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Ethnicity and Language in the Netherlands: A Cultural Perspective

Explore the demographic and ethnic landscape of the Netherlands, focusing on Moroccan accents, migration history, recent events, and the relationship between ethnicity and language. Dive into the discussions of freedom of speech, the role of language in ethnic activity, and the distinctions between ethnic and cultural minorities. Discover the dynamic nature of Afro-Caribbean identity in the Netherlands and the recognizable Moroccan accent in Dutch speech. Delve into the societal implications and perceptions surrounding various ethnic groups in Dutch society, highlighting the visibility of Moroccans and their accents.

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Ethnicity and Language in the Netherlands: A Cultural Perspective

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  1. May 8th 2006: Presentation in Haifa Jacomine Nortier j.nortier@let.uu.nl

  2. Topics in this paper • The Netherlands – demography • Ethnicity • Language • Moroccan accent

  3. The Netherlands • North-South: 300 km • East-West: 150 km • 16 million inhabitants • Capital: Amsterdam, almost 1 million • (Rotterdam: 600,000; Den Haag 400,000) • Utrecht: 275,000

  4. Amsterdam and Utrecht:

  5. Netherlands: 1.7 million non-Western 320,000 Moroccan (= 2%) 365,000 Turkish (= 2.28%) 330,000 Surinamese (=2.06%) 130,000 Antillean 392,000 Indonesian Utrecht: 24,000 Moroccan (= 8.7%) 12,500 Turkish (= 4.5%) 9,500 Surinamese (= 3.45%)

  6. Reason for migration: • Surinamese, Antillean, Indonesian: post-colonial. Antillean: most recent. • Turks, Moroccans: came as guest workers in the sixties, chain migration

  7. Important recent history: • May 6th 2002: Pim Fortuyn killed: he was the voice of the white Dutch ‘anti-immigrants-movement’. Became a hero after his death. 2 weeks later: elections. • Nov 2nd, 2004: Theo van Gogh killed by Moroccan muslim fundamentalist Mohammed B. Discussion about ‘freedom of speech’. • Mohammed B: member of ‘Hofstadgroep’: Moroccan fundamentalists who planned assaults. • At the same time: problems with Moroccans, mainly teenage boys. • Consequences for society: strong polarisation; immigrant = muslim = dangerous. Particularly Moroccans.

  8. What is ethnicity?What is the relation with language? Two perspectives: • Joshua Fishman (1977): ‘Language and Ethnicity’ • Robert LePage & Andrée Tabouret-Keller (1982): ‘Models and Stereotypes of Ethnicity and of Language’

  9. Fishman: Paternity: • Inherited • Looks • Blood • Genetic • Cannot be changed;

  10. Patrimony: • Culture • Can change • Negotiable • Collective heritage • It is possible to fail

  11. Ethnicity only exists when group members attach value to Paternity and Patrimony: Phenomenology • Image of ethnicity is part of ethnicity itself • So now we know the difference between ethnic and cultural minorities!

  12. Role of language: • Language has a symbolic function (activates the whole). • If a group has thier own language, it is their most outstanding symbol of ethnicity. • Language is needed for any form of ethnic activity. • Mutual understandability: less important than symbolic function.

  13. LePage & Tabouret-Keller: A group can distinguish itself from other groups in different (sometimes overlapping) ways: • a sense of place • a sense of family relationship • a sense of fysical similarities • a sense of common cause • a sense of common religious faith/ other traditional belief

  14. Example: Caribian, very dynamic: • Slaves with roots in the same (African) village, relatives  • Blurring boundaries re. roots  • Sense of togetherness with other islanders • Jamaicans (e.g.) are not necessary descendants of slaves  • UK: earlier separate island identities  • Anno now: shared Afrocaribian identity and language; felt to be common in spite of differences.

  15. Jump to the Netherlands Changing boundaries? • 18 year old Afghani: “I feel insulted when they say nasty things about Moroccans: I am a foreigner, too!” • 19 year old Turkish girl: “Sometimes I feel more ‘allochtoon’ than Turkish” • Socio/political developments: group ‘allochtones’ is diverse but feels solidarity

  16. Moroccans and Turks • 1st generation: characteristics of their L1 in pronunciation of Dutch • 2nd generation: learned Dutch in NL; less problems with Dutch.

  17. Accent that every Dutch person recognizes: Some characteristics of ‘Moroccan’ Dutch: [g], [z], Ø schwa (2nd generation). [gezellig] (cosy) pronounced as [GZellig]

  18. This accent can be exaggarated (by Moroccans) but it is also observed among Turkish teenagers.

  19. In what circumstances and with whom? • ‘Tough’ behaviour • Ali B towards his audience • When a foreign accent is needed (Movie: Schnitzelparadijs) • Informal contacts

  20. Explanations: • Act of identity • Strong covert prestige • Moroccans serve as examples for other allochtonous groups; fragment from a conversation:

  21. M = Moroccan; D = Dutch; A = Afghani; T = Turkish M: It is well-known that Moroccan have a -uhm kind of funny accent D: Is that because there are more Moroccans than Turks? A: No D: No? Maybe there are, in Utrecht? T: No I think there are more Turks! D: Do they make more noise? Or uh T: Yes, Moroccans are more present M: No but the accent is striking. ‘Ik gga naar šgool’, I think hello! That is something very strong.

  22. Moroccans and Moroccan: tough  attractive : • Moroccans are more visible in Dutch society; scapegoats, as in the • Media • Popular music: rappers. • Turks: invisible. Oriented on own language and culture. Books, music, etc: Turkish.

  23. Precautions • Individual observations; no large-scale study. • Not all allochtonous groups were studied. No native Dutch. • ‘Randstad’: Utrecht and Amsterdam; even between U and A much difference. • West-Netherlands: [g] • Major cities: more than 50% of school population is ‘allochtonous’ • Only teenagers in mixed schools.

  24. The end • Thank you for your attention!

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