By Emily Netherland
Imagine the Caribbean. You probably see some palm trees, a blue sky, and a sparkling ocean. Challenge yourself to think deeper. Think about the dark history of colonialism, the dangers of tourism, and the ever-present economic struggles. Radha, a native islander born in Aruba, lives a life reminiscent of both images. As both a local and someone who grew up with a father working in hotels, Radha's life only grew more complex after moving to the country that colonized their birthplace of Aruba.
Photo by Emily Netherland
Part 1
When imagining the Caribbean, palm trees, a blue sky, and a warm breeze might pop up. Throw in a couple of beach towels and sand stuck to every surface imaginable, and the picture is complete. But this is only half of the reality.
The missing half is what lies beyond the resort walls, past the airport tarmac, and down the roads leading to colorful houses with laundry hung up outside and blowing in the breeze.
Radha experienced both.
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Radha spent their childhood moving from one resort to another, swimming at an endless number of beaches, and feeling the hot sun year-round. Born in Aruba to a native Aruban and a Trinidadian, Radha earned a Dutch passport without ever visiting the Netherlands until the start of college. Radha’s father worked in the hotel industry – first as an executive chef, then in management positions, and finally as the general manager of a major resort chain in the Caribbean. Radha’s family moved to six different islands during their childhood. A few years in Aruba, a couple in Curacao, Antigua, St. Lucia, a brief stint in Jamaica, and then finally four years in Barbados. Living in the Caribbean seemed picturesque, but as they moved from hotel to hotel and island-hopped around to different cultures a few hundred miles apart, they began to see the truth behind the palm trees.
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Radha learned about the behind-the-scenes of hotels – the way employees fretted over low season and occupancy rates, how management dealt with complaints about hurricanes ruining tourists’ sunny vacations, and why there was a need for tourism at all. Radha witnessed the American- and European-owned corporations funneling the tourists’ money away from poverty-stricken islands.
“When I was 12, I started becoming way more cynical about tourists and tourism, because I would just hear a lot of ridiculous, ignorant comments of, ‘Oh, you have roads, you have the internet, you don't live in a hut.’” The illusion of tourism began to fall apart. Radha listened as tourists made snide remarks once they’d arrived in the aftermath of a hurricane that destroyed homes and infrastructure. Some wanted a refund or gift because of the cloudy weather since they had been promised a tan. Radha grew irritated at the lack of perspective, “I think I quickly realized that it's just because they have a completely different idea of what the Caribbean is like; they think that it's a myth of this paradise place. And then they get there.”
Despite the frustrations, Radha learned “the reality is that people depend on tourists, so you would have to take them seriously, even when they're being the most un-serious.”
Because without their presence, the tourism dependent economy would face severe consequences.
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Islands like Antigua and Barbuda rely on tourism for 80% of their GDP. And 80% of that revenue goes to the global companies that own the cruise ships and resort chains. Radha recalled the controversy surrounding these large enterprises, and specifically the development of “all-inclusive” resorts. On paper, an all-inclusive resort seems like the ideal solution to a vacation. Included transportation to and from the airport, private beaches, private excursions, and restaurants a few steps from your hotel door. These resorts offer tourists what they imagine when picturing a Caribbean getaway, and the resorts also solve the problem which Radha described as “the fallacy of the Caribbean that tourists come to see.” For the locals, the all-inclusive or tightly contained hotel structures keep tourists to certain parts of the island. Sought-after sandy spots traditionally known as “local beaches” would maintain a sense of culture, with no sign of tourists anywhere on that stretch of beach. Local markets that sold fish and vegetables at a lower price than the markets next to resorts could also maintain pricing and a sense of community.
Some argue the all-inclusive resort creates a closed economy, as the tourist’s money doesn’t ever leave the business itself. Instead of purchasing a sundress handmade by a woman who sells items at a local farmers market, tourists might buy a sundress in the air-conditioned hotel gift shop – one that wasn’t even made in the Caribbean. The resorts also get tax breaks when hiring the many employees required to maintain an all-inclusive resort. These tax breaks come from the resorts hiring employees that are immigrants, but not local to the Caribbean. And when the resorts do hire locals, they get paid less and are offered fewer benefits.
The image of an all-inclusive stay can mirror an image seen before in the Caribbean, one that was drawn over 500 years ago.
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The divided nature of all-inclusive resorts and tourism can be counted as one of the many remnants of colonialism still present in the Caribbean. Radha took a staunch position on the topic, saying “it's inherent, that everything in the Caribbean is shaped or influenced by colonialism.”
On each island in the Caribbean, the connection to colonialism is unique. Some islands adopted different kinds, like settler colonialism. Others functioned as a slave trade hub. Some focused on exporting goods. Depending on the type, Radha said the past “shapes a lot of the present-day reflections on colonialism or the impact of it.”
Islands formerly under British rule, like Barbados and Antigua, felt different than the Dutch-owned islands of Aruba or Curacao. One of the ways Radha saw a distinct difference was in the implementation of British legislation. Barbados maintains controversial and outdated laws from the era of British rule and colonization. Up until last year, the “Buggery Act,” forbade anal sex acts and gave physical labor as punishment, though rarely enforced.
In Jamaica, Radha noted more resistance to their colonial past. Radha witnessed cultural resistance through reggae music, “which was always playing, and the actual lyrics are very powerful about land ownership and cultural reparations and giving people power.” Anywhere from grocery stores to bars to someone’s speaker blaring on a beach, you might hear familiar voices of reggae music. One of the most well-known artists, Bob Marley, sung about resistance and the past, “Every time I hear the crack of a whip, my blood a-runs cold / I remember on the slave ship / How they brutalized our very souls / Today they say that we are free / Only to be chained in poverty.”
Demographics are something Radha sees as “clearly linked to the colonial past.” Aruba has a mainly European, white population as the indigenous population became practically demolished by colonial intervention. In the neighboring island of Curacao, more than 75% of the population is Afro Caribbean, because their ancestors are linked directly to the sugarcane-plantation economy.
From environmental degradation and exploitation to outdated legislation and debt to organizations like the World Bank and IMF – these are all reflective of the colonial past. “I think it's unfortunate. I think it's frustrating. I think it's sad, I wish it wasn't that way. It is systemic and follows a path.”
Part 2
Life on a white sandy beach with the sun always shining made everything seem brighter and the world seem smaller. Of course, there were tensions between tourists and locals, remnants of colonialism, and the typical identity crises of a high schooler. But at the end of the day, Radha “still felt like a kid a lot of the times… it was just go to the beach, go to school, come back home.” At 17 years old, Radha was no stranger to the realities of life in the Caribbean. But Radha still had no idea just how sheltered their childhood was.
Radha’s wakeup call arrived after graduating high school and moving away from the Caribbean to attend university in Amsterdam. Radha pictured Europe as a fairytale-like place where all identity crises and cultural struggles would disappear when the plane touched down. After experiencing their fair share of struggles related to the anti-LGBTQ laws and attitudes common in the Caribbean, they were excited for the chance to fit in perfectly.
Radha instead realized “that never happens anywhere.”
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Having attended schools that were primarily composed of local Caribbean students, racism from peers was something that had never happened to them. But Radha experienced “racism with a capital R” after moving to Amsterdam.
Radha grew up imagining racism in larger countries like the U.S. and the Netherlands as something direct and blunt – racism you could clearly point out and criticize. Instead, the nuanced racism in Amsterdam was something unexpected. Radha experienced an overwhelming number of Euro-centric attitudes in the classroom. Many classmates’ statements suggested a feeling of European supremacy. Radha began walking into a classroom and automatically looking around to see how many other people of color were there – something they had never done before.
Stereotypes of the Caribbean prevailed in the classroom. Radha heard, “We’re underdeveloped, we need money, we’re ungrateful because Dutch Antilleans come to the Netherlands to study and take out a loan that earns them free travel.”
Some of their experiences working in food service also highlighted the lack of understanding or recognition some Dutch have about colonialism. While delivering food to tables and running orders to the kitchen, customers would try and guess their ethnicity. Once they found out Radha was from Aruba, they would often say, “Oh, that’s our colony.” Radha sensed a feeling of innocence from the Dutch, that they perhaps think, “We didn’t really do anything that bad. It was the UK.”
Another element Radha was surprised about was queer culture. Upon arriving, they figured out “there was a difference between European queer culture and the one I expected to walk in to.” Gay marriage was legalized in 2001 in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Aruba didn’t legalize gay marriage until 2022 – despite being in the same kingdom. Radha realized most of their classmates had never lived in a time when gay marriage was illegal, and Radha felt disconnected from queer culture.
Radha became constantly confronted by negative attitudes and ignorance towards the Caribbean. They faced the harsh reality of being born in Aruba, receiving a Dutch passport and citizenship, but never experiencing “Dutch culture” firsthand. Radha recognizes the irony of being born on the island colonized by the country providing a passport and an education.
Despite the hardships, Radha does appreciate the immense benefits that come with being born on a Dutch Antilles island. They have the same student loans, student travel benefits, health insurance benefits, and financial aid that someone who grew up in the Netherlands has. “That’s a big positive for me and other Dutch Antillean students who come to the Netherlands.”
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Walking around Amsterdam, Radha thinks a lot about world events that occurred in that part of Europe. They see the Anne Frank House and think about what the city saw during World War II. Radha also often walks through the city and thinks about “how my own heritage, my own ancestors, and a billion other people, how their suffering has increased the wealth of the city and the whole country.” They struggle with trying to understand colonialism, especially as a “privileged person who gets to come here and study and learn and theorize about it.”
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After living in Amsterdam for almost four years, Radha identifies as someone from the Caribbean. They don’t specify a country.
Radha wishes people would confront their ignorance or discomfort in exploring a topic, specifically one like colonialism, “It is painful. It does bring up negative emotions, especially if your heritage inherently makes you a part of colonialism.” Radha wants people to learn about themselves and their histories, “I hope people take initiative to do it, because there’s the internet.”
“People live their entire lives in the Caribbean and never go anywhere. And that's fine. Some people grow up there and move around. But it's a real place where real people live. It's not just a spot for your vacation. Or, you know, this crazy paradise where nothing bad happens, because everything that happens in your country happens in the Caribbean, too.”
Photo by Emily Netherland