User:10000BL/Oostenwind

Title: Oostenwind

Artist: Karina Meeuwse

Published: 2010

Annotation:

Chapter 1:

Chinese are in Holland already for decades because of the many restaurants.
You a stronger association with the food than the actual people, the food is very famous. But the Chinese kitchen commonly here is not typical Chinese food, but is influenced by other cultures and their kitchen (Babi Pangang & Sate are for example dishes from Indonesië).
By the end of the 70s there is a decline in Chinese restaurants, because of the competitions with restaurants of other countries.
The Chinese are the oldest ethnic minority, yet the Chinese community is very closed and have own high values and ways of behavior.
Chinese Food: Much for a low cost (veel voor weinig geld)
CBR: number of Chinese: 1918 - 2000 Chinese from Kanton. Working in shipping (rederij). Very closed community, living on the area of the port, no interaction with the outside world (Dutch people).
Early Chinese mostly working and living in harbour of Rotterdam (Katendrecht) and Amsterdam (Prins Hendrikkade).
The Chinese community was initial bigger in R'dam, but sinds the 30s Amsterdam is bigger. The Chinese in Holland are the oldest Chinese community on the mainland of Europe.
Chinese people were of popular choice to work in the harbour because the accepted lower wage (than Dutch workers) and didn't complain. They were mostly hired for the more heavy jobs as 'stoker'.
Semi-integration: hostels, little diners, laundromats all and only for own people.

Bantammerstraat (Amsterdam) also know as Tong Yan Kai - street of the Chinese - used the be the center of Chinatown with lots of restaurants. Now it is a quite street.

Boardinghouse = sort of hostel
Shipping master: person who decides who gets the work. Has a lot of power and influence.
70s: New generation of Chinese people come. They are from Singapore and Hong Kong and this goes together with the introduction of a new drug Heroine (before it was opium).
Relocation of Chinatown to Geldersekade, Zeedijk and Nieuwmarkt (Amsterdam).
Rural land of HK, the inhabitants are emigrating to NL (loopt leeg).
2nd generation immigrants come because of succes Chinese restaurants in 70s.
Book: Wilde Zwanen by Jung Chang & Chinese immigrants in 45(?) by Amy Tan.

Chapter 2:

China is hard to access because of its natural borders.
They are or consider themselves as a developed/high culture, no need to emigrate for centuries - outside is barbarism.
Confucius: Hierarchy in family ties. Most important is the father, then oldest son. Difference between man and women is big. Women are less important. Women are easily influenced and onreliable. Worship of the elderly is important. They provide protection and are an example for own behavior.
Also between men there were differences in importance:

Geleerden (they protect and pass on cultural heritage from generation to generation)
Famers (provide food and 'clothes' (kleden het land) for the country)
Craftsmen (ambachtslieden) (process the products of the farmers, the are depending on the products (grondstoffen) of the famers so they are of less importance.
Tradesmen (handelaren)

Arranged weddings, family and providing lineage (voortzetting) is more important than love.
To make sure the family lives (lienage) this is the purpose of the women, to provide a son. If a woman for any reason is not able to give birth to a son, a man is allowed to have a second wife (concubine).
Son is more important than daughter.
To divorce is a shame.
Opium War: 1839-1842. China loss is big. They are forced to trade more with foreign countries, open the borders more and more harbours. Hong Kong becomes a part of Great Britain. Chinese workers are allowed to go abroad to work and fill the needs of the new industries. For example England needed a lot of employees for their overseas colonies.
China is a closed country. They have/keep a reserved politics (terughoudende politiek) towards trading with foreign countries/contacts. They are afraid of foreign interference and influence on their domestic power.
1911 birth of the republic of China.
From the 7th century China was trading with foreign countries/contacts. Yet there were many restrictions. Chinese traders were sent of to trade but their foreign stay was always temporary. They always went back to China after a few years. The cities of Fushou and Kanton were the only cities that had contact with foreigners like Arabs, Turks and Persians.
18th century: Chinoseric-trend. Products of China populair (in Holland?).
From 18th century China weaker. Internal problems, natural desasters, explosive growth in births, diseases. The West becomes more powerful and is dividing the world (colonies).
Foreign countries never really got foot in the land (voet aan land), but now they breach it because of opium. This drug becomes very popular. It is very addictive. A huge black market is born, China tries to stop it by closing the harbour of Kanton. Start of Opium War (1839-1842). Huge losses by China, England demands open borders. Treaty of Nanking: More harbours, Brits get Hong Kong and New Territories, low import tax, the possibility for Chinese to emigrate (to fill workplaces in the colonies of the Brits). The labour market now open, huge emigrant wave because of poverty and famine.
Word for immigrants: Koelies - non-educated worker (derived from Javaanse taal).
Work in fields, mining, railroad.
Can be considered as the new slavery. Percentage of Chinese that die during the shippings is high. This leads to Chinese Passenger Act in 1855. 12% dies during trip, 4% shortly after they arrive.
1847-1880: 100 000 Chin. koelies to US, 200 000 to Peru/caribs, 500 000 to South Africa and Hawaii.
The Chinese who immigrate are mainly from the area of Kanton and Fujian. The stream of immigrants holds on till 30s.
China and foreigners turbulant relationship (bokser revolutie).
Lineage - people with same last name. They also take care of each other, works like a sort of life insurance. They are all offspring of the same ancestor. This bloodline is very handy abroad. You can always count on the help from people of your lineage how far they are actually aways from you.
NG-family: waterchinese, big in shipping (scheepsrederijen). Important family in shipping.
1911: first Chinese to/in Holland.

Chapter 3:

17 june 1911 entry of 26 Chinese men in Rotterdam with the ship called Batavier III. To go on shore at Katendrecht.
To come to fill in the workspaces left by Dutch workers as part of a revolt. The Chinese become 'stokers' for a company called Lloyd. They are sneaked into our country. Normally the gaps made by Dutch workers are filled in by Germans, now the Chinese come.
Chinese people are separated from Dutch people. They shipping companies that keep them are afraid they are not welcome in the eyes of the Dutch and the workers who lost their jobs or are on strike.
In Rotterdam they are kept in Katendrecht. This 'island' is already a mix of cultures. They Chinese have their own eateries, boarding houses and laundromats.
Chinese are considered as good workers for the job 'Stoker' and 'Kolentremmer'. The work precise and hard. Economically they were also in favor of local workers. They were cheaper. Also politically they were usefull, to help and work for companies that sail to the Dutch-indies. So in times of shortage the Chinese were very welcome to work.
Summer 1911: escalation of the strike. Before only 'stokers' and 'Kolentremmers' were on strike. Now also the people who work on land in the harbours join the strike out of solidarity. So the Chinese workers (onderkruipers) are standing against the Dutch workers now.
Shipping master divides the jobs. Has a lot of power.
The Dutch workers on strike see that there action is not having any influence and stop striking. Normally they get their jobs back, the 'onderkruipers' are sent back home, but now the companies keep useing the Chinese as workers. It seems that they are really replacing the Dutch.

Chinese worker vs Dutch worker

Dutch worker: hate against the Chinese, the steal our jobs, 'onderkruipers', 'koelie'.
Chin. worker: more suitable for the hard jobs (stoker etc), are cheaper, work harder, don't complain, come her just for economic reasons, to earn money and go back to China when they ahve enough. They don't feel affiliated with the Dutch workers, there is no bondage between them. Chinese workers live in isolation on the area of the harbours.

They presence of the Chinese is hardly noticed by the Dutch until 1916. A journalist of Algemeen Handelsblad discovers in the Bantammerstraat, Amsterdam boarding houses, little shops to eat and gamble. First report in articles/newspaper.
1912: Chinese have their introduction in the Bantammerstraat, Amsterdam. Boarding houses serve as places for Chinese to sleep when they are not on the sea. The first boarding house is established by Ng Young. In the Bantammerstraat Chinese and Dutch live peacefully next to each other. The Chinese are shy, inconspicuous (onopvallend), live withdrawn. They are ordened and there social ties are hierarchic, like that of a ship (rangorde).
The journalist visits boarding house Lon Fat to eat (tea, shark vin soup, sweats). He thinks that the mixing or adding of these dishes to the Dutch will be enriching. He believes that the food can become popular. Article in Algemeen Handelsblad.
Ties and hierarchy of shipping companies:

Shipping companies like Lloyd, VoC: They only hire complete crews. Is in close contact with shipping master.
Shipping master: decides who works on the ships.