Aruba

When a white teenager from Alabama disappeared, the search drew people from every shade of the rainbow-hued population on Aruba, a Dutch Caribbean island where 52 ethnic groups coexist relatively peacefully and four of every 10 people are immigrants.Still, the case brought questions about Aruba's race relations after two black men were quickly detained for investigation while three lighter-skinned men who were last seen with Natalee Holloway weren't taken into custody until later.Arubans — who are descended from Africans, Asians, Europeans and indigenous Indians — are overwhelmingly adamant that the island has an unusual degree of colorblindness. Even defense lawyers and friends of the black men say race had nothing to do with it. Both men were released late Monday."Racism you have everywhere. But I refuse, as an intelligent person, to believe that the racial issue has influenced the Aruba justice system," said Noriana Pietersz ( search ), who is representing one of the two black men, ...

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