Being Brown Abroad; Finding "My People" in the Netherlands

Francis Y. Perez
Criminal Justice & English
Advanced Criminology Netherlands, Spring Break 2019

Getting on the plane and finally landing in the Netherlands was the most “scrapbook worthy” moment of my life. My thoughts and feelings were all over the place: “I don’t understand the language, the locals are dressed so differently, the buildings are so unique, etc…” Everything around this country was making me feel like I was a part of something so much bigger than the United States. There is an entire world out there with many different cultures and personalities.

Different personalities is one thing I had to get used to alone. That is one thing I would have to say I struggled with. My group members did not seem to note my small frustrations, possibly because of one difference between us: color. I was the only colored person in my group that related to African American culture. As a Hispanic from the Dominican Republic, we tend to cling with those that share our ways of living and looking (clothes, skin, hair, etc.). Everyone in my group was Caucasian and the two other girls who were also Hispanic seemed to act just like them. I felt like I didn’t belong at times when we would discuss musical interests with each other and the students from the Netherlands. Dutch looks tend to resemble that of my white friends. They seemed to click pretty well. For me, I felt most comfortable with my two new friends who were  foreign exchange students from Turkey and Oman. Even though they were Middle Eastern, they felt like friends from home even though I was a long way from home.

Africans and people of color in the Netherlands didn’t act the way I expected, like  African-Americans in the States. I was partially confused because I believed that social media had built an identity for people of color around the world, but I had to realize that me and the people of color in the Netherlands, are from two very different cultures and places on this Earth. Aside from this, I consider myself to be very good at the art of adapting. I was able to put my initial thoughts aside and enjoy my time in Utrecht, Amsterdam, and The Hague. I enjoyed myself very much by the time I adjusted to everything and everyone that was around me.

Categories: Western Europe, Netherlands, Department of Sociology, Department of English, Criminal Justice Studies, Communication, Cultural comparison, Cultural differences, Forming new relationships, Reflection, Returning home, Stereotypes, Spring Break.