From the Indian Ocean to the Pacific

Affranchis and Petits-Blancs in New Caledonia

Bibliographic Data

ID9368696
AuthorsKarin Speedy (0000-0002-7108-7452, Macquarie University, corresponding author), Karin Elizabeth Speedy
Year2012
Volume9
Issue1
Publication date2012-06-06
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePORTAL Journal of Multidisciplinary International Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1449-2490 • E-ISSN: 1449-2490
PublisherUTS ePRESS (PUBLISHER • AU)
DOI10.5130/portal.v9i1.2567
OpenAlexW2057525127
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited1

The sugar crisis of 1860 in Reunion motivated the migration of thousands of Réunionnais to New Caledonia. Along with sugar planters, wealthy enough to transport their production equipment as well as their indentured workers, significant groups of both skilled and unskilled labourers made their way from Reunion to the Pacific colony in the second half of the nineteenth century. In previous publications, I have focused my attention on the sugar industry and the immigration of the rich planters and their coolies. While I have drawn attention to the heterogeneity of the sugar workers and have signalled the arrival and numeric importance of tradespeople, manual and low skilled workers from Reunion, I have not yet described these immigrants in detail. This is because this group has been largely ignored by history and details surrounding their circumstances are scant. In this paper, I discuss the background and origins of these people and highlight some of the fascinating stories to emerge from this migration to New Caledonia and beyond

Archaeology · Biology · Economic history · Ethnology · Geography · Immigration · Indian ocean · Sugar · Sugar industry · African history and culture studies · History · Island Studies and Pacific Affairs · Migration, Identity, and Health · Geology · Oceanography

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