What is it like being black in the Netherlands
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- čas přidán 28. 02. 2022
- In this video I go over what it is like for me as a black woman living in the Netherlands.
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#Netherlands
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#BlackInNetherlands - Zábava
As a black woman whom grew up in The Netherlands I have to say the Dutch people have been nothing but kind to me - I've lived in many other countries since then and never felt at home as I did in NL. Planning to move back this year ..
Thank you for informing me of this...I always get told by family members in South Africa, That the Netherlands is the most racist, and that i will be mistreated as a black women...But ive never believed that...Thanks for reaffirming my beliefs❤
How about for black men?
@@cuber9320 some backward cultures assume black males are sex starved organisms
Thank you Mona. We in The Netherlands love all cultures. We are always curious about the history of countries, their traditional food, their rituals etc. We only have cheese and stamppot :-) We need more colors and spirit from people like you ❤
@@cuber9320 We are all human beings. So yes, black men are very welcome in The Netherlands. We are honored that people like to experience and get the Dutch feel how we really are. We have strange ways being direct in conversation what we think, but always with respect in all seriousness to learn about eachothers habits and behaviour etc. Thank god we are not all the same! The world would be so boring.
I always wondered why they call these American cities melting pots, while every ethnicity lives in their own neighborhoods? The Netherlands is not perfect, but at least we try to live and work together. You can’t fix the occasional racist nutcase.
Honestly the better term is "salad bowl" instead of melting pot: where we all come together but retain our individual flavors. I really think that concept is a better fit.
I am Dutch and happy to hear this from you. I must say that sometimes I fear there is a growing polarisation between Arabs and some of the Dutch which pains me and I hope we can fix it that on time. You are very welcome here!
is it a secret ?
Thank you so much for this video. I'm a Black mother relocating to the Netherlands in the near future and I have heard comforting things about race relations there and your video confirms the positive things I have heard. It makes me wonder that much less about what to expect. Yes I know everyone's experience is different but hearing so many positive perspectives, especially from a fellow Black mother, really does help ease the anxiety about the transition. My Dutch boyfriend (who is White) is actually the one who sent this video to me as he has been reassuring me that things there are not like they are here in the US and hearing your words as well as reading the comments is just what I needed.
You bet! Glad I could help put your mind at ease.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions..I'd be happy to help!
@@livinglife.digital3399 thanks so much!
Zoals in elke land zullen er altijd mensen zijn die racistisch zijn zo ook in Nederland, maar die groep is heel klein in Nederland. De grootste percentages mensen in Nederland zijn vrij en vriendelijk en heten je van harte welkom in Nederland. In de grote steden in Nederland zal je ook zien dat veel stellen gemixed zijn van afkomst en kleur , vooral de donkere vrouwen met blanke mannen zie je heel veel in Rotterdam en Amsterdam o.a. ik heb zelf een relatie ook met een donkere vrouw en mensen in Nederland kijken je echt niet aan als je met een donkere vrouw/ man over straat loopt. En als je hulp nodig hebt op straat zullen de mensen je gewoon helpen ongeacht je afkomst of kleur. Dus je bent ook namens mij van harte welkom in Nederland en hoop dat je het hier heel erg naar je zin ga krijgen en hebt dan. Good luck and seen you soon 😉😉👍
As a Dutch person now living in the USA I think it will very much depend on the area you'll live in. If you are in a smaller town you may notice more what I would call "naïve racism" which is more a fear of the unknown mixed in with overall (negative) opinion of immigration. It is not the same as say in the USA in certain areas where there is both a negative opinion towards immigrants and deeply rooted hate towards black people tracing all the way back to the civil war. It was always surprising to me how culture has developed there over time as a result of that war. I really feel wars are never truly over. When one side wins the other side still harbors hate, which is passed on over the generations to some extend. There was never such war in the Netherlands, but tensions exist there from e.g. an increase in crime along with greater immigration (of predominantly darker skinned people) over many decades since the 1970/80s. If you are in a major city, you will see much more diversity and it should be less of an issue. The other thing to remember also is that Dutch are very direct. They may make inferences or statements that are rude and stem from naiveté. If that happens remember you are more than ok to put anyone in their place and be direct back. Hopefully you'll find it a good experience. Just remember no place is perfect and no place is without some level of racism unfortunately.
@@dennisd9875 You make some very, very good points. Since I wrote that comment I have actually visited the Netherlands for the first time and, yes, I will be in a smaller town and from what I've seen personally and what I have heard from my partner, I will be one of very few people of color in the neighborhood. Of course, there is more diversity outside of the immediate area, but still not as much as in larger cities. So far I have found everyone I have come into contact with to be very pleasant and I definitely do not expect the same views towards my race as I have experienced here in America (I'm so impressed at how you accurately you broke down the differences) but I have heard stories of the "naïve racism" and the views about immigrants (still feels tame compared to the views on immigrants in America, though) and my partner and I have both discussed how Dutch directness may lead to statements that he and I may have to address just as directly. But I definitely still look forward to the move and I must say your home country is absolutely beautiful. I really appreciate your replying to my comment as well!
If I saw you in the shop, I would stare...
Omigod it's that CZcamsr!!
😂
Before watching the video: Ooef, this is going to be an interesting video.
After watching the video: Pfew, that's good to hear. I;m so happy for you and your son.
😂 Thank you, Rob! Glad I was able to keep you on your toes!!
I'm glad to hear that you haven't noticed any racism (yet) here in the Netherlands. But it certainly is. Okay, not nearly as much as in the US, but still.......
I am white myself and I adopted two daughters from China. I can also happily tell you that they have never noticed anything of racism in their lives. And they are now 22 and 24 years old. Our youngest daughter is in a relationship with a black boy. He is a sweet and good boy. He also has little to no experience with it (by racism I mean).
Some neighbours of mine in South Holland adopted two girls, one from China and one from Haiti. At a certain point they moved to Friesland where they were originally from, but their daughters had such a horrible time that they came back within a couple of months. So there are places where racism it's more prevalent, but I think it must be the more rural areas.
I experience many theme racism because I am not black or from North Africa racism I not always with to black it is also the black against not black and that’s in every race and that must be stopped.
Its that BOY 🤣🤣
@@rayjones1113 that word doesn't have the same 'load' in Dutch as it does in the USA. For a Dutch person, it's just a translation of the word 'jongen'. Since he still sees his daughter as his girl (meisje), the guy dating her automatically becomes 'jongen' - boy.
Although not living in The NLs, I've visited several times for weeks at a time, most recently to a village near Winschoten, and I would agree with your assessment. Even there, I didn't get any stares or looks of surprise and if I'm honest, I also saw more other Black people than I would have necessarily expected to see. I'm sure that some racists exist, but as you noted, it's simply not the same experience as here in America.
That's pretty awesome!
Even people outside the Randstad, as the Western part of the country is called, are aware that's it a long time ago that we were a predominantly white society. Their reaction is usually not racist, more curiousity.
I'm a little shocked. Are you saying you do get surprised looks elsewhere (can i assume you're from the US)?
God damn Winschotem out of all places! Lol... well you can be sure if there is no racism there, you wont find it anywhere... sort of
@@Jacky-sw6jx yes I'm from the US and I'm saying that I have experienced more overt racism here in America than I've experienced there in The NLs.
Welcome to the Netherlands, dear. I hope that you and your kid(s) will always be met with goodwill in Dordrecht, or wherever you might move later.
In my life, I have encountered a few characters that would make horrible remarks about non-caucasian people of ANY ethnic persuasion. So I know that racism *does* exist here for sure. And even as a white Dutchman, this always bothers me. I'm happy to say, though, that the only reason that such things really stand out to me, is that they are so rare.
Thank you so much, Bobo!
Thank you for your perspective. I am Dutch (white) and my wife is American (black). She lived with me in the Netherlands 43 years ago and we moved to the US 40 years ago. She loved it there for exactly the things you mentioned. I'm sure there are racist idiots there but they are very few and far in between. Most people simply don't care what you are there. When we moved to the US, the culture shock was on my end regarding race relationships. M wife had to explain how things are here because I was truly clueless. As I was growing up, race was never any kind of issue - so different in the US, where it is a huge issue. At that time, it was all totally new to me and, even after 40 years, it still amazes me.
Je weet dat jullie altijd terug kunnen komen toch. 🤣 hahaha voel je niet bezwaard hoor, maar ik moet toegeven dat ik me vaak gezegend voelt dat ik niet in Amerika geboren ben.
@@kellypeters5379 Ja, da's waar en heb er wel over gedacht, zeker de laatste paar jaren. Mijn kinderen en kleinkinderen wonen hier dus is dat wel een groot gedeelte van de reden dat we in de US wonen.
@@kastooMcFry dat begrijp ik heel goed. Thuis is waar je hart ligt en die ligt natuurlijk bij je familie en gezin.
My husband and I have been thinking about moving out of the country more and more. The Netherlands keep coming to my mind. Thanks for this video.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. The problem in the Netherlands here is that a certain group think that being black in the Netherlands is making it mandatory to implement the emotions from the real institutional racism in the US in black people in NL. And you being from the US are the living proof that it is different here in NL. Of course there is always the individual discrimination between cultures, but that is not a ‘white’ thing. Being of mixed background myself, and having many friends from different cultures, have seen a lot of culture based discrimination between cultures. Even in e.g. Surinam the different cultural groups of population discriminate amongst each other. God bless you.
I love your ‘Doeiii’
😊 Thank you, Yoxz!
I live in the South of the Netherlands and i can honestly say that here it makes no difference what color your skin is. That is the way it should be, color does not matter what counts if you have a good hart. I am proud to say that i did a good job bringing that vieuw to my kids because they have lots of frends that are a different color of skin. So did i and still have sins a very young age.
💖
Hi, I'm from Dordrecht ! So happy you are having a good experience here !
Thank you, Julia!
Even though I'm of mixed black/white descent, I've only encountered a handful of genuine racial incidents in my lives, while living in a small towns in the eastern part of the country all my life. Yet most left political parties in the Netherlands still assume black and middle eastern people are severely discriminated against and crt is needed to address that, even though I'm certain there's some racism, most of it is simply caused by a lack of exposure to other ethnicities, rather that a profound hate of feeling of superiority towards other races.
Please promise me one thing, to teach your kid not to be afraid of the police in the Netherlands. They should be his friend in the first place, not his enemy.
Dunno about that these days, I definitely do not see the police as i used to after their violence in the past two years
Even here are rotten apples I know, but it still on a nother level as in the U.S. The police is not a monster, they will help you in the first place, even if you did something wrong. Just be honest and not aggressive or violent. Talk to them in a decent matter with respect for the person and they will treat you respectfull. Do not look for trouble and watch how others riot just for the sensation or ignore their mutiple requests to leave an area. If you are there, you are part of it. Period.
We have been traveling around the Netherlands for the last month trying to find a location. Thank you for telling me about Dordrecht it is on our list for this week
I think most people in the Netherlands respond to the person you are, nothing to do with colour; you seem such an open and bubbly person and you get back what you give out. When someone complains about prejudice it may be a good idea to see how they behave or what kind of vibes' they give out. But good on you girl, I hope you'll stay!
Thank you so much, Froukje!
To live in this skin is to know how it feels. Unfortunately a "vibe" is not the reason people choose to hate! If it were as simple as that there would be less hate in the world.
In the U.S. black people are Afro-Americans, in The Netherlands we have black people but they aren't Afro-Dutch, they are Dutch. Or they are Suriname or Antillean but then they or their parents are actually from Suriname or the Antilles. Unlike Afro-Americans who aren't from Africa but actually are just as American as Americans from European decent.
Oh I'm from Africa though, my dushi grandma looked African and I know why. Doesn't matter how Dutch, white or blond I am. My ancestors where kidnapped from Africa and brought to the Caribbean, my skin-color does not erase that history.
@@broederharry2534kidnapped? Africans were the ones who enslaved and sold their fellow Africans to Europeans and Arabs. Slave traders in Europe relied on a network that was maintained by Africans themselves.
@@broederharry2534 Learn about African Kingdoms histories and the ruthless monarchs who ruled them, such as King Agaja and King Gezo etc. Take a vacation to Benin and learn about the history. or are you one of those who believe that Africans have never sold their own people? That's like me, a Dutch person, claiming that the Dutch never trafficked in slaves.
@@oranjeboven6363 Africans did not sell their "own people" they sold people from other ethnicities. But the fact that a minority of the did that does not eliminate the fact that majority of African slaves were kidnapped sir.
@@ratxabadiu257 Yes, not a suprise! African tribes, such as the Ashanti, became extremely wealthy by waging war on their neighbors, kidnapping and enslaving them, and selling the captives for goods with European and Arab slave traffickers.
I absolutely love your videos! It helps me out so much! I plan to move to the Netherlands in about 2 years and having someone who is black who also has a biracial child, really helps put in prospective the experiences I may have.
I'm a white Dutch old man and I'm glad to hear that you and your family feel safe and welcome in our small country. I understand that you're living in Dordrecht. This place is a bit special because many people from the Dutch Antilles and also many from Cabo Verde are living there. I mean it's a bit different from Staphorst. I loved your video but maybe it's a little bit too positive on our state of mind.
Although I didn't live in the Netherlands I had vacationed there. Me and my family were welcomed with open arms in Amsterdam and Haarlem. It was my first time there and I went with my wife and daughter. It was a great experience and the people went out of their way to make us feel welcomed. I would move there if I could. Beautiful country and the Dutch are very open minded.
I live in the South aswell, Noord Brabant, a lot of smaller villages and cities, all of them diverse.
I absolutely love the diversity in the Netherlands, it's an enrichment to a society, in my opinion.
Bart Peeters, um.... probably a place i'd love to visit. cute little village with just one post office and one supermarkt. I am in BE at the mo , near Kipdorpvest , only thing that frightens me is the accent . my God . the NL speak so fast . i can't follow .. God help us
I live in Holland (I am Portuguese and have two nieces who are black cause my uncle is from Ghana) I can say that discrimination in the cities is non existence. We have so many cultures in Holland and black people from Africa. It is not an issue.
I hope you will enjoy the Netherlands very much.
i am from dordrecht i say you are sooo welcome! welcome to the netherlands`we are all the same GOD loves us all
Thank you for this information. To be honest, I have never had to deal with discrimination in the Netherlands. I was born and raised here. My father was from Indonesia and my mother from Australia. All my friends are Dutch. When I was little, I was the only brown girl, and that's why I was cute to my blonde friends. They have always cherished me. When I played at my friends house some of the older ones would sometimes say black but that was because I had black hair, just like I just said my friends blonde. This has nothing to do with discrimination. For example, the Dutchman can say Fries or Tukker, which are places in the Netherlands, but that is not discrimination.
I love the Netherlands very much and when I am on holiday in another country I am sick of homesickness for the first 2 weeks. My half-brother had a Surinamese father and he was never excluded from society. The original inhabitants of the Netherlands are very tolerant and look at people and not at the color. How someone is as a person is important, are you nice or annoying that can be responded to. Lots of love from me xo, love to your family
Love this!!❤ Sending you lots of love, Kezia!!💖
@@livinglife.digital3399 aww thank you so much ❤️🤗
Indonesian people are so much part of the Dutch culture we really consider them to be Dutch. Also because the Indonesian minorities are a very big group (untill a few years ago it was the biggest minority group in The Netherlands) everyone has a friend/uncle/neighbour who has roots in Indonesia.
@@NinaW1n thank you so much ❤️
@@NinaW1n -
May I ask you a question please? I read that mixed marriages or mixed relationships between Indonesians and ethnic Dutch people are high in the Netherlands, I wonder if there are any barriers with religion particularly with Islam in those mixed marriages (e.g., if the Indonesian person is a Muslim)?
I’ve been wanting to escape the hostile & toxic society here in the states. It’s sad all I want to do is live in peace and quiet. I just want to be happy and feel safe sitting in public just doing nothing. You can’t be black in America & have a peaceful day or mind.
That's just horrible. Because the things you want and long for are such simple desires...breaks my heart whenever I hear stories like this.
So happy to hear you son is having a good time!
Thank you, Jacob!!
This is a question which is important to ask, as the answers you get can show you how to improve as a person and as a society :)
I'm really happy to hear you say how much more you are at ease here, it is very important to be able to live your life as worry-free as possible.
I did some googling, there are some black/afro hairdressers in Dordrecht. One I found near the station is called Astou Hairstyle, it isn't the only one but they have a website showing they can do black hair.
Your hair looks great. Liked your video :)
Hey, somehow CZcams recommended your video. I was curious, but am glad to hear you feel safe and at home, as it should be.
I was super surprised when I heard you say Dordrecht! Another Schapekop!
I hope to see you around, it's a small village, only 100k people, I love it here.
Thank you for sharing. The things you have experienced just make me so sad. Hope your experience here in the netherlands continues to be a good one 🙏🏻😊
According to my wife (who is black), racism is still present here but it is nowhere near as bad as it was 50 or even 25 years ago. Her mom faced serious (and sometimes quite open) discrimination when she came here. Official institutions actively hindered my wife when she started her own business back in the day. But these days, she hardly notices any, in her words: "inconsequential". Partly because we've grown much more sensitive to it (even over-sensitive at times).
One area where discrimination still is prominently present in the Netherlands is the labor market. Not against POC in general, but against a certain group (Moroccans) specifically. Amongst the employers I know, they have a terrible reputation when it comes to work ethic; a reputation that - statistically speaking - is not entirely undeserved. The problem is that it is very hard to fire someone under Dutch labour laws, so if you hire someone and they skive for months on end, you're on the hook for wages without much recourse. So they find excuses to not hire them. Our laws and regulations sometimes work against certain groups when there is a - again, statistically speaking - real or perceived issue with that group, even when there's no question of "hatred of foreigners" or even systemic racism in those rules. As a result, young Moroccans, especially the guys, don't have an easy time of it on the job market since many employers fear for taking a chance on them.
kaasmeister. its a bit rosy voerall but for a nuanced perspective you truly need to watch the nuanced opinion of the acheampong family on youtube. the husband and the wife are both mixed race and their kids are obviously also mixed race. they both spoke about how they would take the best of both worlds to have peace but detailed their own experience with identifying as dutch and being denied just that even though both their birth mothers are dutch.
@@PHlophe is there any specific video you would recommend watching?
It's sad that because of a few "bad" apples others are condemned! It is ignorant to say & think all are the same!
gracias por el hermoso video,quiero que sepas que yo vine de USA hase mucho tiempo y pienso igual que tu.👏
After that doei, I wanted to double like this clip, much love.
Thank you for this friendly video!
I believe that the famed Dutch directness is part of why racism is far less pronounced than in say, the US. People will call you out if you say racist things in the Netherlands. They look the other way in the US.
The Dutch people are one of the most tolerant nations in the world, I admire them so much for many things.
I have lived in the Netherlands for almost 50 years and I know there are areas here too that are quite monocultural and perhaps more racist, but in the Randstad area for sure people will be very used to seeing all sorts and types of cultures and racism will be very minimal. The Netherlands may have gotten a bad name due to Zwarte Piet, but it is often associated with the much more negative character type 'blackface' which was a mere mockery whereas zwarte Piet really is rather a children's friend. Those who see it like that understandably find it very hard to dis-associate this off course. There are more cultures with similar figures like three kings in Spain and a few more even in the Middle East, which are not blackface either. Nowadays I might say racism in the Netherlands is very frowned upon and by far most people will stand for that.
Nice you mentioned the mythological figure zwarte piet. The role of the zwarte piet, meaning literally black bird ! is not being a helper of Sinterklaas, but being part of Sinterklaas, namely his memory (carrying the book) and his opinion/mind (carrying the bunch of twigs). This refers to the two black ravens of the pagan predecessor of the christian Sinterklaas, the uppergod Odin/Wodan and his two black ravens named Huginn (NL ge-heugen) and Muninn (NL mening). Still today all "zwarte piet" wear a feather on their hats to symbolize it are birds and also they have still the same functions as the black ravens had.
This also proofs zwarte piet is older than Sinterklaas. There is no proof at all it is a slave/servant figure.
The mythological character changed from the German uppergod Wodan by Roman Empire and church, to first the bishop of Myra, at that time part of the East Roman Empire. Later the Spanish occupation made him come from Spain and having moorish looking companions.
A lot of Dutch adults and children make a lot of strange comparisons between Zwarte piet and black people. I believe this to be the great annoyance of some black people in the Netherlands. I was born and raised in the Netherlands, and I've heard what kind of bizarre comments white people make around that time of year. Everybody is free to celebrate whatever they want ust don't offend anyone in the process.
@@dikkiedik53 Out of curiosity as I never heard of Zwarte Piet meaning black bird could you point me to a source because I can't find none. Piet is Pete, not bird, I don't see how Pete translates to Bird either. I am very much into history and I think it will be an interesting subject to explore. It is not about proving right or wrong :)
@@mavadelo If you are not Dutch, you also do not understand the word Piet.
Then it becomes difficult to explain, BTW we have different meanings for many words.
@@budget3129 nou... vertel..... en ga nou niet over kanariepietjes beginnen he?
I think what the narrow minded/prejudiced/bigoted white Dutch like is to be confirmed that race doesn't matter and that they are not racist. So they love it when there is no other difference than the skin colour, or when the main difference is that you're American. A lot of blacks and people of colour here were adopted by white parents, so that's easy too.
The issues arise whith seperate immigrant groups who stay seperate groups. Then culture, socio-economic position, often religion and skin colour all come together.
You should try Rotterdam (i know, it's a little far from Dordrecht) to find a hair salon. I have passed a few hair salons there that seem to specialize in Afro-textured hair.
Welcome to the Netherlands, hope you and your family get a good life here :)
Thank you for speaking to this, thank you!
Welcome to the Netherlands, hope you and your family feel at home and welcome.
Slijmbal.
Thanks for making this brave and honest video. I’m black and emigrated to London many years ago. I felt much more at ease in the UK. I’ve been to only Amsterdam in the Netherlands, but feel equally relaxed there compared to when I return to visit my country of birth in the USA. The polarisation politically in the past half decade feels like the USA is going backwards in terms of race relations. Again, many thanks.
I was surprised where you went with the US store story.
In 1999 I travelled in the US with a black friend, I'm white btw, and we noticed a difference back then between the US and The Netherlands. It turned out we booked our stays there in white neighbourhood. Whenever we entered a store in LA and SF security would follow my friend, often the only black man in the store around. I could have robbed them blind so foccused were they on him. We had never seen that in cities in The Netherlands.
I noticed a big diffence while driving. When we were together passing cops would pull up to our car match speed and give us a look over, when I was alone cops would just pass me by. My friend noticed the looks, but I had to tell him about how different it was when he was not there.
While Ive met many nice and non racist Americans too, in all my visits since it has been painfully obvious how openly racist much of the US is.
Ive ended uptalking to a black mother in Las Vegas worried about her kids college education, shed saved a lot of money but had trouble with her daughter being refused by the better universities, despite having good grades.
I ended up sending her info about foreign students in the Netherlands, since the money she'd saved wouldnt be enough for a good University in the US and would still require a loan, but was enough to pay for plane tickets, cost of living and a masters degree in The Netherlands. Last I heard was a thank you and that her daughter was on the way to study abroad. Although she ended up going to Germany, which turned out to be even cheaper.
I don't get why more Amer8can students dont try that with the ridiculous prices for education in the US.
I think most hairsalons that focus on afrohair is mostly "thuiskappers". Renting a place costs much so its easier for them to do it at their own place or they come to your place to do it. Ask around at a shop that sell hairatributes and they might know someone. Its also a bit like under the table kinda thing so yeah they dont advertise too much with it on social media. But no worries there must be plenty in dordt.
Girl, come to the Nieuwe Binnenweg in Rotterdam, there you can find hairdressers for any kind of hair.
What about black hair products like gels, curl activator (yes, i still use this 😊), deep conditioners etc.?
Such an important video Fi
Thank you for your video I REALLY ADMIRE NETHERLANDS.
I'm glad you and your son have not experienced any racism over here. That is how it should be anytime and anywhere..
I think you are spot on . ❤️🙏🏻❤️ The way you describe it is the way it should be.. If someone would comment racist to your son we would all jump in 100%. Trouble with police like in the USA is extremely rare..
As a Dutchman I think every buch of flowers needs a assortment of different colors otherwise it would be boring!
You live in Dordrecht? Nice!! Welkom to Dordrecht! (I know it's a bit late, but I only recenlty discovered your channel)
Wow, I'm really abhorred by the examples of the conversations you needed to have with your children in the USA.
As a Dutch person, I'm not even proud hearing that your kids feel at ease in the playground. That should be normal, and thus not worth any praise.
I’m here in America 🇺🇸 it’s true no matter where you go it’s a problem wheather small or big it’s really a guessing game
♡ welcome
You could try a "TOKO" for special products towards people with a dark skin.
It's a shop where you usually go for foreign food but some have a wide variety of products.
Interesting subject! I subribed months ago without thinking about your color....
Thank you so much for your video! It breaks my heart too when you say that back home you had to explain to kids that they need to have a receipt, be mindful of where they are going and not have a hoodie on. That's so sad and wrong. I am a Russian, white in talks with a Netherlands-based company. I can potentially relocate. With the anti-Russian sentiment globally I am worried too about racism. I hope that it works out for me the way it did for you, that I take up the challenge and don't sacre myself away from a dream of living and working abroad. Thanks again! Best of luck))
Awesome video!
Glad you enjoyed it, Remco!
I’m completely horrified by the examples you gave about what it’s like being black in America. Very happy you’re feeling safe here. Have been enjoying your videos a lot so far, keep it up!
Thank you so much, Sanne!
Baby she ain’t lying America is getting scary I’m a single black woman with a cat and I’ve been really drawn to the Netherlands !!! I’m so happy to hear you speak such positive words and energy !!! The comments are also nice !! Definitely wanting to leave America and come to the Netherlands with my cat
America is a huge country & living in the states for almost 4 decades I cant identify with anything shes saying about the country. I’ve had a truly wonderful time in the USA.
Right now Dutch racism is more focused on mostly people who appear to come from Muslim countries. And I say appear as I once had a Egyptian Christian friend.
But she had the looks, so people judged.
I fear it's in human nature to be racist. Or well not just in human nature, but in nature in general.
The bird flies away from the cat for a reason.
We are designed to find patterns sometimes even when there aren't any and if we hear something bad about certain people, our mind if we want it or not, starts drawing certain conclusions. Our mind wants us to be safe, so it tries to assess threats.
Racists thoughts are something we need to conquer within ourselves. We should not necessarily be ashamed by thoughts we have on it, but we do need to do something with it.
Thank you for your openness. My American friend indicated many times that respectful approach is rare in US.
As a Dutch citizen I would say racial issues are small in The Netherlands.
The directness of the Dutch is not always appreciated. Holland has the largest people per square miles on the planet. 😎. Being direct means: I'd like to go around you citizen of this planet!'
There is no intention to hurt.
Keep us updated on your experiences. ❤️
Good to now you feel fine with us Dutch. 👍
I am Dutch and love you already. I hope you feel very good here. Bye awesome 👊👍🙏
Thank you❤❤!
Slijmbal.
Great video! I guess I've been lucky. I am an African American male raised in the south. I view the US very differently. I find Europe much more racist than the US. The only difference is that Europe hides its racism well. I lived in 5 different European countries, and I have to say, I prefer the US. I know that the Portugal has become popular for African Americans, but I found it to be one of the most racist. I'm sure that most of them don't speak the language. African Americans are the most progressive black people I have ever seen. Multiculturalism is celebrated here more than Europe. I guess everyone's experience is different. I'm glad you feel safe.
You told no lies I went to france last year I got dirty ass looks by the white French people
Awesome!
Has the zwarte piet discussion effected you in any way?
I dont recommend wearing a hoodie at night unless it rains.
I live in a smaller town then Dordrecht. In my street (100houses) we have people from,ofcourse Netherland, marokko,Poland, Syria,Suriname, ughanda, Indonesia, Spain and everybody lives in peace we have street/neighborhood party's and bbq toghether just on the parking places the kids play in the playground and us parents just have fun . Once we had a big pool (4meters wide) so everybody could swim in that hot summer. Kids come in by just pulling the rope that is hanging out of the mailbox so us moms do not have to open the door every 5 min. 🤣🤣
In my street we are" the more the marrier" if you are nice to us We are nice to you
Over je haar gesproken, pak gewoon een dagie Rotterdam. Om de hoek van het Centraal Station op de Kruiskade vind je alles wat je nodig hebt voor Afro/American hair. Mijn vriendin komt daar zeer regelmatig en aangezien het hier bij mij om de hoek is is dat natuurlijk iets makkelijker maar ik zou zeggen...maak er gewoon een dag van met BV een bezoekje aan Blijdorp Zoo.
Dank je wel voor de informatie, Ed!
American here. I'm so glad you found your place in this world. I'm so glad you have the freedom to live in a place you want to be. It is a shame you had so many challenges in America. I hope everyone ends up where they belong.
Nice video again!
We should hang out some time. Girlfriend and I live in Dordrecht. The Sterrenburg part. I'm serious! Keep up the video's!
Thanks Jeffrey, Let's do it!! I'm down😊
@@livinglife.digital3399 I will message you as soon as we are back from vacation on monday 😁.
Looking forward to it!
In Dordrecht most people go to Rotterdam or have house hairdressers that do their hair.
While as a whole the US might be a melting pot, the issue is that all those different groups tend to stick with each other, except for in places like New York. Puerto Rican/Cubans are in Florida, Mexicans are in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico. Asians are on the West Coast. African Americans are in Georgia and Chicago and so on and on. There are few places where you see all the different kinds of people all living in the same neighborhoods in large enough numbers to be of note.
In the Netherlands on the other hand there is a lot more mixing of the different cultures all over the place. While generally the mix is a lot higher in places like Amsterdam and Rotterdam, the mixing still happens pretty much all over the places, sure if you go to some far flung "farming/country" areas of the Netherlands you might encounter fewer cultures, there generally still is some mixing even in those places.
Hi, do they actively practice Hygge there? I think that's where it started from.
Can you flush the toilets there?
Thanks for your informative video
Dordrecht is not considered a really small city in Holland, I think they referred more to the small villages in the provinces where usually expats or tourist don't go anyway
Dutch people are no racists..I always treath people like they treath me, are they very nice and friendly I am too.
Even though I'm Dutch I was aware of how bad things can get in the USA and yet... every time I hear such a story, my jaw drops and my heart sinks.
I'm glad your experiences have been positive so far and I hope you have no or as close to 0 negative ones.
Also, although this is my personal opinion, you don't have to apologize when talking about your own experiences. Both your and the experiences of those who've had it different are valid.
I have seen video's going about foster care and adoption in the US. I got an error in my head because they find it something to mention when black foster parents are having a white kid. It seems that in the US they first look at skin color. But is seems there is also racism from black americans towards white people. The daughter of a friend of mine fell in love with an American man while she was as an au pair in the US. He is black. They are now married with children. She is often sad because her inlaws makes always clear to her that she is not one of them just because she is white.Their children are always looking forward to be in the Netherlands during summer holiday at their grandparents house. They made a lot of friends in the neighbourhood and love to grab their bike and go to friends. They are sad to go back to the US everytime because they told to their grandparents that literally not any kid concidered their skin color and they love to go around.
@@lienbijs1205 It's very likely the in-laws (or their parents) were persecuted by white Americans and developed a sense of resentment & distrust towards anyone white. It is a sad result but definitely not unwarranted hatred for skin color. It's a poorly chosen defense mechanism in response to generations of oppression & violence. There is a TON of history there...Just sharing this as a BW born and raised in the US. (This mentality isn't necessarily common, but it's not unheard of. I have a friend who's dad told her she better not "ever bring a white boy home." And I was like wtf??) The term racism involves a supremacy stance/putting down of another race. Your friend's daughter is experiencing prejudice, not racism. But it's still wrong regardless of terminology!
@@lienbijs1205 The color of someone's skin shouldn't be a factor in determining their worthiness. Ever.
@@surejan9514 I am so happy with your response because I feel so bored because I got an unexpected gall bladder surgery and need to stay many more days with a drain in my stomach and Antibiotic infusions.
Yes people feel that we should always be "happy" even though we are harassed and ill treated the majority of our lives! But it is still not a reason to be prejudiced, but some often have a breaking point. If only everyone could experience racism to understand, learn, grow. It is sad. But you will never truly understand unless you are in this skin. Most people of color do respect the fact that there are people who just believe in fairness & human kindness which should just be.
What do you find of Suriname culture? Edit: You live in my home town lol. I sadly do not know of any hairsalons to help you there. Just that one store in the city centre which I don't even know if its around any more
Dordrecht? Go check out Urk or Staphorst just a small example of what you have been warned for. Dordrecht is small but it's close too the big city and cheaper to have a living. That's why there a many nationalities.
Glad you feel safe and happy here, every mother wants their kids to be safe. Can't imagine being stressed about your kids just going to the play ground. Course racism is a thing here too, but I always thought America was so much more friendly towards black people...
Anyways, happy you're doing alright over here in the Netherlands 😁
some grown ups are ignorant to. im originally from the US Virgin islands. when i date i get the obvious question. im not from the south so i ask guys on dates and sometimes they wonder if i want a green card. i use to laugh but they are serious.i dont bother anymore i just walk away.
I do IT Help Desk work and is from the US, I really want to live there in the Netherlands and bring my wife. I'm very concerned about paying double taxes from US and Netherlands. How do I avoid that and can I find similar IT work?
@Living Life. Digital. Well, you have only been in NL for 9 months, so give it some time, and you'll experience it soon enough.
why did you move to the netherlands and i need to get your info just in case i decide to move
I am learning more and more about myself and where I come from… Please tell me if the Surname “Youngblood” rings a bell in the Netherlands
We need to be careful in judging;
Blacks are black and Whites are white though we are all human beings.
Let us also note that it takes much to adapt.
So far it's not nepotic, it's not racism
Could be a nice half day off going to a hairdresser in Rotterdam. Just a few hours to yourself?
I think something that helps is that because everything in the Netherlands is so close together it's uncommon to be isolated. Even if you live in a rural area that's overwhelmingly white, you'll go to bigger towns or cities on a regular basis where there is more diversity. So you would have to put in considerable effort if you wanted to prevent your kids from being around people from different races.
I would say that a major downside is that at least back when I was in school we really weren't taught a lot about racial awareness. There were always kids of different races in my class but we were mostly taught to be colorblind and didn't learn much about different cultures or about racism beyond the fact that it was bad and you shouldn't do it.
Don't go into the Bible Belt... they actually do exert considerable effort to isolate themselves from everyone else.
I am immensely proud of of my (adopted) black grandson. I have never heard of him being discriminated, apart from some friendly teasing, sometimes. Like people with a Limburg accent or red hair are being teased sometimes. But, as some other commentators on this page state, when "people with color" cling together and refer to white people as (ascendants of) "slave traders" irritation may arise. And then discrimination starts working in both directions . The woke movement doesn't help to improve better relations.
i think a big difference is that here in NL, even the racists are a bit ashamed of their racism and are unlikely to say something in your face.
yeah as a black person not from the US but living in the Netherlands just want to say not everyone has a good experience as you.
The Netherlands is not the same as the US when it comes to racism, but does not mean it does not happen at all. I also lived in Dordrecht, its still relatively big in comparison to the villages. And Dordrecht is quite divers too.
Thank you for informing me of this...I always get told by family members in South Africa, That the Netherlands is the most racist, and that i will be mistreated as a black women...But ive never believed that...Thanks for reaffirming my beliefs❤
There is no sound for your video,from Suriname be Blessed Oct 2022
Happy you feel save. It should be. Personally I only judge ppl by their behavior, actions and manners. As it always should be.
Good to hear you have had such a good experience in the Netherlands. Be sure to stay in the west / Randstad and you'll be fine. Much like America, the more rural you go the worse it gets.
Nonsens
Lariekoek
This is just a thing dutchies from randstad are saying too often. Eastern or rural parts are fine as well.
Would say rural areas are even better mixed up than some of the bigger cities because everyone is living in the same neighbourhoods.
I heard from a poc friend of mine that they have a hairdresser culture that come to your home. White people do this too, but it seemed to sound like that's your way to get it done mostly. They hear about good hairdressers from each other and share phone numbers etc. Its not shady or anything and done quite a lot here. Theres a lot of hairdressers working from home as well.
Thank you for a helpful video. I am considering the NL as my future location and, given that racism in Europe has got worse in past decade, this is extremely useful. Your experience in the US is sad but I cannot say I am shocked. I suspect that considering how mixed the US is the all-white areas over there are all-white for a reason. Sadly, they attract many bigoted people who go there to avoid living next to people of colour.
oke, but if you get here, please say goodbye to your own racism first.
If people dont want to live near you, that's their decision, your not the one who can tell people who are right and who are wrong.
If you still think your the one who can judge others on their decisions (wich do not affect you), please do not 'pick holland', we already have to many racists (of all skin colours) as it is, we don't need another one....
@@the_w189 FVD alert!
Keep in mind that there are areas that are less welcoming to people who have a different background. You can look up the areas that predominantly vote PVV/FvD and even SGP. That last party is conservative christian and I've had many kids in my classes who had traumas growing up in the so-called 'bible-belt' due to the bullying (or racism) these people practice. However, these places are pockets and most of the country is friendly!
A (white) friend of mine lived with her (black) son in Twente. He’s now around 20, but as a young kid one of very few blacks in the area. She told some people would actually stop and look at him, even turning around. He was also rather shy and tender-hearted. So by the time he was around 11 , she decided enough was enough, moved to a city with a somewhat more diverse population. It suited them well, a good decision helping in settling her son.
While racism is generally not as bad here as it is in some other countries, there’s probably still some of the sneaky kind, the unconscious kind, in which non-Dutch sounding names tend to be put at the bottom of the stack when it comes to job applications. Or so several experiments showed.
Furthermore, sometimes it may also have to do with looks. A very nice, smart, university educated colleague of mine told me he is regularly stopped by the police. Now this never happens to me (white woman), he however experiences it on a regular base (black male, long dreadlocks)