The Javanese in New Caledonia: The Terrors of Exile and the Hazards of Integration

Between 1896 and 1949, nearly 20,000 Javanese left their overpopulated island to work under contract in New Caledonia, which lacked workers. Most returned to their homeland, but many stayed and established themselves in a territory thus contributing to its development. In 1996, New Caledonians from Indonesia numbered about 5,000, i.e. 2.5% of the local population. However, their history and their role are relatively unknown. This article summarises the results of an ongoing research project due for completion in 2004 with the publication of a sociological history of the Javanese of the “Caillou ”. The first part gives a brief history of the New Caledonian Javanese and reviews the reasons for their exile and the results of their integration with the local population. The second part offers a sociological study of the Indonesian New Caledonians based on available data and on ongoing field studies.