Vrouwen in Amerika
You asked me to write in English
about our experiences etc.which
1*11 be glad to do. We came over
here in 1952 November. That was be
fore most Dutch-Indonesian people
came. We had to pay everything our
selves; were not helped by any go
vernment or church. We did have a
sj^^^sor of course, whom we have ne
ver met personally (he lives in Te
xas) and who has not spent one sin
gle penny on us. We came to live
in a small midwestern town, where
we knew an American couple, who
helped us getting a job and fin
ding a place to live.
We lived there for years, of
which 3 years with no Dutch people
around at all. It was after 3 y&ars
that the first Dutch-Indonesian
people settled down in that town;
we enjoyed meeting them and they
became good friends. Bit up till
now we are grateful for those
first three years in America, al
though they were not easy. We were
then forced to get acquainted with
AV)icans, we were in fact really
living in America.
Here in Boston are many many dutch
immigrants and there is a large
Ditch club. We are members of this
club and usually attend its mee
tings, although we do not know ma
ny other members. We also know
Dutch people who do not belong to
this club, because they are not
really too much interested, and
are too busy making a living,
which indeed is not an easy matter
when you have a family with child
ren.
To be honest we ottrselves are not
too much interesfeed in the club
either, although we of course en
joy the company of Dutch people.
We also enjoy the company of our
American friends though. And here
I have arrived at a point of dis
cussion. We really think that it
would be much better for all those
Dutch-Indonesian immigrants to
really try to live in America and
not just in a small group of other
dutch-indonesian immigrants. There
is so much to be learned when we
are now here, and even after ten
years there is still much more
that we can pick up, if we keep
our ears and eyes wide open for
American life.
Especially for the people with
small children we §eel it is most
important that they try to get to
know this American way of living.
When children go to school, parents
should join the PTA of that school,
they should let their children join
let us say the brownies and/or cub
scouts, if they want to. Children
do not want to feel different, they
want to feel one with the other
children! Let us not always compare
but try t© find out the good things
in the system here.
Many housewives feel lonely; they
miss things they had back home in
Holland or Indonesia and start com
plaining. In their eyes nothing is
good here. But do they really try?
No, they do not. I cannot spend my
time on people like that anymore.
I*d like to help, but they have to
try also.
Johanna G. Winkel
7
