Zwarte Piet: a racist caricature?

I wasn't going to originally post anything on Zwarte Piet but after seeing discourse after discourse on the holiday of Sinterklaas, I decided to write about it. Ah, where to begin. I celebrated Sinterklaas as a child. Since my parents were from the Dutch Caribbean, we would go every December 5th to the Dutch consulate in New York City and eagerly sit with the other children (we were usually the only children of color) while Sinterklaas handed out our presents. And, of course, to accompany Sinterklaas, this saintly white man who represented a bishop, was his 'helpers' or Zwarte Pieten (Black Petes). These would usually be men, or women, dressed up in blackface with an Afro wig and bright red lipstick. the legend goes that if you're bad, Zwarte Piet will take you in his burlap sack to Spain. So naturally I was mortified of Zwarte Pieten (Black Petes) as a child. You mean to tell me that this dude who dresses flamboyantly and has this jet black makeup on his face is going to collect me and ship me off to Spain with him? OH HELL NO!!

As I grew up and learned about Golliwogs and Minstrel Shows, I started to notice a pattern. This beloved holiday that I celebrated as part of my 'heritage' seemed to overlap a lot with blackface in America. The similarities are undeniable. Originally Zwarte Piet was a representation of the

devil. He had no name but the dichotomy between Sinterklaas and the devil figure were supposed to represent the good and evil aspects of Sinterklaas. Sinterklaas was modeled after a 4th century bishop, Saint Nicholas, from what is now modern day Turkey. The opposite of Sinteklaas was the devil, whom it is believed Sinterklaas captured and made his

slave. The first mention of Zwarte Piet comes in 1850 when Jan Schenkman decides to add his own spin to the story and changes the devil to Zwarte Piet, the enslaved Moor from Morocco. His book, Sint Nicolaas en Zijn Knecht (Saint Nicholas and his Servant) is what is used for the modern day celebrations of Sinterklaas. This is also where you start to see the present day representations of what Zwarte Piet looks like.

Then in around the 1950s, they changed him to his servant. All in all Sinterklaas is supposed to come from Turkey and Zwarte Piet is supposed to be a Moor from Morocco (interesting how the Dutch have negative attitudes towards Turkish and Moroccan people presently due to Geert Wilders's racist views on Muslims). But now Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet reside in Spain. When people try to start a discourse of the racist aspects of Zwarte Piet (Afro wig, blackface- even though Moors were lighter skinned Arabic, big bright red lipstick, some even speak in a faux Surinamese accent) proponents for Zwarte Piet say that you're the racist because you bring in your American imperialism and that it's not a racist image at all. Or they say that Zwarte Piet doesn't represent black people, he just went down a chimney and got dirty from the soot. I've seen Mary Poppins and Dick van Dyke's character Bert, a chimney sweeper, is dirty from a chimney. Not Zwarte Piet.

So, I'm going to dispel the asinine reactions that you get about Zwarte Piet when you say it's a racist depiction.

Reason 1: Zwarte Piet does not represent black people. You're racist for thinking so.

Answer: By wearing a faux Afro Wig,

blackface and red lips, who are you supposed to be representing? Unless there is a new 'race' out there that has the same stereotypes, I'm sure this is the 'race' that is being portrayed. Furthermore, it looks like the golliwoggs and blackface of the US that were very prevalent around the time Schenkman's book came out.

Reason 2: He supposed to be a Moor, that's why we dress like that.

Answer: Historically, the Moors came from Northern West Africa, typically Morocco, to conquer what is now modern day Spain and Portugal. Aside from the stereotypical depictions of Othello and other Moors, Moors were primarily of Berber and Arab descent. This means that they look like what Moroccans look like today, fair skin, somewhat straight hair, no bright red lips.

Reason 3: Zwarte Pieten are black because they go down the chimney and they are black from the soot.

Answer: Unless they have a magical fabric that doesn't get dirty, this doesn't prove why his face and hands are evenly toned with black makeup or why his clothes are not dirty. Also, it doesn't explain how he magically gets a Afro and outrageous red lips if he is just sliding down the chimney. Once again, Bert from Mary Poppins- dirty from going down a chimney. Zwarte Piet- not so much.

Reason 4: You're the racist one because you bring your American racist attitudes towards our progressive country, Holland. Those images of blackface and golliwogs couldn't possibly have made it to Holland because it was the 1800s and there wasn't any technology to bring those images.

Answer: Well, unless Jan Schenkman and other Dutch people were living under a rock, these images could have easily made it to The Netherlands. The Dutch at the time were very influential in the slave trade and all sorts of goodies were being sent and brought back from the New World to the Old. This includes racist stereotypes.

Reason 5: It's not that serious, it's just a children's holiday.

Answer: Well, when children are being brought up with racist stereotypes, it is a big issue. Especially when a protester gets arrested like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-Wf89f0I0M&feature=youtu.be

It's a big issue because when people, such as Quinsy Gario, get arrested by having one officer dig a knee into your side and another into your neck, it's a big issue. Or when you are dragged by four policemen into an alley, it's a problem. The girl in the background speaking in Papiamentu is saying that it's messed up what they did to this guy because he was just standing there in a tranquil manner when they arrested him. She also sad they she believes that they assaulted the other person that he was with (not seen in the video). The guy is saying that he knows that if this was a Dutch person it would have been a different story. Gario and others decided to protest the coming of Sinterklaas by wearing "Sinterklaas is Racism" t-shirts during Sinterklaas's welcoming celebration. It is not clear exactly what went on before the video but regardless his arrest was uncivil. He didn't resist arrest yet they treated him like a common criminal. So it is a big issue and perhaps while we are in the Sinterklaas season (ending on Decmeber 6th), the Netherlands can finally have a proper discourse on Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet. He was not originally part of the tradition so there is no excuse why they can't find common ground to dispel this racist imagery.

Here is another article explaining the situation: http://www.frontaalnaakt.nl/archives/blackface.html

Some Random Thoughts on the Megabus

So today is my birthday and it was decided that I would take a trip to Boston to be with a good friend of mine for the weekend. It's rather interesting what goes on in the morning in the city. So far I've seen street cleaners, a nice old man feeding the pigeons, a woman doing boot camp with her instructor and some runners. It's all distinct New York. Everything about it is part of what makes this city and what makes it great. I love it.

So while waiting for the megabus there were plenty of interesting observations that I noticed. I walked into Dunkin Donuts to get something for myself and my father. While waiting on line, there were a couple of guys trying to figure out what they wanted. The conversation ensues:
Guy 1: I think I going to get a latte.
Guy 2: Whatya think this is? Starbucks?
I immediately begin to giggle a bit since that was exactly what my father wanted (a latte) and that was the exact same response I was thinking when I initially walked into the Dunkin Donuts. Anyway I make my order, receive my purchases and leave. Once I get on the bus, I notice there is an array of nonAmericans riding to Boston with. I don't find this particularly peculiar but I find it interesting that this isn't the first time I've noticed this. Oh and it's mainly Europeans, which brings me to my main point. I love the fact that when foreigners, primarily Europeans, come to the US, the find the cheapest ways to get around and do things. They'll be the ones to stay in hostels or cheap places and they'll be the ones to take megabuses to other parts of America. In this respect, we should be more like them. Of course be careful of surroundings, especially with a hostel, but take chances. See the world as best you can.

And with that note,

Peace, Axé

10-10-10: Equality for All?

For those that may have been unaware, on October 10th, 2010 the Netherlands Antilles was disbanded and two brand new countries were formulated. The islands of Curaçao and St. Maarten became "equal" partners within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Bonaire, Saba, and St. Eustatius (the rest of the islands that formulated the Netherlands Antilles) became "special municipalities". Put quite frankly, overseas territories of the Netherlands. But for Curaçao and St. Maarten, it was an amazing time. A chance to take part in the glory that Aruba already enjoyed (Aruba was part of the Netherlands Antilles until 1986). And for awhile, it seemed that way. Colorful festivities and great intellectual conversations on how to steer Curaçao and St. Maarten on the straight path so as not to become an overdeveloped tourist island took place. You see, while Aruba has been autonomous within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, some would say it has paid a price. Most of Aruba's culture has been lost and now individual groups are trying to revive the cultural heritage that once enriched the island. Most on the islands of St. Maarten and especially Curaçao, did not want that to happen. They wanted to have prosperous islands that still retained their cultural heritage.

Before I continue, I just want to take some time out and talk a little about the former Netherlands Antilles. Before Aruba left the Netherlands Antilles in 1986, the Netherlands Antilles was an uneasy blend of six completely different islands. Although three of the six shared a language, each island had their own unique history. Just because they were all considered Dutch citizens, it didn't mean that they all felt one nationalistic pride.

This was ever more evident when Aruba wanted to split from the Netherlands Antilles. Growing dissension between Aruba and Curaçao created the eventual split of Aruba from the Netherlands Antilles. Aruba felt at the time that most of the money and power that was being appropriated to the Netherlands Antilles was only going to Curaçao and not to the other islands. They wanted a chance to be on their own and to not answer to the Netherlands via Curaçao but rather just to the Netherlands.

Twenty years later the other islands in the Netherlands Antilles started to feel the same way. They wanted a chance to make it on their own without having to go through Curaçao first. But the problem didn't start with Curaçao. In fact, many Curaçaoans do not believe that they received special treatment. Historically, Curaçao was the most profitable of all the islands and it is the biggest in land size. This is why the capital and head of the Netherlands Antilles was situated in Curaçao. But this is still not the reason why the Netherlands Antilles didn't work. Or why there was so much dissension. The problem starts with colonialism. After the end of the Second World War, the Colony of Curaçao and its dependencies were renamed the Netherlands Antilles and were granted autonomy within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This would have been great if all of the islands were similar and could get along like for example Indonesia, another Dutch territory that was granted full independence after World War Two. But they ultimately did not because they didn't belong together in the first place. Which is better for the Netherlands? Having one former colony as your equal within the Kingdom or six different former colonies as your equal? And as I stated before, each island had a complete different history with the Netherlands so to group them together as one country was bound for failure.

So although the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles meant that two new countries would be created, it was still a far cry from full independence. As of now, the majority consensus on all islands is to maintain their current status and not have independence. This decision is prevalent because neither of the islands feel that they would be able to survive completely on their own. But to be at least autonomous with the Kingdom of the Netherlands meant freedom to make their own decisions. The status for Bonaire, Saba, and St. Eustatius became a double edged sword. While they enjoy the full benefits of being part of the European Union, they also have to pay European taxes. Since the Euro was never the main currency on the islands to begin with, this is proving problematic. But for Curaçao and St. Maarten being their own countries means having the freedom to be themselves and to their own voice and space within the Kingdom. But I digress.

A year later since autonomy and not much has changed. As I think about what is currently going on with OccupyWallStreet and specifically the use of the term occupy, I think about my little islands in the sun. While we are still owned I mean part of the Dutch, we still do not receive recognition that we are countries. The islands are still considered part of the Netherlands Antilles on any outlet. For instance, social media websites such as Facebook still lists the Netherlands Antilles. I understand that it takes awhile to update these lists but come on, it has been a year. Even when you sign up for something such as Skype, where you are supposed to indicate what country you are in, there is no Curaçao or St. Maarten. It's as if we were the only ones who knew that we became countries. And what's worse is that even the Olympics refuses to recognize them as countries. This means that their athletes, either from St. Maarten or Curaçao, have to run under the Dutch flag or the Olympic flag. We are not just some tourist destination were you can escape your problems and drink piña coladas while you look at the sunset. I mean you can but we are more than that. We are islands that deserved the recognized as countries, even if we are still in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

So my question is this: A year after 10-10-10, are we really equal? Are we seen as having the same status as the Netherlands since we are "equal" partners in the Kingdom of the Netherlands? I would hope after a year we would. But seeing as how Curaçaoans, St. Maarteners, and even Arubans (who have been "equal" since 1986) are still considered allochtonen (foreigners) within the Netherlands, even though they have a Dutch passport, it remains to be seen.

Some words on Troy Davis

It has been a full two days for me since the death of Troy Davis. It has been especially hard for me because I feel ashamed for learning about this man's fate a day before his death. Now I don't want to rush quick to judgment and say he is innocent, (haven't heard the full ballistics of the case) but I do think that their is beyond reasonable doubt that he didn't shoot the officer.

Also, what is really grinding my gears is the fact that the Daily News are quick to put in their title "cop killer". That's already affirming that he is the killer. Negative connotations such as that can lead to terrible assumptions such as people saying that he should be dead ten times over. Another thing are the supporters that they mention. Kim Kardashian, really?!?!?!?! Of course she is allowed to have own opinion but by throwing in celebrity names like that in the pot doesn't help to garner credibility.

Well the time for action is now and we will continue to fight for justice. Troy Davis's name shall not go in vain. The people have a voice and it will be heard.

Peace and blessings to his family, the MacPhail family, and Troy Davis himself.

-Peace and Axé

Delusional

As I reflect on the past couple of years I realize that I was completely delusional about a certain aspect of my life. What's worse is that I'm currently listening to songs about relationships/break-ups and I realize that I cannot completely relate to any of these songs. For instance, Ms. Hill states in her song Ex-Factor: life is like a battle/we both end up with scars (the wording might be a bit off but you get my point). Unfortunately for me, I was the only one who ended up with scars fighting a battle apparently against no-one but myself. So I'm going to piece together my version of what I went through (although it will definitely be more ad-lib than actual lyrics from songs).

I realized that YOU never loved me
Because if YOU did, YOU wouldn't have treated me the way YOU did
I realized that YOU never loved me
Because of the way YOU love her
I realized that YOU never loved me
Because if YOU did, YOU would have fought harder for what we had
I realized that YOU never loved me
Because our relationship never went deeper than the outer exterior
I realized that YOU never loved me
Because YOU didn't care enough whether I became hurt or not in the cat and mouse game that we played for almost a year
I realized that YOU never loved me
Because YOU toyed with my heart as if it were some insignificant element
AND FINALLY......
I realized that YOU never loved me
Because even though YOU told me that YOU did (I'm sure YOU don't remember), YOU never proved it
Actions speak louder than words
And while some of your actions suggest that YOU cared deeply for me at one point, they never indicate that YOU truly loved me

So with this, I bid YOU adieu and I wish YOU well. Good luck with life.

Peace

Peaches

I feel like I'm Peaches.

I don't want to feel like that anymore.

(Readers' note- Two words: Four Women)

Peace

Feeling Stifled

I feel like I need to break out of these symbolic walls that are holding me in.

I hate having this feeling.