By Jack Profijt, Canada After their immigration to the USA and Canada, the task of integrating into a completely unknown culture began. Finding employment, housing and other services was, at times, very difficult, as the USA was going through its own problems with racial tensions in the southern states and its past actions in Korea. It was…
By Bianca Dias-Halpert, Washington, USA The Power of a Grocery Store A new environment, new food, new customs and everything familiar left behind. We usually do not think of a grocery store as being significant in our daily routine. But when you find one that has the ingredients of the country you left behind it’s…
Excerpt Translated by Jan Krancher, California, USA After WWII, in an effort to re-establish control of its colony from 1947-1949 the Dutch instigated a “Politionele Acties” (police action) by sending troops back to Indonesia. To ease the transition for the troops and prepare them, a guidebook was published titled “Scheepspraet”. It is interesting to note the actual…
By Zita Rasid, Massachusetts, USA On September 26, 2010, the Rasid family celebrated their 50th year in America at the Twin Hills Country Club in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, USA. Our parents have passed on but we could not let this milestone go unnoticed. We wanted to thank so many people who were instrumental in making our…
By Bianca Dias-Halpert, Washington, USA This is a remarkable family story of altruism, survival and faith based values. From immigrant to international entrepeunuer, meet Roy van Broekhuizen Chairman and CEO of Laga Designs International, Inc. Born in Jakarta, Indonesia he left with his family at the age of 9 to The Netherlands. Four years later the…
[Featured photo: Source: Wikepedia A6M2 Zero fighter] By Frans Krajenbrink, California, USA On May 10, 1940 Germany without warning invaded Holland The Dutch Army was no match for the German Army – the war lasted five days. Queen Wilhelmina and the Royal family escaped to Great Britain. On the morning of December 7, 1941, Japan…
[Featured photo: Royal Dutch Marines 1944 Courtesy of Mr. James E. Stewart Jr. of Montford Point Marines National Museum] By Bianca Dias-Halpert, Washington, USA This story is a hidden gem in the history of Dutch-American military relations surrounding WWII. I had the good fortune of finding this organization and talking with Mr. James E. Stewart…
By Jack Profijt, Canada Over the last couple of weeks, I have spent much of my time in contemplation of the Indo experience. Reading the various posts on blogs and web sites and on Facebook groups, I have begun to see that we are all not really that far apart. Yes, we are separated by…
[Featured photo: Opa, Oma, Mother, Aunt the night before departing Holland 1927] by Tim O’Callaghan, Chicago, Illinois, USA Even though the East Indies had been dominated by the Dutch, for its access to spices, since 1602. It wasn’t until 1796 when the VOC filed for bankruptcy that the Dutch administration took over and the Dutch…
[Featured photo: 1961 Natick, Massachusetts, USA – The Vanderwaall Family, father Charles, mother Trudy, Jerry, Grace, Eddy, Robert and baby Hans] by Robert Vanderwaall of Massachusetts, USA “May of 1961” It was May of 1961 We arrived by boat from Amsterdam. A voyage that my mind refuse to leave behind. The voyage that changed the…