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local Friday 16 May 2025
Aruba’s cultural and literary development: Then and now

(Oranjestad)—The Aruban
culture has seen many sub-
stantial developments over
the course of a century.
With the introduction of the
Lago Refinery at the turn of
the 20th century, followed
by the breakout of the Sec-
ond World War and the
general incentive for politi-
cal independence during
the mid-century, a cultural
identity on the island be-
gan to take form and have
since developed through
international and local in-
fluences. began to really take form Nowadays, international in-
and become widespread, fluence on our culture is still
In the pre-industrial era of as different worldly and lo- prevalent, especially those
the 19th century, much cal concepts were intro- from Latin America, the
could not be said about a duced in the Aruban soci- United States and The Neth-
cultural identity on the is- ety. With the establishment erlands. Nevertheless, there
land. Still being a part of a of local television broad- also exists a strong cultural
Dutch colonial territory at cast station Tele-Aruba in identity and traditions that
the time, as well as not hav- 1963, and with time and are exclusive to the Aruban
ing political or economic possibilities, local programs culture, often manifesting
autonomy (Curacao was such as “Nos Tera”’ (“Our during traditional celebra-
the center of commerce, Land”) started to pay more tions, like Dia di San Juan/
cultural life, and politi- attention to the Aruban Dera Gai (St. John’s Day),
cal management of the culture and worked to form Dia di Himno y Bandera
Netherland Antilles at the a cultural consciousness (National Hymn and Flag
time), the small population within the community. The Day), Camping during Eas-
of Aruba consisted mostly The literary movement was 1960s also saw the rise of lo- ter and much more. With
of farmers and fishermen, Literary life further promoted by local cal authors and artists, who the surge of social media
tending to their crops and Throughout the 19th cen- broadcasters Voz di Aruba were more comfortable in in the last decade, artistic
their cattle, or going out tury and up until the 1940s, and Radio Kelkboom, with producing works in our na- voices, especially those of
to fish to provide for their there were also not much their regular broadcast of tive tongue, Papiamento, the younger generation,
family. As Quito Nicolaas trace of a cultural climate literary works. but who also produced has become even more
states in his article Historia for the cultural-literary sec- The 50s and 60s also saw works in Spanish, English prevalent and easily ac-
di Literatura Arubiano: E tor on the island. Primary the influence of interna- and Dutch. This new phe- cessible to the community
Bida Cultural (Literary His- education was introduced tional cultures, especially nomenon was in response of Aruba through online
tory of Aruba: Cultural Life), on the island in the mid- that of the United States. to the interaction between platforms such as Face-
“during the pre-industrial 19th century, followed by During this time, because economic growth, individ- book, Instagram and Tik-
period, there were no sig- secondary and higher edu- of international influences ual prosperity, cultural life Tok. q
nificant economic activity cation around the late 30’s as well as the continued and literary expression.
that could have created and 40’s. It wasn’t until the prosperity of the oil refinery, Source: Historia di Literatura
a cultural ambience, with 1950s, with the introduction cultural traditions in Aruba The 21st century Arubiano: E Bida Cultural by
only one way to generate of the E.R.N.A agreement J.R. “Quito” Nicolaas
profit at the time for the sub in 1951 and the signing of
existence of Aruban fami- the Statute in 1954, which
lies.” allowed more space for
It wasn’t until the intro- and control over the eco-
duction of the Lago Refin- nomic and cultural devel-
ery in San Nicolas in 1928, opment of Aruba, that the
that the island saw a small literary life on the island be-
boom in cultural manifes- gan to grow substantially
tations and entertainment, compared to decades be-
as farmers left the ‘cunucu’ fore. This was in response
(country) life to work in the to local institutions estab-
refinery, which resulted in lished in the 1940s for cul-
Aruba acquiring a different tural and literary growth
economic pilar. Before this, on the island, but that did
entertainment and cultural not yet capture the atten-
manifestations were mostly tion of the general public.
experienced by local par- The 1950 brought with it a
ishes and the island’s elite, boom of literary produc-
who often partook in cul- tion on the island, like those
tural and entertaining ac- of V.S. Piternella, as well
tivities around the island, as migrant authors José
like going to the movie the- Ramón Vicioso y Rings Wil-
ater or coming together to liam Rufus, who have also
share poetry on Sundays contributed to the literary
after church. development on the island.