From the end of the 19th century, large groups of Javanese came to Suriname to work as contract workers on the plantations, just like the Hindustani. When most plantations ceased to exist due to the crisis, many Javanese started to focus on small-scale agriculture.
The Javanese community is still a close-knit group. Especially outside Paramaribo, they are still attached to many traditions that are passed on from generation to generation. Javanese young people nowadays feel more Surinamese than Javanese.
