JAVANESE/INDONESIAN CULTURE IN SURINAME

After the Dutch stopped importing labourers from India, they imported labourers from their own Asian colony, Indonesia. Mainly these labourers came from Java, one of the major islands in Indonesia. These labourers were brought here as contracting labourers for a period of five years. After finishing the contract they might return to Indonesia, or extend the contract or remain in Suriname.

Most of the Javanese contracting labourers did not returned to Indonesia due to certain circumstances at that time. In reality the possibility to return to Indonesia was not present and most of these people longed to return to Indonesia and became homesick for long time. After the Second World War the interest to return to Indonesia decreased. More and more they realized that it was only an illusion to return to their home country, and that it is better to build up a living here.

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Monument of Javanese Immigration, Sana Budaya, Paramaribo Photo: Copyright © 2002 Moekiran A. Amatali	Former Javanese Contracting Labourer at his 90th birthday, Soekodoedoek, 2002 Photo: Copyright © 2002 Moekiran A. Amatali

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After living all the time isolated in and near the plantations where they worked, the former Javanese contracting labourers moved into the big settlements, came in touch with the other ethnic groups and started with an integration process, which still continues. Since then the Javanese changed, in their language, culture and habits, and they are not the same like when they came here more then 100 years ago. However nowadays they have their own identity, in appearance, culinary and culture, which are unique in the western hemisphere.