Text: Danielle Pinedo
Photographs: Ari Versluis & Elly Uytenbroek |
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Well organised
Grace Akoenow (28)
From: Cameroon
In the Netherlands since: 1998
Profession: factory worker
"The first thing I noticed about the Netherlands was how organised everything is. Trams, busses and trains always run on time, the houses all have numbers. Nothing is left to chance here.
It that bureaucratic? It depends on how you look at it. In Cameroon, many people don't even have a home, a car or a job. I'm very grateful for having a roof over my had and being able to earn a living.
The one disadvantage of things being so well organised is that people are more reluctant to break the mould. In Cameroon, we often party until dawn. Here the neighbours bang against the ceiling if it's after eleven: there's another day tomorrow."
Loyal
Allan Sedney (25)
From: Surinam
In the Netherlands since: 1975
Profession: student (public administration
"The Dutch often criticise Surinam, saying it's a mess. As if this country is free of political scandal and dubious goings on.
That attitude of superiority sometimes irritates me. Other than that, I have few complaints about this country. I have nothing but praise for Dutch social mores. They are always helpful and warm, subtle and, most of all, loyal.
I don't know whether I would be able to settle in Surinam. People would probably think I was a pedantic outsider. Nevertheless, I'm proud of being Surinamese and I'll never renounce my roots."
Fear
Dimitrov Wasil (45)
From: Macedonia
In the Netherlands since: 1997
Profession: none
"I have lived in the Netherlands for three years and am reasonably content.
I have my own room at the asylum seekers' centre.
I cook my own meals. Management takes more than adequate care of all my primary needs.
Am I happy? That's a different matter altogether. My son and daughter still live in Macedonia, my second wife is dead. I'm scared of being thrown out of the country. Who will ensure that they don't send me to prison when I return to my homeland? Or worse: summarily execute me?
I recently fell in love with a Dutch woman that's what keeps me going."
Opportunity
Vito Padovani (22)
From: Croatia
In the Netherlands since: 1981
Profession: security guard
"I was born in Croatia but I've lived here since I was three.
I have my work, my friends and my family here. Why shouldn't I feel at home in the Netherlands?
I spend my summer holidays in Croatia and it's clear that the Netherlands is much more modern. More free. There is more opportunity here. Croatia still has a kind of centuries-old caste system - born a pauper, die a pauper. People here can make their own destiny. That appeals to me.
I'll probably die here, unless the drabness of everyday bourgeois existence gets to me and I can't take it any longer."
Freedom
Fatima Köker (21)
From: Turkey
In the Netherlands since: 1979
Profession: student (general social sciences)
"No one at university minds me wearing a headscarf. Quite the contrary: my fellow students admire me for it. 'Good for you', they often say, or 'I'm proud of you, Fatima.'
People in Turkey could hardly imagine the combination of a female student and a headscarf. That alone proves that the Netherlands is where
I want to be. I'm too attached to my freedom.
That doesn't mean I don't value Turkish culture, of course. It's what made me what I am, it's in my blood. The way I see it,
I get the best of both worlds.
I have my cake and eat it."
Tolerance
Mürüvvet Açikgöz (24)
From: Turkey
In the Netherlands since: 1978
Profession: waitress
"I was born in Turkey, but my only ties to the country are emotional. I get up and dance when I hear Turkish music.
I join the party if the Turkish team wins at football. It's no use denying your roots.
I've only been to Turkey once
in the 22 years that I've lived here. I didn't get much of an idea of my native country.
That would take much longer. I'd have to live there for a while, which is something about which I have doubts.
The thing that I like most about the Netherlands is the level of tolerance. Regardless of whether you're black or white, man or woman, hooker or stewardess - no one gets in your way."
Bread, bread, bread
Ying Chun Lin-Chong (88)
From: China
In the Netherlands since: 1977
Profession: none
"My husband and I emigrated to the Netherlands from Hongkong in the late 1970's. He was a sailor but soon found a job in a Chinese restaurant, where he stayed until his death.
I haven't been homesick all these years. Of course this country took some getting used to, especially the eating habits! I had to go without my beloved Chinese rice for years. Always bread, bread and more bread to eat. Only recently has Chinese rice been available in the shops. I've become a regular!
I will be buried in the Netherlands, that much is sure. I'm old and I benefit a great deal from the social provisions here. There is no state pension in China and no domestic help. The elderly are simply left to take care of themselves."
Rotterdammer
Woei Tjin (27)
From: China
In the Netherlands since: 1973
Profession: coffee shop manager
"I may look a little Chinese, but I feel anything but Chinese. I consider myself a Rotterdammer. I was born and bred here and I'll never leave. Rotterdam is the place for me. Simple, isn't it?
No, I don't look down on Chinese culture. It just doesn't do anything for me. Not the food, not the music, not the festivals.
My parents are different, though. They still watch Chinese television through cable. They rent Chinese films and my mother still cooks typically Chinese food.
I've never been to China, but according to my parents it's very underdeveloped. I'd rather stay in the Netherlands where life is relaxed."
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