, politics and culture. The first permanent Jewish settlers, a group of
seventy Sephardim Jews of Portuguese descent, arrived in 1651 from Holland.
Relations with the local Dutch Protestant elite were good and no laws limited
Jews in setting up businesses or building residences. After a brief attempt at
agriculture they became highly successful in trade and shipping. In the 20th
century, a small group of Ashkenazi Jews came to work as refinery employees;
other Ashkenazi immigrants worked their way up the economic ladder after having
begun as peddlers and small-scale merchants. These Northern European Jews
brought their own religious and cultural traditions and established their own
synagogue. Curaçao also welcomed a small group fleeing Nazi persecution.
Two Curaçaoan Jews perished in the Holocaust. Today, the Mikvé
Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, which has been in use for more than 200 years in the
Western Hemisphere, is one of the island's major tourist attractions. Beth
Haim, one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in the Americas (1659), is now being
developed as a historical site.
The Portuguese
From the
time they first arrived seeking a haven from persecution, Curaçao's
small, tight knit Jewish community has had an extraordinary impact on the
island's economy, politics and culture. The first permanent Jewish settlers, a
group of seventy Sephardim Jews of Portuguese descent, arrived in 1651 from
Holland. Relations with the local Dutch Protestant elite were good and no laws
limited Jews in setting up businesses or building residences. After a brief
attempt at agriculture they became highly successful in trade and shipping. In
the 20th century, a small group of Ashkenazi Jews came to work as refinery
employees; other Ashkenazi immigrants worked their way up the economic ladder
after having begun as peddlers and small-scale merchants. These Northern
European Jews brought their own religious and cultural traditions and
established their own synagogue. Curaçao also welcomed a small group
fleeing Nazi persecution. Two Curaçaoan Jews perished in the Holocaust.
Today, the Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, which has been in use for
more than 200 years in the Western Hemisphere, is one of the island's major
tourist attractions. Beth Haim, one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in the
Americas (1659), is now being developed as a historical site.
The
Surinamese
Stroll along the aisles of any local supermarket and
you will find an entire section devoted to the exotic Indonesian sauces, spices
and dried foods that make up Surinamese cuisine. Many popular local foods and
snacks are actually of Surinamese origin. Curaçao's Surinamese
immigrants have come from many different ethnic groups, and include descendants
of Africans, Chinese, Indonesians, and Hindustanis. The few Surinamese who came
to Curaçao to work for the steel company had the advantage of speaking
Dutch; they soon rose to the ranks of higher-level skilled workers and
administrative employees. Later in the 20th century more Surinamese came to
Curaçao to escape economic and political problems back home.
Professionals, in particular, found an open door in Curaçao; their
proficiency in Dutch, along with their higher education, opened the doors for
many professions. Surinamese immigrants became successful teachers, lawyers,
civil servants, doctors and lawyers.
The
Venezuelans
From the merchants of Curaçao's colourful
floating market to the top level executives of the Isla oil refinery
Venezuelans of all socio-economic levels make their home in Curaçao. The
island's first pre-Colombian settlers came from the mainland of South America.
The inhabitants of Curaçao have maintained close trading ties with the
continent ever since. Since the late 18th century Curaçao's harbour has
been a major transhipment centre for goods between Europe and South America.
Curaçao is particularly proud of two local sons, Pedro Luis Brion and
Manuel Piar, respectively navy and army commanders, who fought in the South
American independence wars. The great South American independence fighter,
Simon Bolivar, twice took refuge here. At the beginning of this century
Venezuelans began visiting Curaçao for shopping holidays; they became
the island's first modern day tourists. Today, Venezuelan ayakas,
savoury meat tamales steamed in banana leaves, and the lilting tunes of
Venezuelan carols, aguinaldos, enliven many a local Christmas party.