Willem-Jan Brederode (1979) was born and raised in the beautiful province of Noord-Brabant, home to many Indo families in the Netherlands. He holds an MSc degree in Business Administration from Radboud University Nijmegen and has been working in
the international banking industry for nearly 20 years. Willem-Jan later moved to California, where he now lives with his wife in the charming Carlsbad Village.
As the son of an Indo mother and a Dutch father who lived in Indonesia for several years, Indo culture has always been a central pillar of his life. Willem-Jan has actively contributed to the Indo community in the Netherlands, participating in organizations such as South Side Indo Crew, Darah Ketiga, and Indisch3.0. His most notable achievement is his book Ramboet Djagoeng, a collaboration with renowned photographer Armando Ello, which explores the Indo identity of redheaded Indos.
Willem-Jan recently joined the TIP board, aiming to share his expertise in Indo genealogy with American Indos. Understanding one’s Indo family tree is essential to grasping the complexity of Indo identity. However, this can be challenging for American Indos due to unfamiliarity with the Dutch language and genealogical resources. Willem-Jan’s mission is to provide a helping hand to those curious about their ancestral roots.
Hi Willem-Jan,
your article about discovering your Indo roots was excellent; it helped to clarify much of what I vaguely knew or I had suspected about my own Indo heritage. (No red-heads though). Recently I wrote a short booklet for my nephews and nieces, who are always asking me about our joint Indo heritage (now much diluted), trying to explain it as best I could; I called the article The Ancestry Puzzle – a title which I think accurately reflects the thesis in your own article. I have also written an autobiography called War’s Long Shadow (self-published on Amazon) which touches in part on my Indo heritage. I have patched together a story/history/memoir, based on the usual family anecdotes, memories, letters etc. And yes, we also had a princess from the royal court of Jogyakarta, to embellish our story! But so much remains a mystery.
My mother was Dutch, my father had Indo heritage from his mother’s side (Huismans) – but I think also from his father’s side, the Versteegh ancestors.
I was born post-war in Holland, my father and six siblings were all born in Java. I left Holland when I was seven, in 1954, and we emigrated to Australia.
My question:
I return to Holland from time to time, and I would love to try to connect with some of my Indo heritage whilst there. What suggestions do you have in terms of places to visit, people to see, organizations to contact? I am hoping to return there with my two adult children soon, and would love to share with them that rather intangible Indo heritage we have. (We will of course be eating at Indonesian restaurants!) What do you advise?
Best wishes
Bill/Wim Versteegh
Ben je al begonnen met de “van Steenbergen/Briët” stamboom?