Cultural Connections In Aruba

 Aruba his an interesting cultural connection to the Netherlands and Spanish. Prior to European discovery, Aruba was home to Indian populations. The island was inhabited by preceramic Indians between 2000 b.c.e. and approximately 850 b.c.e. Caquetio Arowaks from western Venezuela moved to Aruba around 850 B.C.E., bringing pottery and agriculture with them. In or around 1499, the Spaniards discovered Aruba. Aruba was taken over by the Dutch West India Company in 1636, two years after Curaçao was conquered by the Dutch. The migration of Indians from the mainland continued. Until 1754, colonization of the island was prohibited. 

As you can see in the picture above Aruba has their own flag along with the Netherlands flag. They have the Dutch flag because Aruba is an autonomous part of the Dutch kingdom. Even though they have asked for full independence from the Dutch, it was revoked and is still an autonomous part of the Netherlands. Ethnic tensions have centered on immigrants who have arrived in Aruba since 1988. Unskilled or semi-skilled workers from South America, the Caribbean, and the Philippines are separated from immigrants from the Netherlands, the United States, and India.

The video goes into a bit more detail about the language and position they are with the Dutch and the ABC islands. Aruba speaks Papiamento which is a mixture of Spanish, Portuguese, African, Chinese, and Indian. I think that this encapsulates the culture in a nutshell because all of these languages that are mixed with Papiamento can be see though out the country, from their food, religion, clothing, and even in their festival that they hold. 

" Countries and Their Cultures. . Encyclopedia.com. 22 Mar. 2021 .” Encyclopedia.com, Encyclopedia.com, 22 Mar. 2021, www.encyclopedia.com/places/latin-america-and-caribbean/caribbean-political-geography/aruba.