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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Being Dutch, I don't think it's racist. See, those aren't clown or monkey clothes. The cap and the feather from the middle ages... just like the rest of the outfit. Sinterklaas is actually a saint who ended up granting slaves their freedom. One ex-slave we call Piet (Pete) stuck around with Sinterklaas (of which Santa Clause and the Elves are derived) to help him in his good deeds. Now we call him Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) and, quite obviously, he's a black man who is depicted as such in his character. More and more black pete's have joined the scene over time because the character is so popular among Dutch children. Where Sinterklaas is stern and carries a big book in which it states whether you were naughty or nice (He sees everything!) Zwarte Piet carries candy and presents which he hands out to the children.

Obviously this character can be offensive to non-natives but black people who were born and raised in the Netherlands generally don't care and the majority of them participate in the celebration.

Dutch people get upset when they feel wrongly accused of racism, especially since the Netherlands has done so much to make everyone feel welcome in the country. The Netherlands is know to be the most multicultural accepting country in the world and now some lady from Jamaica who works for the UN tells us Sinterklaas should be abolished. Sinterklaas is such a big thing in the Netherlands. Kids absolutely love it.

The kids think Pete is black because he goes up and down chimneys to bring presents. So, some people say, well why not just have a couple of black smears over your face? Even if the Dutch felt the need to be more PC about their misunderstood holiday it would simply not work that way. Parents, neighbors, family members or friends will dress up as Sinterklaas and Black Pete to visit homes of their nices, nephews, friend's kids, etc. The black make-up makes it impossible for them to be recognized. A few smears of "soot" would not have that effect.

I completely undertand why someone from the US would think Black Pete's depiction is a racist stereotype because I have lived in the US for the past 8 years. But, I can tell you that you'd feel differently if you had grown up with and fully understood the concept of the celebration and Zwarte Piet. I hope I helped you understand it a little better.[/quote]

yes the dutch are very welcoming........especially when you attend a feyenoord-ajax game and feyenoord ultras start bellowing out "hamas, hamas, joden aan het gas"

and dutch settlers that became afrikaaners were the architects of apartheid

and your historical ties to the atlantic slave trade.

what you are essentially saying is "if you grew up where there is no black people, you would see its all fun and games".

and the fact that geert wilders and the freedom party actually hold some seats in pariliament.

:roll:

[/quote]

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