A story not so bright
Curacao is definitely quite a bright island where the locals' smile and warmth would be enough to brighten up your day. However, it has not always been the case. Indeed, the island has a dark history of slavery and was widely considered to be the "most important hub for the international slave trade".
Curacao was originally inhabited by South American Arawaks who were decimated and enslaved by the Spanish. This quiet genocide the world knows nothing about was so important that finding native Indians today in Curacao is very rare. When the Netherlands gained their independence from Spain, they took control of the island and established Willemstad as the main capital developing it through imported African slaves’ work. The “lucky ones” escaped to Cuba whereas others worked in salt mines, plantations and oil refineries
Papamientu and slavery theories
It is believed that Papamientu (or Papiamento) language was created during the slavery period.
This Portuguese based creole language developed as a Portuguese-African pidgin used for communication between African slaves and Portuguese slave traders. As in any slavery history, this language has for long been fought by Dutch to the extent that students would get punished if caught speaking Papiamentu at school. Today, the locals mostly speak Papiamentu as their first language but most also speak Deutsch.
A torment for some, a paradise for others
If Curacao was a torment for some, it was a paradise for others, especially Jews. Surprisingly Willemstad had an important Jewish presence which is still talked about in Curacao's history. In fact, when Jews in Spain were persecuted because of their beliefs and were forced to convert to Christianism, those who did not want to convert flew to Amsterdam where they were free to practice. Once there, some decided to establish themselves in Curacao where they of course started and still maintain successful businesses.
An iconic Jewish gem is Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue where the floor is made of Dead Sea sand meant to symbolize the Israelite journey through the desert.
Today,
Curacao which was once an island territory of the Netherlands Antilles is now a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands (like Canada and the UK), somewhat independent.
To learn more about the slave trade in Curacao, head to Museum Kura Hulanda which explains Curacao's role in 200 years of the slave trade, and the influence of African cultural heritage on Caribbean society. kurahulanda.com/en/museumx
The interesting fact is that the museum is situated on the site of a former slave yard, and contains one of the largest collections of artefacts and documents outside of Africa about the Caribbean slave trade and Dutch central role in it.