Papiamento represents an outstanding creole language which was and is still spoken despite class. Papiamento is influenced by several cultures and languages, which reflect the hybridization of Aruba’s society and the different entanglements that have their roots in Aruba’s colonial past and still influence the A,B,C islands. This webpage tries to give attention to Papiamento in a sociocultural context, focussing on how the language reflects the interconnectedness of different cultures from the colonial past to the present and how this affects the  belonging of Arubans. In other words, we want to analyze how Aruban history, culture and language interact with each other creating spaces of integration and conflict, that as a result, create the uniqueness of the island. The fact that 2018 was declared  Aña di Papiamento (the year of Papiamento) points out the relevance of the topic.

Therefore, several interviews were conducted, in part with academics to give a frame to the evolution of Papiamento and its specific composition. As well, theoretical concepts such as Hybridity and Belonging are explained and connected with Papiamento. Additionally, the past and present role of Papiamento in society is especially shown, in the part of Language Policy. In this context, various interviews with Arubans were conducted to give space to their opinions about Papiamento and its standing in Aruban society as well as to their different feelings  of belonging.

From all this research material the webpage is created and is meant to give an insight of Papiamento and its effects on Aruban’s feelings of belonging, to everyone who is interested in a broader view of this language and the island of Aruba. At the same time, this project is supposed to give an example of the cultural diversity and interconnectedness of the Caribbean apart from touristic stereotypes.

The website was created with an internal logic -historical context, language, hybridity, belonging and language policy, ken ta arubiano- but it is not obligatory to follow it.