"Learning to be a Man": Afro-Caribbean Seamen and Maritime Workers from Curaçao in the Beginning of the Twentieth Century

Abstract

In studying the history of seafaring in Curaçao much attention has tended to be placed on macroeconomic maritime and military aspects. In the past; when nearly all trade in food and other commodities occurred by ship; the Caribbean Sea played a pivotal role in the social life of many Curaçaoans; both the elite and the working class. Work at sea was an important basis for the livelihood and social mobility of especially the black working class. In this article I discuss the role and experiences of Afro-Curaçaoan seamen who sailed the seas between Curaçao and other places. This study argues for incorporating the perspectives of in particular lower-class experiences into the maritime historiography of Curaçao. The article focuses on but is not limited to New York (USA) as one of the destinations of Afro-Curaçaoan seafarers. It draws on a database of arrivals at Ellis Island in New York harbor; archival documents; as well as oral history data through which the voices of these men are heard. The study presents some findings and thoughts regarding seafaring in the Dutch Caribbean and raises questions for further research. In this way it hopes to contribute to filling the gap of information regarding this part of the Afro/Dutch/Caribbean world.