Island Girl Iris Hakkens explores Caribbean Identity | SOUALIGA NEWSDAY

February 11, 2026

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - Iris Hakkens, 27, calls herself an "island girl" from Sint Maarten. For her studies and out of personal interest, she is researching Caribbean identity in the former Netherlands Antilles. She traveled to Aruba and Sint Maarten and asked herself the question:

"Do we imagine ourselves as a shared community and culture? So how does that sense of community live here in the Caribbean?"

Family Everywhere

Iris grew up on Sint Maarten, and when someone asks where she's from, she always mentions the island. "At the same time, I'm also a child of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, because my grandparents live in Aruba, my father is Dutch, and my mother was born in Aruba but also lived in Curaçao. We have family everywhere, like many Caribbean people." Reconstruction

She came to the Netherlands to study but dropped out of her Bachelor's degree in International Public Management to help rebuild her island after the devastating Hurricane Irma in 2017. Iris had planned to stay for one or two years, but it turned into seven. Seven years during which she fully engaged in rebuilding Sint Maarten. "I felt completely powerless in the Netherlands and wanted to give back to my island, which had given me so much."

Student

Now she's twenty-seven, back in Rotterdam, where she hopes to complete her bachelor's degree and soon her master's degree in Management of International Social Challenges at Erasmus University. She needs that master's degree, which she still has to choose, she says, to be able to work at a high level at UN organizations. She's a good student and is having to get used to student life again. "I miss my independence and my income, and I find my fellow students so young!" she laughs.

Research

Iris found a great internship topic in her search for Caribbean identity. Identity is important, Iris says. "We have to give a voice to other perspectives and become writers of our own stories and history. That, too, is a process of decolonization."

She approached anthropologist Francio Guadeloupe and traveled to Aruba and Sint Maarten to conduct research there. How connected do we feel to each other on the various islands? Dozens of people enthusiastically participated, from trade unionists to musicians and artists.

Conclusions

The older generations have a stronger sense of shared identity, and Iris finds that logical:
“In the past, people from the Windward Islands automatically had to go to Curaçao and Aruba for education. The same goes for work at the refineries. That's no longer the case, so younger generations encounter each other less often.” You also see it in the music, Iris adds; Curaçao and Aruba are more focused on Latin music, while Sint Maarten is more French-Caribbean.

Future

Iris definitely sees herself returning to Sint Maarten. She wants to open a park there focused on sustainability and community spirit, with space for agriculture, culture, and art. “With a restaurant serving local food as well. That's my dream.” Now, first, finish her studies, endure the Dutch winter, and move in with her sister in Rotterdam. “Looking forward!” Iris concludes.