"Dutch fictional figure ‘Black Pete’ seen as blight on nation" by Toby Sterling |
Associated Press, December 16, 2012
AMSTERDAM — Foreigners visiting the Netherlands in winter are often
surprised to see that the Dutch version of St. Nicholas’s helpers have
their faces painted black, wear Afro wigs, and have thick red lips — in
short, a racist caricature of a black person.
The overwhelming majority of Dutch are fiercely devoted to the
holiday tradition of ‘‘Zwarte Piet’’ — whose name means ‘‘Black Pete’’ —
and insist he’s a harmless fictional figure who doesn’t represent any
race. But a growing number are questioning whether ‘‘Zwarte Piet’’
should be given a makeover or banished from the holiday scene, seeing
him as a blight on the nation’s image as a bulwark of tolerance.
‘‘There is more opposition to Zwarte Piet than you might think,’’
says Jessica Silversmith, director of the regional Anti-Discrimination
Bureau for Amsterdam. She said that historically her office received
only one or two complaints per year, but the number jumped to more than
100 last year, and will escalate further this year.
‘‘It’s not only Antilleans or Surinamers who are complaining,’’ she
said, referring to people descended from the former Dutch colonies that
once traded in slavery. ‘‘It’s all kinds of Dutch people.’’
Also see: The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews
Jewish Involvement in Black Slave Trade to the Americas
Not something you are traditionally told. Interesting that the girl directing the group drawing attention to the issue is Jewish, no?
What's worse is when you really think about it had the Dutch been dressing up with hooked-noses as a Jewish stereotype it would probably be illegal. Were it against Christian there would be an outrage. Had it been an offense against Muslims no one would think a thing of it and any complaints would be addressed with the phrase free speech. The fact that this form of prejudice escaped notice for so long is nothing new to blacks.
There are various versions of the history of St. Nicholas —
‘‘Sinterklaas’’ in Dutch — and of Zwarte Piet, who made his debut as an
African servant in an 1850 book.
‘‘Nobody is against the Sinterklaas celebration or is calling
people who celebrate it racist,’’ said Silversmith. ‘‘But it is time to
consider whether this is offensive, whether there actually are racist
ideas underlying Zwarte Piet.’’
The debate comes after a decade in which the Dutch have rolled back
many aspects of their famed tolerance policies, and in which
anti-immigrant sentiment has risen sharply. Zwarte Piet is frequently
defended as part of Dutch cultural heritage. Many Dutch say Pete’s black
face derives from the soot he picked up climbing down chimneys to
deliver presents — although that hardly explains the frizzy hair and big
lips.
In the United States, stereotypical black makeup — called blackface —
was phased out in the civil-rights era. But in Britain, a TV show
featuring blackface lasted until the late 1970s. Blackface crops up in
other European countries from time to time, such as in a theater
performance in Germany this year, but it’s only in the Netherlands that
it’s institutionalized in the form of Black Pete.
A sea change may have occurred here during last year’s festivities,
when four men were arrested for wearing T-shirts bearing the slogan
‘‘Zwarte Piet is Racism’’ outside a store during an appearance of
Sinterklaas — and charged with protesting without a permit.
Police threw one, Quinsy Gario, to the ground, and kneed him in the
back as they dragged him away, though he offered no resistance. A video
of the incident was placed on YouTube, and the slogan began trending.
Although police were later found to have acted wrongly, many parents
still felt that it was inappropriate to protest during the holiday or
when children were present. Gario responds that Dutch people won’t
discuss the matter the rest of the year, so his protest was the only way
to broach the subject.
This year the debate has clearly escalated.
For the first time, a white politician has openly challenged the tradition....
Traditions need to be challenged. If they stand up to scrutiny then they are valid.
--more--"
Related: Dutch Treat in Afghanistan
I will say this: killing people over damnable lies is way worse than dressing up in a costume.
European Vacation: Dutch Treat
What could that possibly be?
Sunday Globe Special: Dutch After Dinner Smoke
I might stay a while.
Also see: Sunday Globe Special: For the Love of Peat
