This is the first and last post that the Shallow Man will write about Zwarte Piet this year. Like many of you I’m sick of the whole thing. Today the Raad van State will make a decision with regards to the appearance of Zwarte Piet and the recent court ruling in Amsterdam that Zwarte Piet is racially offensive. Amsterdam city council, being reasonable people, plan to make some minor changes to the appearance of Zwarte Piet, so that he actually does look like a white man that has been down a chimney. Most sensible people would agree that this is a reasonable compromise, however, there’s a hard core of what I’ll call neo Zwarte Piet supporters who insist that there should be no changes to his appearance at all. I’ve decided to use and explain the logic of the neo-Zwarte Piet supporters
The logic of neo Zwarte Piet supporters
A well dressed black gentleman is walking along a street in Amsterdam. There are several Dutch women standing outside a bar smoking. One of them says to the black man,
“You’re a well dressed neger”.
The rather shocked gentlemen replies
“what did you just say?”
“I just said that you’re a well dressed neger”
Her friends whisper something to her
“Oh are you shocked that I’m calling you a Neger? Don’t be offended, I’m Dutch and we Dutch don’t use the N word in the offensive way that it’s used in the US or the UK. The intention is not to cause any offence, so actually, I’m offended that you would take offence at something I said when it’s not meant in that way. I’m Dutch and I have the right to tell you, a black person, what you should find racially offensive, that’s just the way it is.
You can’t come to the Netherlands, the most tolerant country IN THE WORLD and tell us which words we’re allowed to use. You’re attempting to import the American racial experience to the Netherlands and cause problems that we don’t have in this country. In fact, ninety nine percent of Dutch people think the same way, and two million of us signed a petition on Facebook that gives us the right to continue using the N word.
We’ve been calling black people the N word for over a hundred years. It’s a traditie! It’s our right to continue doing so, no matter who it offends. It’s anti-white discrimination, to tell us, the majority, to adapt our language to not offend a minority. In fact if you don’t like it, you should go back to your own country, and if you’re a “nieuwe Nederlander” well you should go back to your country of origin if you don’t like our traditions”.
The downside of understanding Dutch
I wish that I couldn’t read Dutch. If that was the case, I wouldn’t have been exposed to, or understand the many comments posted on the forums of AT5.nl, Het Parool and the Volkskrant on the Zwarte Piet debate. There appears to be a huge undercurrent of intolerance and downright racial hatred that is brought to the fore whenever the subject of making changes to the appearance of Zwarte Piet is brought up. I’m aware that many of these people are internet warriors, saying things that they would never have the guts to do in person, but it’s still pretty disturbing to read.
Dutch Tolerantie
Dutch tolerance is fine for same-sex relationships, attitude towards drugs and prostitution, but there appears to be a blind spot, or better said a black spot when it comes to Zwarte Piet. Anger, hysteria, and hatred are often displayed by ZP supporters with even death threats being made to people that suggest making changes to the appearance of Zwarte Piet. Last year the Dutch singer, Anouk, who happens to be in a relationship with a black man, made some negative comments about Zwarte Piet. She was called a black man loving whore and received death threats. There wasn’t much evidence of the famous Dutch tolerance visible there.
My personal view is, by all means, keep Zwarte Piet, don’t make any changes to him, in fact, do as Groningen are planning this year and make him even blacker, by all means. My only request is for the Dutch to stop describing themselves as ‘tolerant’ when the actions of so many neo-Zwarte Piet supporters in recent months appear to prove that the opposite is the case and that the famous Dutch ‘tolerantie’ is a thing of the past.
The Netherlands is no more tolerant than many other countries I’ve lived in or visited, and the general attitude towards people using their democratic rights here to attempt to make changes to something that they find offensive is overwhelmingly negative and downright hateful in many cases. The Polder model and the famous Dutch attributes of open-mindedness and willingness to hold a civilized debate have been replaced by hatred and now violence as well.
Yes, I’m a bloody foreigner, and what gives me the right to comment on a “Dutch” issue? Well this allochtoon lives, works and pays taxes here, and the Netherlands is toch een democratie hoor!
No open minded Dutch female singers were hurt during the writing of this post.
A prize to the first person that tells me “if you don’t like it here, go back to your own country”. Why do people say this? Do they not realize that there’s Internet access in the UK as well? If I was to move back to London, why would that stop me commentating on Dutch society? Dom, dom, dom.
Till next time. Speak your mind, freedom of speech is guaranteed in the Dutch constitution.
People say Zwart Pieten are black faced from chimney soot…. but when they arrive each year on the boat with Sinterklaas they already have black faces… wouldn’t they have cleaned their faces at some point ?? ZP is an obvious reference to slavery or freed-slaves so why does this myth of chimney soot persist among commentators?? Father Christmas and Santa Claus both go up anx down chimneys but still have PINK (no-one is white – not even albinos!!) faces and very WHITE hair… point made I think 😉 Just teach kids ZP are freed slaves to stop perpetuating this sooty face lie. TY drom the Wavemachine007 – English Spy in The Netherworld for 13 years now – unlucky for me 😉 “Sooty” is an orange colour usually. .. would it not be better if Zwart Piet became Orange Piet ??
Your use of the Zwarte Piet discussion in regards to tolerance is illogical and misplaced. Whether you are for or against the tradition of Zwarte Piet is an argument based on the principles of tradition vs. racism. Tolerance has nothing to do with it, except in so far that the Dutch tolerate the discussion and legal protests from both camps.
You are free to argue that the Dutch are not as tolerant as they may think. I agree. Their language skills are also overrated.
The failure of your argument is that it tries to measure the Dutch myth of tolerance utilizing an argument that has no direct correlation with the subject.
Like using “gun-control” to measure American patriotism.
I must say that the reaction of shock and disbelief was exactly how I felt the first time I saw a group of Piets running around Amstelveen. To make things even more surreal they were speaking with mock Surinaams accents (It was 2004). I’m aware of the cultural context of Zwarte Piet, and while I would never accuse anyone that likes Zwarte Piet of being racist, it is a racist tradition. I was watching the Sinterklaasjournaal and the chocolate coloured Piets really do speak as if they are slow witted. There’s nothing intelligent about them at all. The Minstrels in Hollywood movies from the thirties and forties behave pretty much the same way as the Piets in the Netherlands in 2014. While watching the Sinterklaasjournaal I was surprised that the Zwarte Piets didn’t start singing
Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
Zip-A-Dee-A
My oh my, what a wonderful day
Zwarte Piet is a tradition, but it’s also pretty damn racist. But I know that many Dutch people will keep putting their heads in the sand and scream ‘TRADITIE’ or the rather patronising ‘you don’t understand the context of ZP’
http://youtu.be/-_swtbIi2F0
I never said something like ‘go back to your own country’ . But I’m disappointed that they won’t understand our way of thinking about zwartepiet. Nearly every kid I know (including me as I was younger) think zwartepiet is a hero! Zwartepieten are smart and nice, they can solve all the problems Sinterklaas can’t handle. Al most every child in the Netherlands wants to be come zwartepiet when they are older! Why Should we take that away from them?
And also we don’t see zwartepiet as something racist. .. nobody i know ever thought about that ,until people stared discussing about it…
So pleas stop with being hate full, because i and most people I know aren’t.
Xx a Dutch girl
I was a Pro-ZP at the beginning. I felt changing Zwarte Piet would do harm to my cultural identity. I read and heard and discussed a lot and hat to change my views.
Yes, changing Zwarte Piet *does* harm my cultural identity. And it was about time as well. Some changes are necessary, even when they are painful.
In the process, I stopped being ‘tolerant’ and began being respectful. I don’t ‘tolerate’ black people in “my country”, I now respect them and their feelings and because of that I have to accept that not all our tradities are something to be proud of.
Also in the process I discovered a lot about the Dutch history and felt ashamed and wondered why I never learned anything about the Dutch role in slavery.
I went through almost the same experience Vincent. I was pro-ZP until a cousin of mine told me that there are some kids in Amsterdam actually chasing and pestering coloured kids during the St.Nicolas festivities. Eventhough it is a small minority of kids engaging in this behaviour, for me it became clear that the present way we celebrate St.Nicolas and the ZP is not an all happy event for ALL the small children! That notion changed my mind. I don’t want to ban ZP; I would like the blackfacing to stop and a multicultural figure introduced. It could still be called ZP because of the all-black outfits that they wear, but otherwise help St. Nicolas as the different people that they are (Dutch, Chinese, Black, Brown, Turkish, etc.). And these helpers can be just as skilful and funny etc.
This also means that I would prefer this community to step back from the discussion whether ZP is racist or not. It doesn’t matter! Also we must realise that even if ZP is racially motivated, it does not mean that people in favour of it are racists. They just want to keep things as they are. At the same time, people who are against are not a threat to the Dutch society or way of living. They just want to keep a healthy development going for a better future!
First of all, as other have stated as well, the ‘n-word’ is not the same as the wors neger. Nonetheless, if someone would say ‘you’re a well dressed neger’ to someone else while I’d be anywhere near that person I’d smack them in the face for being ignorant and rude!
I think the Dutch are relatively tolerant towards other cultures and religions (trust me, if I’d move to an Islamic country they would not have me laying in the sun topless, giving me my own church to pray in, having me open up my own Dutch shops, growing boerenkool, let alone having me celebrate my cultural traditions in their country).
I find you very shallow about this subject. I suppose I’d fall into what you describe as the neo-category. I’d never tell anyone to go back where they came from for disagreeing with me on the ZP subject, nor would I be handing over death threats or call someone names. But I do want to keep ZP as he is. The way you describe it here there (ironically) is no grey area when it comes to the ZP supporters.
I hate being made out to be a racist by some for wanting to keep ZP as he is. Kids become racist by their upbringing, not because of a tradition (otherwise we’d all be racists). I think a lot of children are hurt in the joy they get from the celebration of SK by the discussion that is being faught by adults. ZP is a caricature, not a real person!
Also, why can they happily celebrate Sinterklaas in Curaçao and Aruba, where even there they paint their faces black and nobody talks about racism there… ?! What’s the difference between there and here? (http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xdA6O1pa-78)
I don’t want Holland to become like the UK, where piglets have to be taken out of the Fisher Price farms and Christmas is no longer celebrated in certain schools because it could offend some people.
When I was in Southend on Sea last week there were these fridge magnets of scarcely dressed white women on the beach. I felt very offended by this. Where can I complain to the English government so we can get those things banned?! Or at least have them changed! 😛
Good busy!