User:10000BL/H1-How it started

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Late 70s my grandfather decided to come to the Netherlands. He and his family were farmers in Hong Kong and life was hard. To search for a better future he was looking for new opportunities and as a result he was told that the condition to open a restaurant were good in the Netherlands. He took my mom, who was the second oldest child out of 9, and her older sister to the Netherlands to start a Chinese restaurant in Dordrecht. The first restaurant my grandfather opened was called 'Kwai Lok'. This restaurant was disbanded in 1985 and they opened a new restaurant called Hong Kong in 1986.

My father at the time was working as a chef in an eatery in Fuengirola, Spain. He and my mother got to know each other in the early 80s initially by letter. In 1985 they married and in the same year they had me. Both my parents stayed working in the restaurant of my grandfather. After a few years they started to work in a Chinese restaurant in Breda and in 1990 they took over Chinese-Indisch restaurant 'Choi Sing' in the Hague. They sold Choi Sing In 1999 and became the proud owner of snackbar 'De Neushoorn' in Dordrecht. Choi Sing became defunct and now there is a pizzeria in its place.

When you think of Chinese people the first thing that crosses your mind is their cuisine. Chinese is food is well known and embedded in Dutch society. What is less known is that the Chinese community is the oldest ethnic minority in The Netherlands and the oldest Chinese community on the mainland of Europe. In 1911 the first group of Chinese arrived per ship in Katendrecht, at that time a village near Rotterdam. Their arrival had nothing to do with any business related to food, in fact they came here to work for on of the many shipping companies like Lloyd and De Maatschappij usually as a 'stoker' or 'kolentremmer'. Initially the Chinese, of whom all were men, went to the Untied Kingdom to work. Chinese were already working for the English for decades as a result of the peace treaty between the United Kingdom and China at the end of the Opium War (1839-1842). China suffered great losses and in return for peace China had to open up their borders, change their trade policy and allowing Chinese people to migrate and work in foreign countries. Part of the treaty was also to hand over the Island of Hong Kong and the New Territories to the United Kingdom which they returned to China in 1997. Many Chinese at that time were living under poor conditions so the opportunity for them to work abroad was a welcome opportunity. It was easy for them to find work as the United Kingdom needed many workers for their industries domestically and in their colonies. However due to conjuncture of the market there was not always enough work. As a consequence Chinese seek their way into the Netherlands.

When the first Chinese men landed in 1911 there was something else at stack. At that time Dutch shipping workers were actually on strike and soon after out of solidarity harbours workers joined the strike. Normally the vacancies are filled in quickly by Germans and the people who took the jobs left by the Dutch are called 'onderkruipers'. When a strike was ended the 'onderkruipers' were sent home and the Dutch workers got their jobs back. Yet in 1911 this didn't happen. The Chinese workers, who accepted lower wage than the Dutch and were not complaining about the working conditions, were at the start of overtaking the jobs from the Dutch. The Chinese workers that went abroad to work never planned to settle in the countries of their work. Their idea was to work for a few years, save money and go back to their beloved China. Therefor Chinese people were not affiliated with the Dutch workers who were on strike nor were they aware of any social disturbance their presence caused in society. This caused a hate towards the Chinese among Dutch harbour workers, the Chinese were seen as job takers and they were called 'Koelies' which stands for uneducated worker from Asia.

Though Chinese workers were known by Dutch harbour workers the majority of Dutch people were unaware of their existence. Shipping companies were aware of the tension the Chinese caused in the Dutch harbour community so they kept them in warehouses on the terrain of the harbours. Inside their they had the basic 'services' they need. An even more common place for Chinese to live were boardinghouses that served as their place to sleep, eat and gamble. The first article published in a national newspaper referring to the existence of a small Chinese community in the Netherlands dated back to 1916. In the article it is described that Chinese en Dutch people live along peacefully in the Area of the Buiten Bantammerstraat and that the Dutch houses the occupy are both their place to sleep, eat and gamble. The Chinese is neat, integrated (they pay taxes) and take care of their own business like they are organised on a ship. Their exotic food attracts anyone that has a taste for Chinese and the introduction of this kind of food is a bonus/surplus for the Dutch cuisine/taste palette.

Like many foreign communities the Chinese were always disadvantuous compared to native Dutch people. Since Chinese had the foreign status they couldn't make claims on social benefits from the Dutch government. When unemployed due to the shortage of work or due to illness Chinese people couldn't fall back on social benefits. Being part of a Chinese cummonity benefits the individual when he is need. Chinese people have a strong tendency to rely on each other especially when there is a family relation/bond. To specify, most Chinese that are living in the Netherlands are originated from two distinct areas in China, area around Kanton and Zhejiang provence, giving each group of Chinese close resemblance with other Chinese of that area. In China lineage is very important and this is embedded in how families hierarchically are structured and function. This means for example that you take care of your family and this goes far beyond your own family that of parents and siblings. The help you can expect, especially abroad can come from a far cousin or uncle. It is a matter of names, to carry the same name can often be enough for some help on the road. So the Chinese in the Netherlands that were excluded from social benefits could count on their family ties here. The only Chinese that actually could apply for benefits from the dutch government were Chinese men that married Dutch women, which did happen more often in the early history of Chinese people, because of the lack of Chinese women in the Netherlands than later after 1945. The Dutch women that fell for the charms of the Chinese were significantly more used to foreign cultures and were living in areas where Chinese also worked and lived. These Dutch women were from the lower classes and to marry a Chinese was for them a way out of poverty. For them the Chinese were sophisticated well mannered; the Chinese man had a good reputation.

During the economic crisis of the 30s less and less work was available for the Chinese. (why?). The shipping industry was modernising, charcoal was replaced by oil, which is quicker and cheaper which means less Chinese people were needed. The boardinghouses were bulging and the Chinese had to invent themselves again. Ng Kwai, an unemployed seamen, came on the idea to sell 'pindakoekje' (peanut cookies) in 1931. These cookies were already sold by Chinese in Indonesia under the name Tengteng. Soon almost 200 Chinese were selling these cookies 5 cent per piece especially in the big cities, but soon also in almost every village around the country. Chinese people, who were actually to shy to interact with the natives now were forced by their poverty to do so. The selling of peanut cookies started as a great success, but early 1933 it became out of fashion due to the crisis. Meanwhile the Dutch government, influenced by police commissioner Einthoven from Rotterdam, started to arrest and deport Chinese people in 1939. Nearly 2000 Chinese mainly from Katendrecht were deported back to China. At the start of Second World War only 200 Chinese were left in Katendrecht, Chinatown was no longer. From then on Amsterdam inhabited the largest Chinese community in the Netherlands. For the Chinese that escaped deportation the food industry became their rescue.

The Second World War changed a lot for the position of the Chinese. Under German control Chinese people were for several reasons not the minority to be picked out. For the first time since 1911 they were no longer subject for deportation by the Dutch government, instead Germans were reluctant to chase Chinese people because they couldn't distinguish them from Japanese people, their allies. As a consequence the Chinese who are obligatory to stay had the opportunity to come out of their shell with a new self-awareness and confidence. They took the jobs that were left by jews and other people tat were imprisoned and deported by the Germans. Chinese restaurants kept being open during the wall and there was always food. The Second World War is for the Chinese in the Netherlands a new beginning and the start of the popularisation of Chinese food.

Chinese people that went abroad to work, did this with the image to return home after a few years with a lot of money. They never saw voluntary departure as a forever goodbye.The year 1950 was the birth of the People's Republic of China under the leadership of Mao. China became a communist country. As a consequence everything that had anything to do with capitalistic values is from now on an enemy of China. This even counted for the millions of Chinese people that went abroad to escape poverty and to return to their homeland with money to provide their family. In the new China the show of money is not accepted and many people who owned personal property were forced to hand it in favor of the country. Not only were the Chinese abroad prevented of returning to their homes and families, their families themselves slowly turned away from their relatives abroad of whom some of them they already haven't seen for decades. This new situation of China in a way didn't had a negative effect on the development of the Chinese in the Netherlands. In fact because of the starting popularity of Chinese food Chinese people had a new market to develop. this became even more prevalent in 1947. In 1945 Indonesia declared independence from the Netherlands, as a result many Dutch people or people affiliated with the Dutch, fo them 5000 Peranakan-Chinese had to flea back to the Netherlands. These people were used to the Asian kitchen and the Chinese were providing that. Quickly after the Chinese integrated flavours and dishes from the Indonesians, dishes like Nasi Rames, Saté and Babi Pangang. The Chinese also changed the Chinese menu more to the taste of Dutch people. The spring roll for example is an equivalent to the 'kroket' and soup is on the menu listed as a starter, but in China it is actually a dessert. The entering of Indonesian dishes became so prevalent that soon that 'Chinese restaurant' on boardings was soon extended to Chinees-Indisch restaurant. The first Chinese restaurant was .... in Rotterdam in..., In Amsterdam .... in ...., in 1950 there were a few dozens restaurants and in 1960 already 250 restaurants throughout the country.

Chinese restaurants were initially a huge success. From the first restaurant (name) in Rotterdam in .... to 250 restaurants in 1960 throughout the country. In 1970 alone in the provence of Zuid-Holland existed 440 restaurants. The food was relatively cheap compared to other cuisines and the food came in big quantities. Chinese food became popular amongst all layers of society, yet Chinese people themselves slowly disappeared out of the restaurants. For them the authentic flavours of Chinese food was gone by the mixing with the Indonesian kitchen and adjustments towards Dutch consumers. The 70s are for Chinese restaurants a time of big changes. Saturation started to occur and the dense competition led to the introduction of illegal workers. What also didn't help was global recession that hit the Chinese food community, less people could affort to eat outside, while on the other side the costs of ingredients went up. The biggest blow for the Chinese restaurants were rumours of lack of hygiene and tax fraud. Suddenly Chinese restaurants were confrontated with an absent of customers and the Dutch ministry of Finance that were keeping a closer eye on their business and who were not reluctant to give huge fines. Comes with that the never changed menu, the old fashioned interior and the rise of other food competitors from other countries. To avoid this all Chinese restaurants tried to distinguish themselves from others by the adding of new dishes, like Crab with Black Bean sauce, Peking Duck and Dim Sum or the specialisation of the kitchen to a specific region of China, like Sichuan or Beijing.

Chinese restaurants never reached that popularity they had in their early days. The decline that started in the 70s is in my opinion never put a stop. As of current days, many Chinese restaurants are disbanded, Chinese people again tried to convert their business by overtaking snackbars. Their was a little revival with the All-You-Can-Eat wok restaurants that appeared as big halls to eat. Now Chinese are also into Sushi. Slowly the traditional Chinese-Indonesian restaurant combination is slowly dissapearing out of the streets.

Knowing more now of the history of the Chinese people in the Netherlands it is personally interesting to know that my grandfather and his family were part of a second generation wave. Most of the Chinese people before him came here to work in the harbour or for one of the many shipping companies. There wish was to work here for a few years and to go back to China. They never intended to be part of Dutch society, to take the Dutch nationality. My grandfather came to The Netherlands to open his restaurant. From 1973 till 1977 the government of the Netherlands was led by prime-minister den Uyl. His government decided that illegal workers or guest workers could claim for Dutch citizenship when they could prove that they were in the Netherlands before 1974. The recruiting of workers was ended, yet the expansion of immigrants continued because of reunion of families. This applied for my grandfather, so his wife and 9 children were able to come over and gain the Dutch nationality. My father who initially was working in Spain in a restaurant got his Dutch citizenship because he married my mother.

The menu of a Chinese restaurant, that has now not much to do anymore with actual Chinese food remained untouched

The success of Chinese restaurants was groot en lang niks veranderd to jaren 70. Chinese restaurants were always subject to hygiene. That

The first restaurant was .... in Rotterdam, In 1950 there were a few dozen Chinese restaurants

This year can be perceived as the breakthrough for Chinese restaurants, because

with a little box at front of

the chinese were always a group that were achtegesteld... ? difucullties to get benefits, nationaliteit etc. Geen beneifits bij werkeloos, met argusogen aangekeken door nl-publiek. Behalve bij trouwen met NL. schrijven over nl-meisjes, wat voor meisjes etc. Waarom ze chin leuk vinden etc. Scrhijven over dat chin ook voor elkaar zorgen, de lineage. Dan overgang naar cirsis, pindalied, wo2 en florishing of chin keuken/restaurant!

They filled the spots left by the Dutch workers who were on strike. Usually when Dutch workers were on strike, the jobs were taken by Germans. The people who filled in the empty spaces were called 'onderkruipers'. The Chinese replaced the Germans as 'onderkruipers' because they accepted lower wages than usual and didn't complain about the work. The early Chinese were kept away from the Dutch people by the companies they worked for. They lived in warehouses in the harbours where the installed their own eateries and laundromats. There were more Chinese workers in Rotterdam than in Amsterdam, because of the size of the harbour. Later on the community in Amsterdam became the biggest of the Netherlands.

The Chinese workers, of whom all were men, came here because of shortage of work in England. In England Chinese men were working already for several year for shipping companies and in the docks (harbours) in the mainland as in the colonies. When the first World War started more Chinese were brought in to fill in the jobs of the industry. After the first World War England couldn't employ all the Chinese that were in their borders and they decided to accept them to work for a British shipping company but not allowing them to land back on the shore of England. As a result they had to get of board in another country and one of those countries became the Netherlands.

The Chinese workers were very disciplined and lived/behaved according a hierarchical structure. On top of the piramide you have the shipping master. He is in contact with the shipping companies and decides gets the work. Shipping companies themselves only hire entire crews giving the shipping master even more power. The shipping master chooses the number One, this is the first luitanant on the ship, is in close contact with the shipping master and is leading the rest of the crew. The become a number One you need to pay the shipping master 5000 guilders and it helps if you are a relative of the shipping master or in close contact. The shipping master also choose the people for the other jobs which usually include the job of 'stokers' and 'kolentremmers', jobs that are physical heavy and of whom you know you won't get old with it. 'Stokers' and 'kolentremmers' pay a month wage to stay in favor of the shipping master, this is paid everytime you are selected on board of a ship. The shipping companies pay up to 5 guilders per crewmember to the shipping master. When workers are not selected for a trip or when there are not enough jobs, Chinese workers are obliged to stay in a boarding house. This boarding house is led by a boarding house master and sometimes this is the same person as the shipping master. The Chinese living in the boarding houses life under pitiable circumstances. They live together with sometimes 15 men in a tiny room in bunkbeds that are devided by a washing line to dry out their clothes.

The Chinese people that came here, came with the idea to work for a few years, earn money and go back to China. The first Chinese arrived in the Netherlands on 17 juni 1911 in Katendrecht in Rotterdam. In Amsterdam they arrived at the Prins Hendrikkade. Initially the Chinese community in Rotterdam was the biggest, because the harbour was bigger and their were more shipping companies. From the 30s the community of Amsterdam became bigger and is that still today. The Chinese community in Holland are the oldest Chinese community on the mainland of Europe. The early Chinese community was a very closed community. They didn't had much contact with Dutch people, mainly because they lived in closed communities in warehouses and boarding houses. In 1916 a journalist from Algemeen Handelsblad noticed in the Bantammerstraat (Also known as Tong Yan Kai - street of the Chinese) a lively community of Chinese people taking care of each other and living along side Dutch people from there. He went to eat in boardinghouse (name) and discovered the richness of the Chinese food. In the follow up article in the Algemeen Handelsblad he noted that the adding of Chinese flavours to enrich the Dutch cuisine.

To work on a ship you had to be selected by a shipping master.

The Chinese are the oldest ethnic minority in The Netherlands, yet in general not much is known about the origin and start of these people that have there roots far away in the East. When you think of Chinese people, you think of their cuisine. You remind yourself the takeaways of fried rice, Foe Yong Hai and Babi Pangang stuffed in plastic white boxes that come together with pieces of 'kroepoek' and a sachet of sambal. Chinese restaurants are already for decades a familiar sight in everyday village and city. The type of restaurants range from cheap takeaway to dim sum restaurants and to restaurants that serve dishes from a specific region (e.g. Sichuan and Beijing). What is mostly unknown is how the Chinese people and their cuisine landed and conquered such a place/niche in Dutch society. This chapter gives a glimpse of the turbulent start of the Chinese when they arrived to the rise of Chinese restaurants in The Netherlands.

The first Chinese came....