Chinese Indonesian | Curacaoan
I identify myself as someone from Curacao who has Indonesian roots, and I always used to say I’m half Black, half Asian and make stereotypical racial jokes about both races. But until a year ago I took a 23dna test to figure out what I was, and it ended up being that I was 50% Asian, 23% European & 22% sub-Saharan African. It made me question my identity, do I now have to say I’m half Asian part European and part Black. Do I keep saying I’m part Asian part Black because where I was born, raised and know the culture? What can I claim as my culture?
My Mother is Chinese Indonesian, and my father is from Curacao. My Mother had moved from the Netherlands with her then Boyfriend to Curacao. While she was here, they broke up, and she met my Father. My parents did not combine their culture as they split at a young age; after that, I never really saw my Father. My Mother brought me up and taught me Dutch/Indonesian culture because she lived in the Netherlands from a young age. I mostly learned about Curacao culture from my friends, living there and school. Because of this, I felt like I was living a bit of a double life, at home, I would speak Dutch take off my shoes at the door, not curse and be very respectful. But at school, I would speak Papiamentu with my friends, make crude jokes, have Asian jokes made about me.
I was born and raised in Curacao and lived there until I was 20 years old. I have visited my family in Indonesia a couple of times, I also lived in Bali for 6 months for my final internship. I did not really go with learning in mind, but it was an eye-opening experience for me. If I had the opportunity to be born again I would want to return the same as it made me who I am today, I would not give it up for anything. A mixture like mine is something pretty unique. As much as there might be certain experiences that are not positives. There are also good ones that outshine the negative ones. Each of those made me who I am today.
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