Immigration or Anti-Immigration

So far in these journal entires, I have observed and discussed identity as it exists in the Netherlands as a form of lifestyle. It is evident that the Dutch are very liberal people, but as touched upon yesterday, there is so much more beneath the surface. Despite the liberties afforded the Dutch people, some do not receive the same opportunities as others, as seen in the country's educational system. Due to this flaw in the definition of equal opportunity, I am left to wonder where else such a discontinuity exists and who else it affects.

As Humphrey Delacroix, the first gentleman who spoke today at Amsterdam University, brought up so eloquently in his discussion of the Indonesian identity, how do we define identity? In his speech, Delacroix characterizes lifestyle, feeling, and collective history as three components of identity. So far I have observed and discussed the Dutch's liberal way of life. But surely, there is more to being Dutch than engaging in a liberal lifestyle. What else, then, makes a Dutch person Dutch?

In lecture today, I learned that the Netherlands' colonial history has greatly impacted its ethnic makeup. In fact, due to the multiculturalism of the country, with its high Muslim, Surinamese, and Indonesian populations, the Netherlands has been experiencing a great identity crisis these past few decades, to the point that immigration remains at the center of political discourse. As a Spanish-Portuguese-Mexican-American, I can understand why such a topic of identity in regards to immigration remains so important. As a mix of ethnicities myself, I often find it difficult to determine what makes an American an American. The United States is a melting pot, comprised of different ethnicities, and characterized by a lack of one specific culture. Unlike the Netherlands, then, Americans have come to embrace this lack of singular identity and culture, embracing the mulitculturalism as the defining characteristic of its identity. While the Dutch all have a multicultural society, they have placed their liberal lifestyle at the forefront of their country's identity, deeming anything in opposition to this lifestyle a threat.

In this manner, I believe the lifestyle of the Netherlands plays a more definitive role in the overall identity of the Dutch people than I first gave it credit. Because the Netherlands has chosen to identify as a liberal country, it has simultaneously chosen not to tolerate or identitfy with conservative ideals. With this in mind, I believe it is in the best interest of the country to preserve the national identity it has claimed and enforce an anti-immigration policy against those people and groups that pose a threat. While a harsh solution, I believe the policy will allow for a more unified society. It is evidently not a place for conservative people or cultures, and it is unfair for outside groups to impose their values on an country that has a very specific and well-known identity. I don't understand why an openly liberal country has not yet made an equally open stand to keep such groups out and preserve its survival.

 

Sophia