Kirsten Vos is East Indies Dutch or an "Indo" which is an abbreviation of "Indo-European" - the word refers to people with ancestors both from the Netherlands and from the former Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia.
She is one of 458,000 Indos in the Netherlands, a large community with a turbulent history. Although she is third generation, she retains a firm hold on her mixed identity:
"We don‘t have our own country. A lot of other cultures, ethnic groups, at least have a country they can go to, but we don‘t have that any more."
Mother country
After the Second World War, the Dutch East Indies became the Republic of Indonesia. Despite centuries of colonial history, many Dutch people and East Indies Dutch saw no future for themselves in the country.
Between 1945 and 1970 this led to a major wave of migration. Between 300,000 and 330,000 people came to the Netherlands, the "mother country" they often knew only from geography lessons.
Two thirds of the immigrants were of mixed descent. This group in particular had a pressing reason to leave Indonesia, says Wim Willems, Professor of Social History:
"When the Indonesians became independent and formed their own republic, they saw the people of partly Dutch descent also as colonisers. So they were pushed to the margins of society. They were regarded as an inferior sort of Indonesian, because according to the new rulers they were on the wrong side during the colonial period."Not welcome Once in the Netherlands, this mixed ethnic group received a lukewarm reception. During the post-war period, the Netherlands was preoccupied with reconstruction, and what‘s more the country saw itself as a country of emigration rather than immigration, as at the time many Dutch people were leaving for Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Hence the influx of East Indies Dutch was met with some resistance:
"The East Indies Dutch were foreigners and they formed the first large group of immigrants that came to the Netherlands after the Second World War. What‘s more, many were dark-skinned at a time the Dutch saw themselves as a white, homogenous population. So most Indos weren‘t very welcome in the Netherlands."
Nevertheless, the East Indies Dutch managed to adapt well. Furthermore, they were followed by immigrants from countries like Surinam, Turkey and Morocco. This meant they came to be seen no longer as immigrants at all, says Professor Willems:
"Indos are now seen as a sort of white Dutch people, even though their skin is a different colour. They now belong to the category of ‘Dutch‘".
Adaptability
The impression that Indos barely differ from the white majority in the Netherlands is mainly due to the adaptability of the first generation. Indos are seen as the ethnic group that has integrated into Dutch society the best.
But often this adaptation was accompanied by self-denial. Seldom was anything said about the suffering in the Dutch East Indies under Japanese occupation during the Second World War and about the hostility of Indonesians afterwards.
Third generation
However, the third generation have now put this self-effacing attitude behind them, says Kirsten Vos.
"There are people who say that what we‘re doing as the third generation isn‘t East Indies Dutch at all. Because in many people‘s eyes, we aren‘t self-effacing at all. We‘re extremely outgoing."
Kirsten Vos thinks it‘s important for Indos to consider issues such as "Who are we and what is East Indies Dutch?" Certainly in the Netherlands today - with all its different cultures, and with room for new cultures - Ms Vos thinks its good for East Indies Dutch to look to the future:
"Without forgetting - and I think this is important - what happened in the past and where we come from."
New consciousness
Young East Indies Dutch people are seeking recognition. They see themselves as a separate group in Dutch society, with their own history and lifestyle. This identity is expressed, for example, in a new internet forum, in which Indos discuss their culture.
The high point of East Indies cultural life in the Netherlands is the Pasar Malam Besar (literally "big evening market"), an annual Eurasian festival in The Hague lasting twelve days, and it‘s well-attended by Dutch people of all types.
Lectures and discussions, dance performances from Indonesia, readings from Indonesian literature and Asian products show that 60 years on, East Indies Dutch culture in the Netherlands is still alive and kicking. By Marcel Decraene
Source: http://www.radionetherlands.nl (June 27, 2008)
