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Saturday 30 June 2018

A Sense of Belonging: who’s the real Aruban?

ORANJESTAD ―The last year
but still not widely know
book ‘A Sense of Belong-
ing’ of Artwell Cain raises
an very interesting ques-
tion: who’s is the authentic
Aruban? Or are we all the
real Arubans?

39 people are portrayed,
telling their own story – or
truth as the author says- of
where they coming from
and their identification.

They are not ‘just’ Arubans
but English speaking Aru- dustrial, poorer area and a no connection. I think that Belonging
bans. A group that can richer Miami-style area, the was happening also with But what the stories in his
be identified on its own as division let also to a cultural people from pariba and book also tell; in the end al-
they have similarities: their and language division. You pabou.” most everybody finds Aru-
parents or grandparents are from up the bridge (pa- ba a nice place to life.
are from Caribbean Eng- riba; San Nicolas) or down Benchmark San Nicolas Cain: “Many of people in
lish speaking countries; the bridge (pabou; Oran- The author reflects on the San Nicolas alwas thought
their first language – even jestad). interviews noticing that this they were not important,
after born on Aruba – was feeling is fading and more not respected. They were
not the locally spoken Pa- Otherness are also speaking Papia- told they were not Aruban,
piamento but English and This is reflected in the stories mento now. Although the lesser than Arubans. We’ll into it. Research from more
actually Caribbean English; of the interviewed in the feeling for San Nicolas stays send you back where you angles.
most of them were born, book where racism (most very strong. Even if they came from. But where is “I asked them: who is the
raised and or lived and still people from pariba were move to other parts of the that, because now you’re authentic Aruban? This led
live in San Nicolas. darker), discrimination or island, the belonging to this born here. That’s why they to the biggest discussions.
just simply ‘other’. Cain city stays. answer now: I’m Aruban. Like: is the Aruban, the In-
As the refinery Lago more recognizes that there was “It’s because even in the And maybe my parents dian? But then: which In-
than 80 years ago needed discrimination but also says same street people from came here 40 years ago, dian?
(cheap) labor, the immigra- the feeling of ‘otherness’ different backgrounds, but yours 150 years ago.” Are the Arends and Van
tion from English Caribbean leads to discrimination even Spanish, spoke San der Linden real Arubans
people heightened. As the ‘both ways’. “I’ll think: you Nicolas English. They felt The author says that his or they come from some-
refinery was situated in San don’t like me and that’s like: we’re all brothers and book let to an interesting where else? So am I the
Nicolas and a bridge sepa- why I don’t like you neither. sisters in our street.” question that needs defi- real Aruban or are we all
rated the island into an in- There’s no communication, nitely more serious research real Arubans?”q

About the writer: Artwell Cain

Artwell Cain is very di- showed up ‘too late’. So ‘rich Miami’. “The people Now as he earned his way Culture activity night on
verse: musician (saxo- the end result is 39 por- seemed depressed in San in life, he says he doesn’t July 7 in front of the Mun-
phonist), anthropologist traits, biographical stories Nicolas. It was run down. I mind anymore. But he also di Health Café (Nicolaas
PhD and was also director of English speaking ‘Aru- had been to Cuba where say a change from 2007 store) in San Nicolas, start-
of the National Institute of bans’, mostly raised and they didn’t had much on. “That’s why I decided ing at 7 pm.
Dutch Slavery Past and still living in San Nicolas. neither. But those people to write this book. To give But Cain is also working
Legacy. He conducted This city plays the main role were like: Here I am, look something back to Aru- on a documentary with
numerous studies on rac- in the sense of belonging, at me. They had educa- ba.” Rebecca Roos, who also
ism, identification, belong- the writer acknowledges. tion, philosophy, spiritual- Cain says there’re a lot of in collaborated with the
ing and civic education. “But it’s not a book on San ity, and even now the best books on Aruba, but most- book (photography with
“A Sense of Belonging is Nicolas.” health care in the Carib- ly tourist books and not Ingmar Maduro and assis-
different from my aca- He remembers his first bean.” much on San Nicolas. Es- tant researcher Yolanda
demic work. I wanted to time in that city, in 1984 a Cain didn’t want to stay, pecially not on the people Richardson) on the same
give the people a voice, couple of months before even though his wife want- of San Nicolas and told by concept.
let them speak their truth starting his study of anthro- ed to stay. “It was ok for them.
instead of a researcher pology. Cain is born in St. me to be discriminated in “During the interviews for
giving an opinion.” Vincent but his wife is from Holland; that’s what white ‘A Sense of Belonging’is al- the book, the biggest dis-
Aruba. He remembers people do. But I didn’t ready published last year cussions were on: who’s
The plan was to inter- the contrast with Oranjes- want to be discriminated but still is not widely known the authentic Aruban?
view 20 women and 20 tad, the other side of the by half white people, of in the community. It’s pre- That’s what we’re focus-
men however one man bridge, where it was like Aruba.” sented again at the We ing on in the film now.”