Dutch | Japanese
I am half Japanese, half Dutch. I grew up in the Netherlands, but always felt a great connection with Japan. Visiting the latter made me feel at home, maybe even more than I do in the Netherlands. To add an even more complicated feeling, I think I mainly feel Dutch though, but with a twist. My Mother is mainly Dutch and partly Belgian, since her side of the family came to the Netherlands from Belgium in 1837. My Father comes from Japan. Neither one of my parents forced me into another culture. My mother was very open about both cultures. Since Japanese aren’t the world’s most open people in general, I eventually learned to read between the lines and understand the social structures in Japan and thus understand more about the culture. My father is a well-travelled man with a fairly open view to other cultures, which is not very common for a Japanese person. So, maybe he isn’t the typical Japanese. I think that makes things a bit easier for me. I surround myself with people who inspire me and with whom I share a common interest. Such interest usually make you go to certain places where you meet people from certain environments. Being mixed-race is an enriching experience. A bit of a best of both worlds story. I can tap into what I’ve learned from being Japanese and the things I value in the Japanese culture and society such as their courtesy, integrity, loyalty, politeness and honor and on the other hand be as straight forward and open as the Dutch can be. I think it’s both beneficial in my work as an entertainment and music lawyer and on a personal level. Being mixed-race means I can tap into both cultures and this adds a nice and unique touch to who I am. It enables me to be the best of both worlds. For me, being mixed-race in today’s society is great and it’s getting better as more and more people are handling and accepting the past. I like being mixed-race and I am proud of it. It’s an easy conversation starter, even a bit mysterious and exotic maybe and less a reason to be left out. I do not get discriminated and I am very lucky for this, because I do realize this is not the same for all mixed-race people.
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