Bonaire, Week 3 By Audrey Lillie

Hi all. For this week’s post, I will be discussing my research on Bonaire’s circumstances concerning nationalism as well as inequality. As I mentioned before, Bonaire is a country whose economy is almost totally based out of tourism. As on the south end of the Caribbean, Bonaire is exceptionally close to the equator, so its warm temperatures serves as a driving force for tourists all over the world.

Nationalism is a topic that has to be carefully dealt with in any country. It is defined by Merriam-Webster as loyalty and devotion to a nation, or in political terms a national movement or government: exalting one nation above all others. When studying nationalism, it is important to understand the history of a nation, so here is a brief overview of that of Bonaire: 

• 3300 BP: “Archaic Indian” remains found on Bonaire
• 500 AD: Caquetío Indians arrived on the island from South America
• 1499-1623: Spanish Alonso de Ojedo arrived in Bonaire and neighboring island Curaçao, accompanied by a company of 500. He names the islands the “Isla do Palo Brasil” or the “Island of Brazilwood.”
• 1515: Many Coquetío were enslaved and deported to metal mines away from Bonaire
• 1623: The famous Dutch West India Company approached Bonaire for meat, water, wood, and other necessary items. Bonaire became a salt plantation hub, while Curaçao became a hub for slavery
• 1639: Dutch conquered Bonaire and built Fort Oranje
• 1939-45: During WWII, Bonaire became a protectorate of the UK and the US, as the Netherlands were occupied by Great Britain
• 2010: The Netherlands Antilles was dissolved, and as a result, the Netherlands assumed the task to gain administration over Bonaire, St Eustatius, and Saba once more, and the three acquired the status of ‘special municipalities,’ which made them part of the Netherlands itself. 

As you can see, the island of Bonaire has had quite the past, and one that we have seen in more than one country too. The nationalism in Bonaire is similar to that in other Central and South American countries that were occupied by European states sometime in the past 500 years. All citizens of Bonaire are proud to be of such an entity, and although many may admire the Netherlands, they still do hope to be their own country. 

As per inequality in Bonaire, it is important to take note of the multiple races, religions, and cultures across the island. Most citizens are Roman Catholic, but other religions include Pentecostal, Protestant, and Evangelical Christian. Luckily, compared to many other regions, Bonaire does not experience very racist, inequality-based, or other problematic biases nearly as much as they could. 

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