Want to Preserve Your Family’s Story?
Do you want to capture your family’s history but aren’t sure where to start? The Indo Project has put together a list of thoughtful questions to help you interview your family members. We’d love to hear your story! Share your memories and images with us by submitting them through our special page:
Sample Questions
From Europe to the Dutch East Indies (DEI)
- Do you know which European city/country your ancestors came from?
- Do you know what Dutch East Indies (DEI) island your European ancestors traveled to?
- Do you know what DEI island/city your ancestors were born on?
- Do you have any images from this time period?
- What was it like growing up in DEI?
- What island were your forefathers born on?
- What were your ancestors’ occupations?
- What was the weather like?
- What were some of their favorite foods and past times?
- What was it like going to school or work?
- What were your earliest memories of your parents/grandparents?
Dutch East Indies (DEI) to the Netherlands (NL)
- When did your family move from DEI to NL?
- Did some of their family decide to stay in DEI but then later repatriate? How did your family repatriate to NL? Ship? If a ship, do you know the ship name? Plane?
- Which Dutch city did they end up in when repatriating?
- When they repatriated, were they forced to serve in the NL military?
- Did they experience any discrimination in NL due to their skin color?
- What was a favorite food from DEI that you have not had since and miss?
World War II in the Dutch East Indies
- Do you know if your parents/grandparents were under house arrest or in internment camps during the Japanese occupation of Indonesia?
- Do you know which island they were on at the time?
- Did any of your family members perish during this difficult period?
Diaspora from the Netherlands to US/Australia/New Zealand/Canada
- What US act allowed them to immigrate to the US? Did they take planes/ships? If ships, did they go through NYC?
- How did they know where they were going to reside?
- Did they have a sponsor in the US? Were they sponsored by a church or a person?
- What was life like in the US when they first arrived? Were they discriminated against?
- What was a favorite food from NL that you have not had since and miss?
Celebrating your Indo Culture & Heritage
- What is your favorite Dutch and/or Indonesian food?
- Who was the Indo cook(s) in your family?
- Which Indonesian/Dutch/US holidays did your family celebrate?
- Have you ever traveled and visited family in NL or Indonesia?
- Did you have Indo family get-togethers that were memorable?
- Did you ever attend the Holland Festival in Long Beach, CA?
- What do you wish people understood about your Indo culture?
- What are you most proud of about your Indo culture?
- How do you celebrate your Indo culture now?
- What do you do to cultivate and pass on your Indo culture?
- What are you most passionate about regarding the Indo heritage?
- What do you hope the next generation carries with them in the future regarding the Indo journey?