The Indo Project was proud to honor Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich with the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award on August 8, 2026, recognizing her extraordinary contributions to preserving and sharing Indo heritage through film. The award was presented during The Indo Project’s annual commemoration and celebration event in Southern California. For more…
Originally organized by the Nationale Herdenking 15 Augustus 1945 Comité, this annual commemoration and ball honors the liberation of the Dutch East Indies in 1945. At the committee’s request, The Indo Project began hosting the event in 2023 and is honored to continue this tradition with our community. Read through…
By Monica Veerman Cluff Editor’s note: This article uses “Tjideng,” the colonial-era Dutch spelling. The modern Bahasa Indonesia spelling is “Cideng.” Both spellings appear in historical and contemporary sources. Finding the Words For those of us with roots in the wartime Dutch East Indies, our family’s stories often contain unspoken…
The 80th Commemoration of the end of World War II in the former Dutch East Indies was held at the Ereveld Kembang Kuning Surabaya on 15 August 2025. Members Yan Ferdinandus and Attorney Yolanda Leuwol of De Indo Club Soerabaya were in attendance and presented a wreath. Representatives of countries…
The Indo Project was honored to host its third annual Commemoration and Liberation Ball on Saturday, August 9, 2025, in Buena Park, California. This special event serves as both a commemoration of the victims of World War II and a tribute to the generations that came before us, celebrating our…
Reported By Ingrid McCleary As the world marks the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII in the Pacific, Indos and others with ties to the Dutch East Indies gather to honor this solemn milestone. In Northern California, a small yet meaningful commemoration took place. Tucked in the lush backyard…
On August 15, 2026, communities across the Netherlands gathered once again to mark the anniversary of Japan’s surrender and the end of the war in the Dutch East Indies. The Indo Project was honored to represent Indos around the world at ceremonies in Amsterdam and The Hague — including a…
On August 15, 2025, the world marked 80 years since Japan’s surrender in the Pacific, bringing an official end to World War II. Across the Netherlands, remembrance ceremonies were held to honor the victims of the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies. This year saw a record 65 Indië…
On August 9th, The Indo Project is proud to honor The AVIO, the last active Dutch social club in South California, for its decades-long contribution to preserving Dutch-Indo culture, community, and camaraderie. This recognition will take place during The Indo Project’s annual commemoration and celebration event in Southern California. The…
by Karel Wagemans – first published in Dutch on January 20, 2025 Introduction: Remembering the Origins of Herdenking As the Indo community and others with family history in the Dutch East Indies commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in the Pacific, it is worth remembering…
by Arthur Fickel, president of the IGV About The Indische Genealogical Society (IGV) was established in 1988 by individuals seeking information about their ancestors who once lived in the Dutch East Indies. They found the existing resources to be grossly inadequate and faced challenges in accessing genealogical sources from both…
By Willem-Jan Brederode Do you know what ‘Indo’ really means? Do you comprehend what you actually are from an ethno-historical perspective? I am going to be bold and state that most of us do not know our entire story, and therefore may feel incomplete in terms of our cultural identity.…
The Indo Project has watched and lived with trepidation as a large number of members of our community suffer and continue to suffer under the onslaught of incredible firestorm conditions in Southern California. Many in our community originally immigrated to the suburbs surrounding Los Angeles including the Altadena area, once…
The Indo Project Cordially Invites You to LOVE YOUR HERITAGE Saturday, February 15, 2025 12:00 noon – 5 p.m. St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church 2140 Florida State Road 434 Longwood FL 32779 Please join us for food, fun, raffle prizes, things to buy & gezelligheid Cost: $20 per…
35th Year Celebration The 35th Holland Festival marked the largest cultural celebration and reunion for families and friends with roots in the Netherlands and the former Dutch East Indies. Organized by the nonprofit United Netherlands Organizations, Inc. (UNO), the Dutch King’s Day event in Los Angeles has been celebrated for…
The Indo Project (TIP) is celebrating its fifteenth anniversary this month! We want to express our sincere thanks to our loyal supporters and incredible all-volunteer TIP team without whose collective efforts we would not have been able to reach this important milestone. To think that when the founders started the…
TIP’s Top Stories Centered on Identity, Heritage, and Resilience As the year draws to a close, we’re looking back at the stories that resonated most with our readers. Our top five articles reveal a profound interest in Indo identity, spanning everything from deeply personal contemporary journeys to the challenging yet…
De Geest Overwint The Indo Project will be hosting this year’s annual Commemoration and Liberation Ball on Saturday, August 10, 2024, at the Elks Lodge in Buena Park, California. This important event is about our shared heritage and a tribute to generations that came before us. The event’s theme is…
What’s In a Board? As many of you reading this article already know, The Indo Project (“TIP”) is an international non-profit organization that focuses on educating the world about Indo history and culture and whose effect has made an impact on not only Indos but the general public as well.…
Symbolizing a Momentum of Peace for the Whole World Surabaya, Indonesia – 4 May is the day when De Indo Club of Soerabaya formally commemorates the death of family members, friends, civilians, and all those who served in the military during WWII. During that time, the Dutch and Allied Forces…
Want to learn (more) about WWII in the Dutch East Indies, the Bersiap Period and the Independence War? Watch the 40-minute documentary by Simone Berger & Armando Ello with English subtitles. On December 3, 2023, The Indo Project hosted a live online Q&A session with the filmmakers. Over 60 people…
The Skagit County Coroner’s Office in Mount Vernon, WA is looking for the next of kin of Herbert Mathis. Please call +1-360-416-1996 or email coroner@co.skagit.wa.us and refer to coroner case number 005-00. Rust in vrede (Rest in Peace) In 2000, the heavens opened up and welcomed an Indo ancestor by…
On Wednesday, April 12, 2023, the debate on providing Backpay to the widows of WWII war victims was held in the 2nd Chamber by MPs of the Committee for Health, Welfare, and Sport (VWS). The salary issue has been going on for decades. During the Japanese occupation of the former…
by Jamie Stern We are celebrating The Indo Project’s fourteenth anniversary! Fourteen years ago, on October 31st, we officially became known as The Indo Project. If you’d like to “treat” The Indo Project with a donation, please click here. The Indo Project is a small but mighty movement fueled by…
by The Indo Project Indos are thriving worldwide. Sometimes, however, Indos in California may not feel that sense of communal belonging or historical presence, and yet we truly are an authentic community. To this point, Dutch freelance journalist Inge Oosterhoff, has published a wonderful new long form article in the…
De Geest Overwint The Indo Project was honored to host its first annual Commemoration and Liberation Ball on Saturday, August 12, 2023, in Buena Park, California. This important event is about our shared heritage and a tribute to generations that came before us. The event’s theme was “De Geest Overwint”…
Herdenking = Commemoration of the End of WWII Bevrijdingsbal = Liberty Ball to Celebrate our Freedom You are cordially invited to The Indo Project’s first annual Commemoration and Liberation Ball on Saturday, August 12, 2023, 1-5pm in Southern California. Join the Southern California Indo community as we honor the Dutch…
On Sunday, April 30, 2023, The Indo Project was present at the well-attended 33rd Annual Holland Festival celebrating Dutch King’s Day in Long Beach, California. This year the two annual Dutch events, Holland Festival and Dutch King’s Day, merged into ONE BIG EVENT! Over two thousand people showed up for…
Reflecting on the most noteworthy stories and news articles from The Indo Project (TIP) in 2023. Explore to discover if your favorite TIP articles made it to the top of the 2023 list! Plus, scroll down to learn about some exciting new adventures The Indo Project is starting in 2024!…
by Inez Hollander, Ph.D. – Academic Director of The Indo Project Introduction Lizzy van Leeuwen’s Volksvreemd vermaak: De Oost en de West op de Nederlandse podia voor en tijdens de Duitse bezetting (Amsterdam: Prometheus, 2023) This important book tells a history that, until now, has received little attention in the…
SoCal Indo founder Michael Passage started 2023 by hosting a very well-attended Kumpulan, which is Indonesian for “gathering”. The event was attended by Indos and others with a shared history in the Dutch East Indies. Over seventy people from multiple California counties gathered on the evening of Friday, January 6th…
A look back at The Indo Project’s top stories and news articles of 2022. Did your favorite TIP articles make the top five lists? Top Five Indo Stories #5 Oma Moesje Read about how Robert Kaya’s Oma from Kota Raja, Aceh, ended up in the Statenkwartier, The Hague. #4 Indo…
Hello to all who attended the Long Beach Holland Festival on September 5th, 2022 and especially to those that stopped by The Indo Project booth. It was an extremely hot day at 108 degrees fahrenheit, a new record since 1988 that was at 107! It was nice to meet all…
August 15th is the annual commemoration of the end of WWII in the former Dutch East Indies. An event in which we honor those who suffered and sacrificed their lives. The Indo Project is proud to be present at major events held in The Netherlands representing all the Indos worldwide…
The annual Holland Festival in Long Beach has permanently moved to Labor Day Weekend and will be celebrated this year on Sunday, September 4th, 2022. For many Southern California Indos, Memorial Day weekend in May was synonymous with the Holland Festival. The Holland Festival is an annual event celebrated at…
On May 4th the Netherlands commemorates victims of war; on May 5th the people celebrate the fact that they live in freedom. The National Committee helps determine how meaning is given to commemorating and celebrating the memory of the Second World War. The national observance of Remembrance Day in the…
In Colorado, Indos are meeting regularly to share a meal and build community. The Colorado Kumpulan is hosted by Alice Dohne and Teda DaCosta. The group of 40+ members meet for lunch every month at different restaurants, mostly Asian, in the greater Denver Area. The December kumpulan is the only…
An Editorial on the Introduction to Over de grens by Inez Hollander, Ph.D. Director Emeritus for The Indo Project and Author of Silence Voices/Verstilde stemmen en verzwegen levens I apologize to you, dear reader. I was going to read the recently published decolonization research anthology Over de grens: Nederlands extreme…
[Telegraaf article 2/17/2022 by Alexander Bakker – translated by Margaret Maugenest] Rutte: deep apologies to Indonesians for extreme and systematic violence BRUSSELS — In response to findings of the investigation into extreme violence being used by the Dutch against the Indonesians during the War for independence in Indonesia (1945-1949), Prime…
In the last few weeks, The Netherlands’ colonial closet was ripped wide open in a fight about who gets to determine what the former colonial power did and did not do in the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia). It started with the Revolusi exhibit in the Rijksmuseum about the Indonesian independence,…
The official opening of the exhibition Ons Land – decolonization, generations and stories, was February 8th, 2022. Representatives of The Indo Project were invited to take a sneak peek at the Sophiahof Museum in The Hague. ‘Ons Land’ is Dutch for Our Country. This exhibition is about Dutch colonial history…
We’ve all been there. Just go back in time and think of your elementary school antics. In the schoolyard someone lashes out and says But you’re a moron. The answer that may come back when there is no good answer: No, you’re a moron. And then there is always that…
The Back Story In light of the upcoming REVOLUSI exhibit at the Rijksmuseum which deals with the independence struggle of Indonesia, one of the Indonesian curators, Bonnie Triyana, publicly announced that the word “bersiap” should be (and was going to be) omitted from the exhibit. He argued that the term,…
A look back at The Indo Project’s top stories and news articles of 2021. Did your favorites TIP articles make the top five lists? Top Five Indo Stories #5 An Indo Profile: Hannie Blaauw – Camp Stories and More Read TIP’s Indo Profile about war camp survivor and musician Hannie…
The Indo Project is asking you to save the date: Sunday, April 30th, 2023. There will be an ultimate event this year: the combination of the annual Holland Festival and the annual Dutch King’s Day celebration! This will allow everyone a unified event to celebrate our Dutch and Dutch East…
by David Bebelaar Finding a Box of Letters Searching for information about my grandparents led me to a box of letters they had written to each other. The correspondence documented their lives as a young couple and all of the experiences they had to navigate together. Their relocation from the…
First Dutch Feature Film about World War 1 This movie tells the true story of Arthur Knaap, son of an Indo-European father and a Dutch mother. The family moves to Paris where his father, Otto Knaap, has a job as a correspondent for a Dutch newspaper. As the 1914 summer…
After nearly two years of absence, this year’s Holland Festival drew more people than expected. Due to the pandemic, the United Netherlands Organizations (non-profit organization) had to cancel the last two festivals. The community was ready and eager to come together again, looking at their responses on social media. And…
The Indo Project will be present at this year’s Holland Festival for the 10th time. Last year was TIP’s 10th anniversary, which was celebrated with a successful rebranding. You are invited to come check out TIP’s new booth, new merchandise, and fun activities. By Jeff Keasberry Once again, the Dutch…
The 31st Annual Holland Festival in Long Beach is scheduled to return on Sunday, September 5th, 2021. The last time the Dutch-American community had their annual cultural festival was in 2019. by Jeff Keasberry, August 2021. The year 2020 has been a hard year for many people and the pandemic…
August 15, 2021 was the 76th Anniversary of the end of the Japanese occupation in the Dutch East Indies. From California to the Netherlands, all of the victims from World War II were commemorated. 2021 Commemoration Day – In Remembrance, August 1945 In Los Angeles, Sandra van Lommel-Ly, on behalf…
August 15th is the annual commemoration of the end of WWII in the Pacific. The Indo community remembers all those who fell and suffered during the Japanese invasion and occupation of the former Dutch East Indies. Indo Monument in Los Angeles Cemetery 2020 was to be the year the Indo…
Are you on Instagram? Follow The Indo Project! Help TIP reach 1000 Instagram followers! The Indo Project on Instagram – Don’t Miss Out! Don’t miss out on many interesting and exclusive The Indo Project posts on Instagram. Help The Indo Project reach 1000 followers; currently it has 720 followers. If…
On his birthday, The Indo Project remembers and celebrates Indo legend René Creutzburg. With his monthly magazine ‘De Indo’, he helped define what it meant to be an Indo in the United States and connected Indos worldwide. Verenigd – United “Oom” René was a great supporter of The Indo Project…
by Saskia Rossi-van den Broek Marsini’s Gift – the Story of An Indo Family When Saskia Rossi left California in 2018 to return to Holland where she was born, she did not know that her life – she was already in her sixties – would take a staggering turn. First…
Read as The Indo Project unifies Indos separated in the its diaspora which relocated people to multiple continents. At The Indo Project (“TIP”) a significant part of our mission is rooted in celebrating Indo culture by unifying our people. One way TIP does this, is by using the reach of…
The Indo Project has a long history of standing for what’s right, and our support of the many organizations denouncing the recent violence against Asian Americans is no different. For us, this issue hits home in a personal way. Many of the people in our Indo community have their roots…
UPDATE: FILM NO LONGER AVAILABLE ONLINE (2024) Louis Couperus was one of the few Dutch writers to become fairly widely known outside Holland. His great novel ‘The Hidden Force’, (‘De Stille Kracht’), which is set in the Dutch East Indies, has been translated into English and is available from Pushkin…
We are happy to introduce our new team members. Read what motivated them to join. The Indo Project has ambitious goals. In order to grow and achieve our mission, we are continuously seeking contributors, who are proficient, share our passion and enthusiasm. Check link to see how you might be…
The Indo Project reviews book Tetralogy by Pramoedya Ananta Toer, a series of historical novels about the former Dutch East Indies. The author describes life in the Dutch colony around the turn of the last century. Tetralogy – Pramoedya Ananta Toer A Book Review by Kareen Richard Schöller Tetralogy consists…
On August 15, 2023, the victims of the Second World War in the former Dutch East Indies were commemorated in over fifty places in the Netherlands. The war experiences and the large-scale displacement that followed are still affecting two million people in the Netherlands with an Indies family war story…
2020 marked The Indo Project’s official tenth anniversary with rebranding efforts which include revamped logo and new website amidst a tumultuous year which included a pandemic. The Indo Project Celebrates Tenth Anniversary 2020 marked The Indo Project’s official tenth year anniversary. The TIP team wishes it could have celebrated with…
Introduction TIP INTRO to Creutzburg painting delivery to Vivian Boon, Editor-in-Chief – Moesson Magazine, an Indisch magazine published in The Netherlands Throughout so many years, back from the sixties, anyone visiting René Creutzburg’s home would see these two paintings created by Hado Benjamin on the wall of the famous Indo…
1945 – 2020 The 75th Commemoration (Part 2 of 2) Indië Herdenking at Noorderbegraafplaats Cemetery in Hilversum, The Netherlands By Priscilla Kluge McMullen – Co-Founder &Chair, The Indo Project As I mentioned in my previous article on the 15 August Herdenking held at De Dam, I cannot believe it has…
1945 – 2020 The 75th Commemoration (Part 1 of 2) Amsterdam, The Netherlands It is only 5 weeks ago but it seems so long ago that the elaborate 2020 Herdenkingen events planned in the Netherlands for this year’s momentous 75th Commemoration of the end of WWII in the former Dutch…
A look back at The Indo Project’s top stories and news articles of 2020. Did your favorites TIP articles make the top five lists? Top Five Indo Stories #5 An Indo Profile: The Ballad of Hendrik and Myra SoCal Indo Ronny Kakebeen pays tribute to his parents with his touching…
With a clear majority (67%) of the votes, the logo design number 2 is the new logo for the online platform The Indo Project. It’s great that so many people felt involved with us and made their voices and opinions heard. Both logos had their own story and each matched…
The Indo Project has produced a very special video for this year’s 75th anniversary of V-J Day. As you may know, the Herdenking commemoration ceremonies in Los Angeles, San Francisco and the Netherlands will not be going forward in person due to the pandemic. The Indo Project wanted to make sure that we…
First Los Angeles Herdenking – 30th Anniversary August 15, 1990 – August 15, 2020 Message from the Comité 15 Augustus 1945: After thoughtful consideration of the restrictions and guidelines in place as a result of COVID-19, the Comité 15 Augustus 1945 is disappointed to announce that both the Commemoration Ceremony/Herdenking’s…
The Indo Project (TIP) turned 10 in 2019. We are celebrating this milestone with a makeover. OUR MISSION STATEMENT: The Indo Project is dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and celebration of Indo culture as well as its history through education, unification and raising public awareness. Yes, TIP will have a…
Speech: Inez Hollander, Photos: William Lee, January, 2020, San Francisco, CA, USA On January 13th, 2020, Antonie Heystek (sergeant in the Dutch East Indies Colonial Army and member of the militia in Eastern Java during WWII), received a posthumous Mobilization War Cross from Consul General Gerbert Kunst at the Dutch…
by Priscilla Klugen McMullen The Indo Project (TIP) held its 8th Indo Pride Kumpulan in Lake Mary, Florida (near Orlando) on November 2, 2019. It was a huge success with people coming from as far as Tennessee and Illinois. The film Sounds of Origin was shown followed by a buffet…
As this eventful 2019 year draws to a close, TIP realizes we have so much to be grateful for, especially as we celebrated our ten year anniversary in October. Transitioning to 2020, we greatly appreciate your consideration of an end-of-the-year donation to propel us into our next decade of honoring…
Submitted by Ingrid McCleary A touching ceremony, hosted by Henny Neys & Gijs Axt at the Oakmont Memorial Park in Lafayette, California, now in its seventh year started with uniformed honor guard led by Jesse Eijsbroek who flew in from Holland for this event. Jeff Campbell, played Danny Boy &…
On Saturday, August 10, 2019, The Indo Project board member, Eric Morgan, was honored to lay a wreath on behalf of The Indo Project at the annual commemoration ceremonies ‘Herdenking Ceremony,’ which was held at the National Cemetery of Los Angeles. Approximately fifty people came together out of respect for…
Jos Smit Celebration of Life, Saturday April 28th. This celebration of life event was held at the Avio, the long standing Dutch Social Club in Anaheim, CA. While it may not have been the ‘happiest place on earth’, it wasn’t a somber affair neither. People came to celebrate the man;…
The Mobilisatie-Oorlogskruis, a medal awarded by the Netherlands for military service during World War II. THIS IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT FOR FAMILY MEMBERS OF K.N.I.L. SOLDIERS WHO DIED DURING WWII IN ASIA OR DURING THE BERSIAP PERIOD IN THE FORMER DUTCH EAST INDIES. THEY MIGHT QUALIFY FOR THE MOBILISATIE-OORLOGSKRUIS MEDAL…
REVISED ARTICLE NOTE: The following article was originally published on March 3, 2019. Due to many of the comments and questions, the author Paul Munsell has graciously revised the article. The article was revised and updated on TIP website on May 21, 2019. INTRODUCTION A short time ago, there were…
The Indo Project, Inc. is currently seeking a Website Content Manager for their website TheIndoProject.org and Social Media Pages. The Website Content Manager will be responsible for growing unique visitors to our key community-oriented site and social media pages and will work closely with the Web Editor-in-Chief and Newsletter Editor.…
A Special Indo Project Editorial Series. by Inez Hollander, Ph.D. On Tuesday, February 28th, party leader Alexander Pechtold of the political party D’66, was a guest in a talkshow and referred to the migrants who came from Indonesia to the Netherlands in the 1950s and 1960s as “Indonesians”. Needless to say, he should…
Old Dutch-Indonesian Community Facebook Group is now officially part of The Indo Project Online Network. The Old Dutch-Indonesian Community Facebook Group (8000+ members) has officially joined The Indo Project Online Network as of January 2017,. The Indo Project (TIP), co-founded by Priscilla McMullen, is an international non-profit organization based in…
More than 2,000 people came together to celebrate their heritage at the 27th Holland Festival, held at Gemmrig Park, in Long Beach. For many of the attendees (around 70% with roots in the former Dutch East Indies), it is a yearly reunion with family and friends where they enjoy typical…
By Jeff Keasberry. December 1st, 2015 is a historic day, as the traditional Indische* rijsttafel (a culinary icon of the Indische culture, with roots in the former Dutch East Indies), has been added to the National Inventory Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands. By finally acquiring the acknowledgement it deserves as part…
Dear Friends, Most of us who have our roots in the former Dutch East Indies recognize the importance of keeping our history and culture alive. A constant reminder of this are the letters and emails you send us and the old photos and passionate postings you place on Facebook. All…
This is a remarkable web site called Pacific War Animated. How did the war end up in the Dutch East Indies ? With dramatic music in the background, you can follow the progression of invading Japanese forces (link below). At the bottom is a red arrow pointing to each…
By Priscilla McMullen The Indo Project logo is a representation of the Indonesian Arjuna Wayang Kulit. The image is placed within Delft frame, representing the Indo connection to the Dutch, and turned to face to the East, the direction of Indonesia. Permission to use the original design of The Indo…
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…
I became more aware of the American connection when I purchased a 77-page booklet titled “Instructions for American Serviceman in Dutch Indonesia during World War II” by the Dutch publishing house Elsevier. From the very beginning of the Japanese dream of conquering the land and people of Asia, they recognized the…
Where Appearance Meets Identity by Willem-Jan Brederode Is it possible to have flaming red hair, freckles, fair skin but also an Indo-Dutch identity? Of course it is, you will think! Well, that is, if you fully understand both the genetics behind redheadedness and the genealogy of being Indo-Dutch. In 2020 …
