Growing up South Asian (Surinamese) Dutch 🇳🇱 🇸🇷 🇮🇳

Who is "Dutch?" What is it like growing up as a Surinamese (South Asian) in the Netherlands?
Did you know there are over 350,000 people of Surinamese descent in the Netherlands? Suriname used to be a Dutch colony. Modern-day Suriname is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the Americas made up of Africans, Indians, Indonesians, and more.
When Suriname gained independence in 1975, many Surinamese migrated to the Netherlands...and Dutch culture today is a melting pot of these migrants' cultures, traditions, and stories.
⏰ CHAPTERS:
00:00 Intro
00:14 History of Suriname 🇸🇷
01:29 Growing up South Asian (Surinamese) Dutch
03:39 What do you identify as?
04:40 What was school like?
06:07 Discrimination
11:12 South Asian vs. Dutch culture
17:58 Ending
📽 OTHER VIDEOS:
🇳🇱 Living in a Dutch Canal House - • Apartment Tour: 400-ye...
🇳🇱 Dutch Culture Shocks - • What are the biggest D...
🇳🇱 Growing up Chinese Dutch - • Growing up Chinese Dut...
🙏 IF YOU'D LIKE TO TO SUPPORT ME:
PayPal - paypal.me/davidswen
Buy me a coffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/davidwen
🎒 MY GEAR (Affiliate Links):
Camera (Sony A7iii) - amzn.to/3PjxZjQ
Phone (iPhone 12) - amzn.to/3Rktqrw
Microphone (Rode Wireless GO II) - amzn.to/3auLEWM
😁 WHO AM I?
I'm David, a Californian living in Amsterdam. I make videos about life in the Netherlands, hiking/traveling, and the Camino de Santiago.
🔸 If you live in the Netherlands, I'd love to hear your story and interview you.
Email: [e-mail]
#asianeuropean #lifeinthenetherlands #surinamese

[@rachsjanda]

Thank you David! You made me look great, hahahaha~🫰🏽

[@hidavidwen]

You're welcome Sameena, you ARE great! =) Thank you

[@nibeditadatta5101]

Sameena seems very mature in the way she treats her parents. Thank you David for bringing her! Sending love to both of you.

[@hidavidwen]

You're welcome Nibedita. Sameena is a very mature person indeed. Sending love back to you!

[@Am0nknight1234]

Thank you very much for sharing your story, Sameena, and thank you for the interview, David.

[@hidavidwen]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@Wernerrrrr]

Thank you Sameena for being so open.

[@johannessugito1686]

Small mistake, David. The picture at 1:16 are Moluccan people coming to The Netherlands from Indonesia by boat in 1950-1951.

[@hidavidwen]

Thanks for sharing Johannes.

[@NinaW1n]

Nice to see this interview, i would have to say i would consider this girl just as Dutch as any other Dutch person. We have soooooooo many people here from a mixed background, its very easy to find other people with the same background as you. If you look at the Indonesian community in the Netherlands thats a very big group, with a lot of own customs and routines but we consider them Dutch as well, they fit in as easily as Germans or Belgians. It would be interesting to interview someone from that group too. If you are looking for the groups that are being discriminated more i would have to say thats people from Morocco and the middle-east. And also maybe good to realise: Europeans tend to discriminate more on nationality than on skin colour, Americans always talk about skin colour but we look more at what country someone is from. White people from eastern-Europe or Russia will probably face more discrimination than lets say black people from Germany.

[@hidavidwen]

Thanks for sharing Nina. True-there are so many people and ethnicities here. Ah interesting to hear...that Europeans tend to discriminate more based on nationality. I recently talked to someone who is half Dutch/asian so currently working on that video. Also plan to chat more with the Moroccan community too. Thanks!

[@qixxor2075]

Interesting testimony. Thanks for another thoughtful video.

[@hidavidwen]

Thanks! :)

[@ronaldderooij1774]

A wise woman. I wish her all the best.

[@parmentier7457]

I work in The Hague and I have noticed that the Hindustani community is very closed but also discriminatory towards the Surinamese-Creoles. The Hindustani are also often highly educated and focus more on the white population than the Creole and Javanese Surinamese. Another ethnicity to interview are the well-integrated Indos (between 1.5-2 million Dutch people have an Indonesian background) who came to the Netherlands in the 1950s. Another special group are the Moluccans. The Moluccans still live in special neighbourhoods, where, for example, it is legally stipulated that no other Dutch people are allowed to live there.

[@efrans2627]

Moluccan people in Nederland so sad 😂

[@daano465]

@CAPTAIN HOOK Dude, you literally picked gthe worst neibourhood in the country as an example. Everyone one in the country looks at Duindorp as a complete mess with assholes and Tokkies.

[@elennet4116]

All lies Why should Hindustanis take care of Creoles? Don't the Creoles have brains to think and hands and legs to work hard? If your community is failing bcz of your own lack of education and work effort why should the Hindustani community take the blame

[@ashurafreedan]

Isnt it strange, in every country hindustani are well educated and then the other minorities get jealous and pull the racism card. They should look inward and why in every country, these people are a big% of the prison population instead of blaming others😂

[@patrickmonaghan6728]

This was really interesting. Bravo

[@hidavidwen]

Thanks Patrick!

[@chrisodell2585]

Important video 👍

[@hidavidwen]

Very important, thanks Chris!

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

The Hindustani I know from Suriname, some of them, are actually rather racist towards the Afro-Suriname people... LOL Racism knows no skin-colours, it comes from fear.

[@hidavidwen]

Racism comes from fear. Yeah let's hope for a kinder world where we treat people with kindness and respect

[@ashleyftcash]

My dad and aunt say the exact same thing. My dad has been in the Netherlands for a while but my aunt still lives in Surinam. She does say that racist is shown different then Dutch people openijg their mouths and saying stupid shit. But he, totally different culture, so the way racism show is also very different. Sometimes I wonder if I would notice the racism in Surinam if it isn't bluntly said out loud.

[@gratefuldead3750]

Insdians of middle class caste are even racist to other lower castes in india and they see ex slaves as lower caste, thats all. They are also racist towards Pakistani..

[@ashurafreedan]

@@gratefuldead3750 And pakistanis murdered the minority indians from 10% to 0.1% in pakistan. Pakistan invaded India 4 times and failed, so the hate is their own fault. Always interesting you people forgot to mention that. Ask Pakistan what happened to their minorities. In Surinam as well, creoles are very racist and rob the richer indians and chinese. Doesnt matter which country, its always the same group who causes trouble

[@sirg3137]

​@@gratefuldead3750 doing propaganda sir . keep doing sir . very happy to see India hate people are doing there work 😂😂

[@denvreds]

i am Afro Surinamese born in Nederland but living in Suriname, really nice to see a Japanese person get so informed about the Netherlands and the different cultures, i like that

[@hidavidwen]

Thanks, I enjoy learning and sharing about different cultures. I am not Japanese though (good guess!). I am American (surprise!)

[@Iflie]

I think she proves my theory that it's actually harder to grow up in one of the big cities where kids with a different background become seen as part of a certain group. That leads to discrimination. So now she thinks that's the dutch way. While I grew up looking way more like Zwarte Piet than she did and didn't have those issues despite being usually only one of at most three kids in the class not "white". Also as a kid you will have a way easier time with friends if your mom is on friendly terms with their mom. In that way her background will have been very stiffling her life too. no wonder she doesn't really feel like she belongs. Many kids with parents who did not want to assimilate feel that way. They do not belong in the country their parents are from and not fully here. My family is Indo, they are well integrated and so it just wasn't a limiting factor, our values were the same, we went to the same church, same ballet class. The way I look with a father from Aruba was insignificant versus sharing the same culture as the dutch.

[@hidavidwen]

Thanks for sharing. I also grew up in a big city (in the US)...and there is a division of groups-the blacks, the whites, the hispanics, the asians, etc People usually hang out with people they are "similar to"...and that does create "groups" and labels. I'm not a sociologist but yeah...that's what happens and what I've experienced too...

[@Iflie]

@@hidavidwen Yes people assume smaller towns must be more racist but I haven't found that to be true. As a single darker child you are just an individual and one of my friends who I met in kindergarden said she came home the first day and enthusiastically told her parents about meeting me, said my name wrong in a funny way and it's just a cute story. The only kids your parents wouldn't let you play with back in those days were the ones without manners. Skintone had nothing to do with it. Parents met eachother at the school gates.

[@hidavidwen]

@@Iflie I used to travel to small towns in the US for work...and I've spent time in rural villages in Africa...I find people in small towns friendlier than big cities...but many are also not exposed to different types of cultures...so they may say or do things that may seem "discriminatory" but usually it's out of ignorance and not bad intention. And of course...you will have stupid people everywhere =) I remember in elementary school...all colors played together-basketball, American football, kickball-and then once middle school came and we all were teenagers...the groups started to split up based on race

[@Iflie]

@@hidavidwen Yes I think the saying of certain things that seem racist but are not is also a very dutch thing to do. Growing up here we just thought it was funny but it was also positive interest. For instance in the U.S if you touch a "black" person's hair and exclaim it's so floofy or something it's seen as rude and racist. While in the Netherlands touching hair was not intimate or insulting. And something kids are inclined to do to eachother. Or when they asked me what we ate at home or compared their summer tans to mine by holding their arms against mine after summer vacation. The first time I saw a U.S lunchroom at a highschool and there would be tables just with black or white kids I thought it was so strange. I think we are still tribal but if your culture is enough the same you wouldn't have issues with most dutch people. That's not saying you can't come from another cultural background but there are some basics dutch people feel more comfortable with, if they notice that or not. Like outspoken immigrants will have an easier time than quiet reserved ones. We like knowing what someone is like.

[@vickysmashesyouwithahammer]

this is a great and informative video, but the title is weird; suriname is in south america, not south asia. so wouldn't the title have to be South American (surinamese)? or if you're referring to her diverse background, maybe name it "South Asian and Surinamese" instead

[@hidavidwen]

Thanks Vicky. Yeah I asked her what she identifies as. She said South Asian due to her ethnic roots. But good point.

[@myafelicia]

@@hidavidwen Hence why the other ethnic Surinamese groups tend to often point out the way the Hindustani (most if not all of their ancestors were from the region of Hindustan, hence their name) behave here in the Netherlands. It does appear that they are ashamed of being part of the Surinamese population.

[@verginioartist667]

@@myafelicia yeah and that’s why most of the time people see creole ass the real Surinamese. Maybe cause the suriname language is origin a creole language

[@myafelicia]

@@verginioartist667 Part of that is because a lot of people outside of the country don't realize that our people are divers, from natives to Chinese to Javanese, to Creoles, to African-descent (the Maroons) to Hindus, and throw in Euro-Brazilians, Portuguese etc etc. who all speak the same creole language and then their own ethnic language(s). But even we Creoles see the Native tribes as the real Surinamese. It's heartbreaking to see that the govrnment is doing shite to support them.

[@Nt-nu4if]

​@@myafelicia The title is indead very telling. She was probably raised in the Netherlands to say that she is from India to distance herself from afro-Surinamese people although her ancestors came to Suriname more than a century ago.

[@hansdevriesvonmengden3639]

from the comment section you will quickly learn how badly a lot of dutch people react to this kind of criticism

[@GrandTerr]

I've seen that a lot. Maybe more patriotic dutch visit videos about their own country, so you have more hate than in the Netherlands overall.

[@vmoses1979]

@@GrandTerr No that's not it. And if it were that's an ugly sort of patriotism. It's that the Netherlands and other Nordic countries are similar to the beautiful, smart, athletic, most popular girl in high-school who has only ever heard everyone complimenting her in her own milieu. When this girl leaves that milieu amd hears any criticism, this breaks her very fragile ego and results in defensiveness and putdowns.

[@masterofalltrades_]

​@@GrandTerr They should be like Germans and not get defensive when discussing history. History cannot be whitewashed but lessons can be learned from it.

[@Treinbouwer]

​@@GrandTerr No, usually the people visiting these video's are the least patriot. It has to do with the way people talk about racism. At the moment people from higher social and financial positions give a lot of attention to racism, while the majority of poor and unfortunate people is white due to demographics. (Almost 80% is ehnicaly Dutch.) They get told they and their traditions are racist and that they are in an advantage position, while they are poor and defenitely in a disatvantage posision. I do not say racism does not exist, but I do not like TV telling every day that all white people are racist people with huge advantage and I definitely do not like that at the uni they keep telling there are to many Dutch people, there should be less and international students are best, while I worked very hard to make it to there and have to study in English. It is also very anoying that they keep telling that people disagreeing with them are undeveloped. The chanses I am the only one disliking those things are very low.

[@viktorr7115]

True dutch people are terrible

[@joostandhisband9648]

Samina is Dutch. The Netherlands is multicultural. Samina talks, thinks and behaves like any other Dutch young woman, never mind what their ethnicity is.

[@hidavidwen]

Thanks for sharing =) She is indeed

[@marjoleincloostra5665]

Her English accent can’t be more Dutch #ProofOfBeingDutch

[@marjoleincloostra5665]

(Although I understand her story off struggles of cultural identity. And hate the black Pete story. Sorry for you!)

[@250gtskyline5]

She looks so pretty ☺️ she looks like Indian too

[@mayena]

May I add I think here in the United Kingdom what slightly or quietly alterted the perceived liberal globabl reputation of the Netherlands was the sudden rise of the populist politician Pim Fortyn in 2002. Many wondered how come a nation such as the Netherlands vote such an individual?. Again this was not a surprise to some people outside the country as they point it was the Netherlands who indrotuced the Mid-Atlantic slave to British Colonial America/Contemporary United States (16-19-1807), a inspired precipitar to the South African apartied system (1948-1991), a largely an non acknowlegement to its colonial endeavors in the Dutch East Indies/Indonesia (1621-1949).

[@masterofalltrades_]

Great lecture on history. Sameena is absolutely correct.

[@hidavidwen]

Thanks!

[@mayena]

New viewer to your channel a suggestion to David do you plan to interview other minorities such as people of Aruban, Curacaoan, Moroccan, Afro-Surinamese, Turkish descent?. I like to hear from a Moroccan-Dutch descented person because from what I read online they are, especially the young men, are probably the most discriminated, marginalized, stereotyped, stigmatized minority. Plus which San Franciscan neighbourhood you grew up in?.

[@hidavidwen]

Thanks for sharing. Yes! I do have plans to talk to other minority groups. Thanks for the ideas and extra motivation!

[@mayena]

@@hidavidwen I am from London, England I knew three people from the Amsterdam, Netherlands, each from a Moroccan, Surinamese, Turkish, Curacaon, Aruban heritage during who migrated to London during the early and mid 1990’s. Their main complaint about the Netherlands was the full hypocrisy, example they like to portray themselves globally as being inclusive, liberal, tolerant which mainly claim allegedly they are the opposite. Maybe as well in the near future you should do a video about the controversial ‘ Zwarte Piet’/‘Black Pete’ event?.

[@tibz7634]

LOOOOOOL you know why people dont like them here? Cause overrepresent the population of the prisons so much. They have no respect for other cultures except their own

[@lilkimbu2817]

ironically enough would like to see a view from a Afro-Dutch since not everyone in Suriname is south asian lol

[@hidavidwen]

Thanks for the idea/suggestion!

[@patrick-bu3eq]

She is not Dutch but a Netherlander technically. The term "Dutch" is somewhat archaic and outdated, but it is generally refers to people of Germanic decent. This is similar to the distinction between British and English. Interestingly it is worth nothing that the English used to refer to themselves as "Dutch" well into the 16 century and the Dutch still call the Germans Duits(Dutch.)

[@noook21]

how the fuck is Surinam in Asia?

[@hidavidwen]

It's not. But many Surinamese have Asian roots

[@tintinorasterix8270]

Every country is the same in the whole entire world. Some a little better some worse.. She seems to be a nice person, but this isn't special to the Netherlands. India discriminates their own people for example.

[@hidavidwen]

Thanks for sharing.True, there is discrimination everywhere in the world

[@blueresolve2954]

Every country is definitely NOT the same. But yes, discrimination is pervasive in India too. A different form.

[@tintinorasterix8270]

@@blueresolve2954 kidding yourself

[@thevoid5503]

Surinamese are just Dutch.

[@hanshomesteading1276]

To be honest I feel you are picking people that fit your narrative. There are plenty people out there that can tell you a totally different story about living in the Netherlands as a foreigner. I grew up myself in the Netherlands and partly being dutch. It is not fair this picture you are trying to create of the Netherlands. I grew up in a totally different Netherlands. Everyone in Netherlands has the same rights, the same equal chances and people enjoy an incredible amount of prosperity in NL. So much that they don't even realise it themselves. I recently emigrated for the second time in my life, a wise man I met here,said "if the same things are important to you, and you feel like us, you are one of us". Why amplify problems and sow discord. What is your mission? The dutch are at fault here too, by allowing too much to be torn up. I used to work at this tech company with a hyper active, politically biased HR department, talking about diversity and inclusion and how it creates a better work environment. It only created distrust, but in a fish pool full of fish, you will only hear the frogs. To work together people need tolerance, not approval nor acceptance.

[@hidavidwen]

Thanks for taking the time to comment. My intention is not to "pick people" to fit any narrative. It's to learn more about and understand someone else's unique story. I've enjoyed the Netherlands a lot...and I'm just trying to understand it a lot more through the lens of other people. While it may be interesting to have a structured, scientifically-controlled selection of people from all different backgrounds to interview to try to find a general conclusion of the subjective experience of a group's upbringing...well...each person will have their own unique story based on so many different factors...and that's what I'm hoping to learn more about. And finding the right people to talk to...well that's a big challenge in itself...if you have a better idea, let me know =)

[@jonathanwor]

Most people who bother to make video's about their experiences in the Netherlands often have too rosy a view about life here. (especially Americans ;) ) Thanks ​@David Wen for digging deeper and also showing the stories of people whose experiences also show the parts that can clearly use some improvement. I don't think there can be a general conclusion about life anywhere and it's always deeply subjective. (Though of course there are (economic) indicators that can be quantified)

[@hanshomesteading1276]

​@@hidavidwen The outer end would be a scientific project and of course i didn't mean that. but you are interviewing almost a stereotype group of people. and it still didnt convince me that it not fitting your narrative. you can say a lot about the living in the Netherlands, but that people of different ethnicity aren't treated as equal or when raised here are not considered 'one of us' is simply not true. So the point is you are projecting somebodies feelings as the truth. Perhaps are these feelings a mirror of your own feelings as American?

[@hidavidwen]

@@jonathanwor You're welcome =) I think everyone has an interesting story to tell so I'm just open to anyone who has the time to meet and talk about their experiences.

[@jonathanwor]

@@hanshomesteading1276 I seriously don't think you can say the Netherlands gets a 'bad press' by Americans in general. I haven't researched it, but I think it can be quantified when looking at the youtube coverage. Seeing as feelings are subjective, one can not generally state that people of different ethnicity are considered one of us. Clearly, there are people in our parliament that state otherwise. By using that statement like this, you are also ignoring the people who say they don't feel included. The approach that would exemplify that one is taking people seriously and consider them to be a part of this society, would be to consider the examples that they give why they don't always feel a part of our country.

[@elennet4116]

Sameena should blame her Islamic religion because of the problems she faced as a kid and also as adult It's not because she was Indian Indian origin Hindus provide lot of freedom to their kids

[@rachsjanda]

Sameena here: I disagree. To say that all of my problems where caused by religion is wrong and not true.

[@elennet4116]

@@rachsjanda please read my comment again I didn't say all problems I said because of the problems Which means majority of your problems were influenced by religion in your family I know it's difficult to agree, but you need to accept the reality

[@myafelicia]

@@rachsjanda Why don't you seem to accept and respect the Surinamese part of your ancestry?

[@vishallgobind4257]

We do nor have a problem with these persons , the issu is ; their ego that they show when they vissit their ansestors countrey; thats the problem for them, its their own fault

[@blinkybillist]

This obsession with race is seriously weird

[@vickysmashesyouwithahammer]

your account is centered around being dutch bffr

[@user-ym7ss6xb3j]

classic victim thinking. And since when became Suriname "South Asian" HAHA. And always very very dishonest there is no discrimination in Suriname. lol. Even black and coloured people call each other names. integrating in dutch culture is a CHOICE. I've seen many people from Suriname and Indonesia speaking a harder Local dutch dialect than me, its awesome. They have zero victim blaming attitude. Victim thinking has been proven to be a confidence issue in pshychology.

[@hidavidwen]

No discrimination in Suriname? Sounds like Utopia...I don't know a place on Earth that has 0 discrimination. She identifies as "South Asian" because that is her ethnicity and where her ancestors came from.

[@user-ym7ss6xb3j]

@@hidavidwen I identify as Elvis and that makes me borderline mentally ill. SHES DUTCH ! ! she grew up in Holland, went to school here. LOL. she prob went 3x in her life on holidays in Suriname. Its hilarious

[@unrelatedpopcornfire9823]

​@@user-ym7ss6xb3jYou're a ridiculous and insufferable person. You manage to be confidently wrong about everything while having a massive ego about it.

[@RAWDernison1]

I had to stop before 6 minutes ... How many times does Sameena contradict herself, is she only looking for racism, being born and raised in Den Haag ?

[@hidavidwen]

I don't think she is looking for racism. It's her own story and experience. No one can deny that.

[@jonathanwor]

From what she tells I think she's actually clearly focussing on the positive, despite her experiences, among which racism. But clearly these latter experiences play only a small part in this whole video, which you would have known had you watched it completely.

[@krishyadav9961]

In which place mostly Surinami Hindustani are living in the Netherlands ?

[@ashleyftcash]

I am 5 minutes in and I have no clue what you are talking about?

[@myafelicia]

@@krishyadav9961 Den Haag/The Hague and Rotterdam

[@briarpatchson3039]

SHE NEED CHRIST JESUS!!! 🔯Colossians 3:11 “Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.”

[@elennet4116]

Hey David first change your title your Indian instead of South Asian There is no country called South Asia Also South Asia includes every region from Afghanistan to Sri Lanka Here in this video the girl is specifically Indian Have some basic knowledge before making any video

[@namenl2205]

As an Indo Caribbean, you can tell she is way too uneducated to speak on this topic.

[@midnitelion5238]

This "talk" is about her experiences. Everyone has the right and the freedom to speak about whatever. For a more academic/professional approach, there are plenty of other videos on KZbin.

[@user-kf6qj9zj7h]

cuz she is basically growing up in Europe, the conversation here is all about perception.