America -- Andrew White

Hello Dutch people!

My name's Andrew White, and I'm a student here at the University of Michigan.  I'm studying evolutionary anthropology with the end goal of attending medical school to become a doctor.  In my spare time, I like to go on adventures.  Whether that's hopping on a bus at two in the morning to grab a burrito to backpacking in a forest somewhere, I'm always up for it!

This past summer, I went on a hiking trip with three of my closest friends where we carried all of our supplies on our backs and hiked twenty miles along a river in Manistee National Forest.  We stayed in a tent for two nights, and EVERY SINGLE NIGHT it POURED down rain.  We all were soaked to the core, but it was absolutely the most fun I've had during an outside adventure.

I'm also a part of the Michigan Marching Band (which is a lot cooler than it sounds), which eats up the majority of my free time.  When I'm not rehearsing or in class, I'm probably dancing either in a club or a studio!   My favorite ice cream is Tolenti vanilla bean gelato, I love coffee both hot and cold, my favorite TV show of all time is Parks and Recreation, I love Hillary Clinton, and my favorite word is 'lumber'. (Say it out loud a few times, you'll see why!)

Halloween 2k14 (I'm dressed as Waldo, my friend on my back is dressed as Peter Pan)

Hiking in a Manistee National Forest -- 

The Michigan Marching Band (See!? Performing for 100,000+ people is cooler than it sounds!)

Our quintessentially American camp site in Manistee National Forest

As far as the Zwarte Piet discussion goes, my American lens can definitely see where this a clear portrayal of racism.  Any time a caricature is performed or displayed, it's at the expense of someone else.  In this case, the Piets are being displayed as dumb or subhuman, which is a longstanding tradition in persecuting African-American people as well as black skinned people around the world.  Some can say it's not about the race, that the Piets are just dark from coming down the chimney at Christmas time.  However, the addition of large red lips and curly, afro-like hair shows the caricature isn't only about the color of the Piets, but also their race.

I'm a part of theater in America.  Virtually anything can be made fun of, from homosexuality to politics to gender roles to Asian stereotypes to the food served on airplanes.  Even in all of the fun of theater, the suspense of disbelief and the complete transformation of a stage into another world, black face is NOT ALLOWED.  Any other type of costume is fair game, from old Asian-like makeup to Native American garb (another hot-button topic in America right now) to accents on the face to make people look old, young, dumb, or intelligent.  It's a taboo that could very well turn into a lawsuit if it is performed in America.  It is from this point of view that I am coming from -- whether it is right or wrong is up for discussion, but perception is reality for many Americans. (See also the use of blackface in theater culture of the early 20th century where the entire point was to dress in black face and act like idiots to insult the Harlem Renaissance and other people of African descent)

However, after learning of the Dutch perceptions of such a thing, I can see where the confusion arises.  In America, there is a lot of racial tension due in part to our long history of slavery.  This is not necessarily so in the Netherlands. (I will point out that Dutch traders were among the groups that brought free Africans from Africa to the Americas as slaves, so the racial connotation could very well extend to the Netherlands, but I digress.) In addition, the longstanding tradition that is upheld in Sinterklaas and the Zwarte Piets is one of those things that just 'can't be changed.' "That's not the way it's always been done, and therefore it is wrong" is a quote from my director that is very relevant.

"These Examples Of Blackface Around The World Prove We Have A Long Way To Go" - The Huffington Post

^^This link^^ is by a fairly Left newspaper that describes a few instances in recent history where blackface has cropped up, and it makes the point that the world has a 'long way to go' when it comes to issues of race.  While this article definitely has bias, it can shed some light on the American view of Zwarte Piet and blackface in general.  Race isn't regarded as an 'American' issue by Americans, but as a human rights issue.  Which, in fact, it seems to be, because aren't we all entitled to a little respect when it comes to our heritage and race?  I'll leave that up for you to think about.

So, to wrap up, my questions to you, the avid Dutch reader of my mini-rant:

What are your classic American stereotypes? Are we fat, dumb, gun-toting eagle-loving, all of the above?

What repulses you the most about American culture, and about your own culture?

Who's your favorite musical artist, be it American or otherwise?

It was great talking at you, I can't wait to hear what y'all have to say!