Day 5: The Significance of Colonial Times in the Netherlands.

July 8

Today, we had a two-part lecture period: the first being on the colonial history of the Netherlands and the second on the Dutch multiculturalism. We followed up on this by taking a trip out to the Tropenmuseum to view the exhibits on former Dutch colonies. And to round out the day, as well as instruction for our first week, we held a circle discussion and check-in in Oosterpark.

I found the Tropenmuseum to showcase the link between both colonial times and modern multicultural society. According to the Entzinger article, “one in five persons living in the Netherlands is either an immigrant or a child of an immigrant.” This figure describes the diversity that exists here in the Netherlands, as every colony from the former Dutch Empire served as a feeder into the main country. Although not on the level of the Spanish empire, the Dutch had a fair amount of colonies in many corners on the globe.

The Tropenmuseum was a comprehensive introduction into the various cultures and backgrounds of the twenty percent of the population with roots and connections outside of the country. The museum itself was my favorite to date, both for the content as well as the presentation of the exhibits. The interactive aspects helped to really engage with the material in a refreshing manner. I felt it to be a very modern museum experience.

There are two particular pieces I would like to touch upon. 1) Considering that we are constantly on our feet, it is a very welcome change to sprinkle a museum with so many seating areas. It is easily the most comfortable museum trip I’ve been on, hands down. 2) Going back on the idea of interactivity, I found it particularly rewarding in the costume showcase theater (I cannot recall the exact name of it) to work our own way around through the festivities. And this I felt was the general atmosphere of the entire museum: open-ended, engaging, and comprehensive.

To close out the week, I will add that I am enjoying my stay here in Amsterdam, even more than I had expected. Beside the liveliness and vibrant culture, I believe that one of the major contributors to this overall experience is the openness to foreigners. Coming from the Bay Area, I have always been accustomed to one of the most diverse regions in America; and in leaving to a new country, I was afraid I would lose this culture of tolerance I have always taken for granted. But it is nice to feel welcome into a new country.