Expressions such as referring to the island’s local inhabitants as “they,” “them,” or “those people” betray a fundamental division between certain segments of the population. Referring to every non-local as a “greedy foreigner” or “white Dutch spies” doesn’t help advance the discussion. Equally telling were comments like “the local people can’t do without mommy” or the suggestion that government should be led by MPs from the Netherlands, remarks that reinforce a colonial hierarchy, implicitly positioning Dutch influence as superior to local governance. Such rhetoric underscores how race and colonial history shape contemporary views on self-determination in St. Maarten.
Why Race at the Heart of the Debate Is No Surprise
St. Maarten’s colonial past, marked by forced migration, slavery, and the economic disenfranchisement of its African-descended population, makes it nearly impossible to divorce race from the independence question. The Dutch Kingdom’s participation in the transatlantic slave trade directly impacted the island’s grassroots generations. As postcolonial theorists such as Frantz Fanon have argued, colonialism does not merely occupy land, it occupies the mind, creating deeply ingrained perceptions of superiority and inferiority along racial lines.
For centuries, European colonial powers created systems that placed white settlers and colonial administrators at the top of the social hierarchy, with the descendants of enslaved Africans relegated to the bottom. This dynamic still reverberates through St. Maarten’s society. It is neither irrational nor conspiratorial for locals to interpret Dutch opposition to independence as a lingering form of paternalism rooted in racialized power dynamics. What is surprising, perhaps, is how openly these divisions surface in public discourse, reflecting how little reconciliation has occurred since the formal end of colonial rule.
The Fear of Losing Power
Many of the survey’s more inflammatory comments express a fear common among white expatriates or those who do not identify as black or local. An independence movement that explicitly frames itself as a reclamation of black dignity can feel exclusionary to those who perceive themselves as part of a minority group on the island. This fear is not entirely irrational. Independence movements rooted in anticolonial struggle have often sought to empower those who were historically marginalized, but in the process, they risk alienating others.
There is also a practical dimension to this fear. Many non-local residents, including white Dutch nationals and immigrants from other independent countries, have invested in businesses, property, and lives on the island. The uncertainty of what independence would mean for them creates anxiety about their place in a potentially restructured society. As political scientist Benedict Anderson argued, nations are not just political entities but “imagined communities” and who belongs to that community is often hotly contested.
However, the race issue goes both ways. The survey also included comments against “Dutch white people who act like they can say and do as they please” because they feel that the Netherlands “owns” St. Maarten and, as such, this is “their” property. These sentiments highlight the deep frustration many locals feel about perceived Dutch entitlement and the ongoing legacy of colonial power dynamics. This frustration is not unwarranted, but it contributes to the same cycle of racial division that threatens to derail the independence movement.
The Complexity of Opposition
It is important to note that race does not neatly define the independence debate. Many people of color are strongly against independence for St. Maarten, citing extremely low opinions of the local government. Corruption scandals, inefficiency, and lack of transparency have eroded public trust, leading some to believe that Dutch oversight, however paternalistic, provides a necessary check on local politicians. This reveals that the divide is not exclusively a racial issue but also one of governance and competence.
Although the survey did not identify respondents, the tone, structure, and context of the comments allow us to make some confident assumptions about the perspectives behind them. Both white and black residents expressed skepticism, distrust, and fear, albeit for different reasons. This further complicates the narrative, proving that the independence debate is not simply a matter of race but one of broader societal fractures. One need only to view the comments on social media under any independence article On St. Maarten.
The Danger of a Divisive Independence Movement
The most dangerous trap for any independence movement is to become exclusionary. While it is legitimate to frame independence as a long-overdue corrective for historical injustice, the movement risks self-sabotage if it alienates the very people whose cooperation is necessary for nation-building. The comment that “those independent people” cannot be trusted, or the suggestion that white Dutch people on Bonaire have pushed locals into the cane fields while occupying the city, reveals how racial distrust cuts both ways.
Such rhetoric may feel cathartic, particularly for those who have experienced generations of disenfranchisement, but it can also serve as an impediment to progress. St. Maarten is home to more than 100 nationalities, many of whom have migrated from independent countries in search of better opportunities. These groups hold voting power, and their experiences with corruption, poverty, and instability in their home countries may understandably make them skeptical of independence.
If the movement becomes seen as solely about black liberation rather than national liberation, it will struggle to build the broad coalition necessary for independence to succeed. Independence cannot mean the triumph of one group over another, it must mean the creation of an inclusive national identity where all feel they belong.
In this context, one responder answering the question about the benefits of Independence stated: “Benefit? I feel like because I’m white Dutch I’m hated by the independence people. How do people like me see any benefit if we don’t feel included?”
Alternatively, on the question of what involvement the Netherlands should still have with St. Maarten if the island obtains its independence. one responder expressed (edited for language): “None. None until Dutch people can look in the mirror and just accept that their ancestors, enslaved my ancestors. They don’t want to accept that. They want to ignore and dismiss it which means you do not WANT to understand how black people feel.”
Can the Divide Ever Be Closed?
One of the most profound challenges facing St. Maarten is how to build a shared national identity in a society so fractured along racial, cultural, and national lines. In a small island where immigrants make up a significant portion of the population, the independence debate will always be complicated by the fact that many residents are not tied to the island’s colonial history in the same way the native population is.
The divide is further exacerbated by the global economic order, in which small island nations often struggle to achieve true autonomy. This creates a tension between those who see independence as a pathway to self-empowerment and those who fear it will simply leave the island vulnerable to poverty, corruption, and exploitation by new powers.
Yet the quest for independence, if pursued with vision and integrity, is not about exclusion or vengeance. It is about breaking free of any system that denies a people the right to chart their own destiny. Every country, regardless of its colonial past, should aspire to govern itself without external control. The challenge for St. Maarten is to articulate an independence movement that centers justice and self-determination without falling into the traps of racial division or narrow nationalism.
The survey’s results are both educational and dangerous. They reveal how deep the wounds of colonialism still run in St. Maarten, and how race continues to shape the island’s political imagination. At the same time, they highlight the urgent need for a more inclusive vision of independence, one that acknowledges the island’s history without weaponizing it.
If St. Maarten is ever to achieve true independence, it must do so not as a fractured society but as a united one. This will require difficult conversations about race, power, and belonging, and a commitment to building a nation where everyone, regardless of their origin, has a place. Only then can the island truly break free, not just from Dutch rule, but from the divisions that colonialism has left behind.
Source: The Peoples Tribune https://www.thepeoplestribunesxm.com
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