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 our previous event highlights to…
by Astrid Berg, Ph.D. Introduction: Understanding Collective Trauma Integration The Collective Trauma Integration Process (CTIP) supports individuals and groups in integrating trauma that has been passed down through generations and is embedded in cultural systems—such as slavery, war, genocide, and racism. As Thomas Hübl teaches, these traumas live not only in our nervous systems, but also…
by Astrid Berg, PhD I interviewed three female cousins, all third-generation Americans in their thirties and forties, who have Indo mothers and African-American fathers. I began the interview by sharing my experience as a white-bodied child of interracial parents—an Indo father and Dutch mother. Growing up, I encountered subtle remarks and impressions from my mother…
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 gaps. I’ve always been deeply…
The Indo Project invites you to our annual Commemoration and Liberation Ball on Saturday, August 9, 2025, from 2:00–6:00 PM at the Buena Park Elks Lodge in Buena Park, California. This meaningful event honors the resilience and legacy of the Indo community with an afternoon of remembrance and celebration, featuring live music, delicious food, and…
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 how the tradition of Herdenking—the…
New Book ‘The Sun In His Eyes’, a true story by Renée Belloni There is already so much turmoil and distress in the world, and here I am introducing my new book. I dedicate this book to peace in the world and peace starts within ourselves. The more peace there is within ourselves, the more…
by Roderick C. Wahr It happened on January 5th, 1942, at 7:30 a.m. in Sumbawa Besar village on the island of Sumbawa. My mother lay in the bedroom, sweating and moaning, while my father stood outside the bedroom, nervously dragging on a cigarette. I was in the process of being born. The palace of Sultan…
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 signed up and submitted questions,…
by Fleur Wormgoor In Memoriam Fleur Wormgoor passed in March 2026. She was 93, but so young at heart. During the war she saw the good and the bad on both sides, which helped her cope and keep a very optimistic view on life. She was still very active and had a lot of plans,…