What I have learn ed from Academic Sources
Aruba is one of the islands in the Caribbean comprising a mixture of many cultures due to the different occupants in the region. The Island was initially occupied by the Arawak's tribe known as the Caiquetios (World Book, 1990). However, it was later claimed by the Spanish who were later joined by the descendants of the African slaves, indigenous South Americans, as well as Dutch colonialists (Hochstuhl, 1950). Currently, Aruba Island is home to people from more than forty nationalities. The amalgamated culture is marked by the different foods, languages, and celebrations embraced by the people. The Dutch culture, however, is the most influential in the Island. Indeed, the official tongue of the Island is the Dutch language, with the region having close ties to the home of the Dutch people (Sullivan, 2009).
In the Aruba culture, music and color are important, each signifying different occasions (Chilton, 2016). During the Dia San Juan or rather the St. John's celebrations, people of the Aruba island dress in black, yellow, and red to symbolize fire. Notably, the Aruba people are the only ones in the world who celebrate the St. John's celebration with dancing and singing. It is worth mentioning that the celebrations originated from the Arawak harvesting festival and the Spanish Christian celebrations. The Arubans also celebrate the New Year in a festival they refer to as "dande" which started after King III of Holland put an end to the slave trade. Halloween is also observed in the Aruba Island due to the influence of the Americans visitors as well as those living in the Island. The Arubans also have pagan beliefs and superstitions adopted from the African culture due to the former slaves living in the Island. Fortune telling is common in Aruba in addition to sipping and spitting practices, card reading, and observing cigar smoke (Caribya, 2018).
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What I Have Learnt From Interaction with them and Media Platforms
While the traditional Arubans and immigrants who arrived at the Island a long time ago work as civil servants, the rest of the people concentrate on trade. The people practice legal monogamy marriage and intermarriage between the different ethnic backgrounds is common. Divorce is, however, rampant among the Arubans. The people live in medium-size nuclear families, and their education system is Dutch-oriented. Most of the people in the Island are Roman Catholics, but other several religions are also embraced. Beside the modern medicine and healthcare, the Arubans also use traditional methods of healing such as the use of herbs and amulets often given by medicine healers.
The appearance of the Aruban people is striking, and they are known for their friendly and warm personality, which is attributed to the peace-loving ancestors of the Arawak Indians, who were mainly farmers and fishermen. The rich culture has also resulted in the enhancement of talents in fields such as poetry, novel writing, song-writing, as well as in dancing (Caribya, 2018). The Arubans are fun lovers and entertainers, and their art is widely loved all over the world. In addition, their land is a frequent destination for tourists. Smoking is a common practice among Arubans with marijuana being the most smoked substance on the island. Notably, Arubans are lovers of alcoholic drinks including the locally brewed ones. They are keen on social relationships, and almost everyone loves being part of a social group ( Figueredo & Argote-Freyre, 2008). However, there is still a massive gap between the rich and the poor, who are mostly black and live in poor neighborhoods while the rich live in affluent areas.
Surprises about the Culture
What is surprising about the Aruba culture is how the many different ethnic groups have interacted and formed a rich culture. The fact that the people have established a peaceful society despite being a society made up of people who have significant differences regarding appearance, race, originality, religion among others is fascinating. It is also surprising to see how much the people have stuck to their traditional beliefs and practices despite the excessive interactions with people from all over the world. What is even more interesting is their love for visitors who tour their land throughout the year.
Impact of the Research on My Expectations
The revelations about the Aruba culture were quite different from what I expected. Before I embarked on the research, I thought Aruba was a sparsely populated area with one or two ethnic backgrounds. I was, however, surprised to find out that the Island is home to more than forty nationalities and its population is one of the most diverse in the world because of the many visitors the Island hosts throughout the year (Aruba: Best Island Holiday and Getaway Destination, n.d.). Moreover, I thought that the place is characterized by little civilization, with the biggest population living in rural areas. My findings were, however, the opposite. Aruba island enjoys a lot of civilization and urbanization particularly due to tourism. I also did not think that Aruba was a major tourist destination. In fact, I thought the place was unexplored and had nothing of interest. According to my research, however, the Aruba Island attracts a lot of people from all over the world due to its beautiful physical features, national parks, as well as the interesting culture of the people (DiPietro & Peterson, 2015). While the research revealed that the climate there is perfect for vacation, it was surprising to discover that Arubans are friendly and welcoming to all visitors. To this end, the Island is precisely the type of destination I would wish to visit.
References
Caribya, 2018. The Culture of Aruba. Retrieved from http://caribya.com/aruba/culture/
Chilton, J. (2016). A Cultural Melting Pot: The best art, musicals and festivals . The Telegraph . Retrieved from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/caribbean/one-happy-island/aruba-culture/
DiPietro, R., Peterson Ryan. (2015). Exploring cruise experiences, satisfaction, and loyalty: the case of aruba as a small-island tourism economy. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration , Vol. 18 (1), p.41-60
Figueredo, D. H., & Argote-Freyre, F. (2008). A brief history of the caribbean. New York: Facts On File. Inc , 29 , 56.
Hochstuhl, W. (1950). History of Aruba . lago oil and transport co. Oranjestad.
Sullivan, L. M. (2009). Aruba . Edison” Hunter Pub.
World Book. (1990). The world book encyclopedia of people and places. Chicago: A Scott Fetzer Company.
Aruba: Best Island Holiday and Getaway Destination. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.aruba.com/uk
