People & Culture
Curaçao’s ethnic inhabitants - the Arawak, Dutch, Spanish, West Indian, Latin, and African - have created a rich heritage and thriving culture.
African
African culture beats like the rhythm of a proud and festive heart throughout the island of Curaçao. Although the island is a mix of nationalities, African descendents make up the majority. Rising up through the oppression of the slave trade, the Afro-Curaçaoan people have established rich cultural traditions that have been embraced by both native and visitor alike.
African influence can be seen in the language of Papiamentu, a language once used to bridge the gap between the slaves and owners, but now the keystone of Curaçao communication. There is also Tambú, the “Curaçao Blues,” which the African descendents used to express their outrage and sorrow at slavery through song, music and dance.
There are other areas as well, such as food, religion and spirituality. These African traditions, introduced in the late 1600s, continue to influence Curaçao to this day.
Dutch
The Dutch influence on Curaçao is just as omnipresent as the centuries-old colonial buildings. From the time they first established themselves as the island's ruling class, the Dutch have had a major impact on every level of society. Today, the legal and educational systems and the government are all Dutch-inspired; Dutch remains the language of instruction in schools and is widely spoken in government and business. Several thousand makambas (as Dutch people are called) have made Curaçao their permanent home. Almost 4% of Curaçao's population was born in Holland, according to the 2001 census. Hundreds of Curaçaoan students set off to study in Holland each year—many return not only with a professional degree, but with a Dutch spouse as well; others never make it back. (As many as 100,000 people from the Netherlands Antilles now reside in Holland.)
Visitors from Europe make up close to 40% of Curaçao’s tourist traffic, the island being especially popular with visitors from Holland.
Jewish
From the time they first arrived seeking a haven from persecution, Curaçao's small, Jewish community has had an extraordinary impact on the island's economy, politics and culture. The first permanent Jewish settlers, seventy Sephardim of Portuguese descent, arrived in 1659. Relations with the local Dutch Protestant elite were good, and no laws limited Jews in their work or residences. They became highly successful in trade and shipping.
In the 20th century, other Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants worked their way up the economic ladder after having started out as peddlers and small-scale merchants.
