Subject: [History, Heritage] The Chinese

Article:

The national anthem of Suriname states:"...wherever our roots came from we shall put this country right..." When slavery was being abolished and none of the former slaves desired to continue working on the plantations, the owners and authorities began attracting unskilled Chinese laborers from Java for the sugar plantations. Here are some figures: 1853 some 18 Chinese from Java went to work at sugar plantations. 1858 500 from Hong Kong, Macao, Swatow, Amoy In 1865 ( 265), 1868 (516), and in 1869 (405). In 1874 No more Chines were contracted although a very few still came tofind work. Of all the brought in Chinese only 25% were female. Thus some Chinese married black women and their children were called "halve chinezen". By 1974 There were some 6400 Chinese in Suriname. The Chinese had their own association "Kong Ngie Tong Society" where they met socially and played "gambling --games. They were also the first to establish a home for the elderly Chinese. Although many Chinese were free to return many stayed and later generations became dentists, veterinary doctors, lawyers, economists, teachers, government official and prominent specialist in all the medical fields.






Met dank aan Albert Buys