INTERNATIONAL ISSUES
Childrens' hero or racist stereotype? The case of 'Zwarte Piet'
Albert Meijer
The Netherlands: a country known for its progressive legislation and open attitude towards multiculturalism, sexual and racial minorities, soft drugs, abortion and euthanasia. In light of recent events, however, these ideals might seem far from reality.
The country has recently made the news for something that seems antithetical to its ideological beliefs: the widespread depiction of racial stereotypes during the major holiday event of Sinterklaas.The problem? Sinterklaas, a figure based on the catholic St. Nicholas and a model for the modern Santa Claus himself, has some pretty unorthodox helpers. Instead of elves and reindeer, this Saint Nick is helped by what appear to be slave-like servants in blackface, called 'Zwarte Pieten', or 'Black Peters'.
To foreign eyes, the 'Zwarte Piet' figures, which can be seen everywhere in the Netherlands in the run-up to the Sinterklaas holiday on December 5, serve as a shocking reminder of the country's colonial past. For Dutch and Flemish locals, however, the Piet figures are part of a harmless children's holiday; a celebrated tradition in a modern country in which racism is seen as a relic of the colonial past.
When Dutch artist and activist Quincy Gario spoke out against the appearance of the Piet figure, and when, soon after, a UN committee wrote to the Dutch government concerning the racist implications of the holiday, the Dutch population and media were shocked. To many, it felt like an attack on a figure that children love and believe in, like a politically correct backlash against a valued tradition. It was as if the UN wanted to cancel Christmas and, understandably, people got upset.