Benjamin Caton (28) is the grandson of Indonesian-European grandparents. He is a third generation Javanese-Sumatran. Benjamin and his grandfather Mick Caton collaborated on the documentary Tussen Wal en Schip – Geruisloos Indisch (Between Two Worlds – Silent Indo). In this documentary, three grandchildren talk to their Indonesian-European grandparents about migration, silence, and colonization. Although Benjamin and Mick have very different views on colonialism, they have grown closer as a result.
Benjamin is committed to justice in various ways in his daily life. His cultural identity has had a significant influence on his work. For example, he is the initiator and organizer of the annual Decolonial Indonesia-Netherlands commemoration in Amsterdam. He is the coordinator of Justice, Diversity, Inclusion, and Equality at Greenpeace. He is co-founder of the non-profit, sustainable, and inclusive housing cooperative De Torteltuin. He is founder of THEPACK, a platform affiliated with International Theater Amsterdam, for young theater enthusiasts (15 to 25 years old) to collaborate and watch shows together. He is also a moderator and chairperson there.
“I have many interests, which is why I do different things. My identity has had a big influence on my work. It’s actually in everything I do. At Greenpeace, my knowledge of colonialism plays an important role. The climate crisis was brought about by colonialism. The commemoration I organize also has everything to do with my roots. It also influences how I interact with other people. For example, people with Indonesian roots give each other time and space in a conversation, which is very different from white Dutch people, who find silence uncomfortable. This is an important difference in social contact.”
Benjamin (1997) was born and raised in Amsterdam. His parents are both of Indonesian-European descent. From an early age, he has had a strong awareness of his Indonesian roots.
“When I was 13, I attended a school where almost 90 percent of the students had a Turkish or Moroccan background. They celebrated their identity, which was something I was unfamiliar with. That wasn’t how I was raised. I feel that my grandparents did their best to suppress their Indonesian-European identity, even though it was there. Eating rice with a spoon, the annoyance on May 4 that Indonesia was not mentioned, sarongs, batik, wooden statues, paintings of landscapes on the wall that we don’t know in the Netherlands, and grandparents with accents are just a few examples. When you visited friends, you noticed that things were different. I also got angry when I read a paragraph about Indonesia in a history book and it was classified as part of the Golden Age. I knew something wasn’t right. I also gave a presentation about Sukarno and Hatta and no one in my class knew who they were. I myself hardly knew them before that.”
Benjamin comes from a loving home and receives a lot of support from his parents. Nevertheless, he also faces discrimination in various ways.
“I used to look more Asian than I do now. I had long hair, my skin was darker, and my face was rounder. As a child, I was often called Mowgli or Aladdin. I was also often called ‘little Indian’. When I was 14, I went to India with my family. There, they thought I was from there. My sisters have lighter skin than I do, so they thought I was their guide. It was a positive experience. In the Netherlands, people usually ask me where I come from, and I don’t mind that. But even now that I’m older, I still experience racism and discrimination. Last year, for example, someone told me that he doesn’t kiss dark-skinned boys. I came out when I was 13. Many people are homophobic, and there is increasing aggression on the streets. People are verbally abused or attacked on the street, so badly that the police have to get involved. With my Indonesian-European background, I don’t suffer from it that much. It’s more a form of microaggression, which is of course not good either. Still, it remains a quest, because I sometimes feel alone and that I’m not accepted.”
Benjamin has been to Indonesia twice, most recently in 2025. When he is in Indonesia, he feels very white.
“I first visited Indonesia with my family when I was 18. We explored various aspects of our family history. This year, I went on my own. I saw a completely different side of Indonesia. It was intense and didn’t feel like a vacation. It was emotional, but also very educational to learn more about the culture, language, politics, and my own identity. What does that say about who I am? How do I relate to this? It has given me a lot, including tools that I can use in the Netherlands.”
Benjamin’s grandfather Mick (1937) was born in Bengkalis, on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. At that time, Indonesia was still colonized by the Netherlands. His parents were Indonesian-European. On his mother’s side, he is Jewish-Sumatran, and on his father’s side, he is Javanese-Sumatran. He was born from a relationship between a plantation owner and a plantation worker. His father died in a Japanese concentration camp. His mother went in search of a safe place for the children, and that is how Mick ended up in the Netherlands in 1945.
“My grandfather never returned to Indonesia. He suffers too much from trauma. He had to go to the Netherlands because it wasn’t safe in Indonesia, even though the family wanted to stay there. In the Netherlands, he had to adapt and assimilate. My grandfather was the victim of a lot of violence, from both the Indonesian and Dutch sides. That’s very upsetting and sad.”
The relationship between Benjamin and his grandfather has changed since they participated in the documentary Tussen Wal en Schip – Geruisloos Indisch (Between Two Worlds – Silent Indo). It has brought them closer together because they finally talked about the past.
I was approached by Sven Peetoom and Juliette Dominicus, the producers of the documentary, during the Decolonial Commemoration. My grandfather and I had never discussed this topic before. Not a word, not a letter. Until the documentary. I found it really difficult and intense. There is a reason why it wasn’t talked about for 78 years, and then suddenly you visit a place that was traumatic for my grandfather. It was difficult to confront him with his past. My grandfather and I turned out to have different opinions about colonialism. So much has been glorified. Why was there such a strong identification with the Dutch part of his roots? He has more Indonesian blood, so why has that always remained in the background? During an interview last year, my grandfather said that he had fought his whole life to be seen as Dutch. Only recently has he realized that he is an Indonesian-European boy and that that is okay. My grandfather always kept his distance from others and, as a result, from himself. This process has reduced that distance. The family is now much closer to him.
There are differences between the three generations within Benjamin’s family in terms of their connection to identity. His own sense of connection to his identity has also changed over the course of his life.
“The more I know about it, the more it changes. It is less uncomfortable and I am less ignorant. It is now an area of myself that I know. I am also allowed to celebrate it, even beyond the clichés. I can speak out against assimilation. I am against the Dutch idea of ‘just act normal, that’s crazy enough’. My family was silenced, and I broke that silence. My father once put it beautifully. “The first generation lived it, the second generation felt it, and the third generation understood it.” The documentary also shows that after three generations of assimilation, it has not worked. Our generation is actually working to connect with their Indonesian identity. I have done this from an early age by reading books, reading lots of online articles, learning the language, following Indonesian influencers, cooking Indonesian food, and looking up information about my family. I have an Indonesian part to myself, and I don’t want to hide it.”
Benjamin therefore advises everyone with Indonesian-European roots to create a multicultural identity.
“If there is time and space to talk to the first generation, do so. Ask them about their experiences while you still can. Listen to music, read books, get in touch with other people, learn the language, and read about modern Indonesia. As a diaspora, we live in a kind of time capsule, and the Netherlands is mainly concerned with the colonial world. But Indonesia has developed further, and many people know nothing about modern Indonesia. I think there is still much to be gained by relating to modern Indonesia. Let’s learn from the demonstrations that are currently taking place in Indonesia. There has always been criticism of colonialism and racism; we stand on the shoulders of giants. I am proud of my community and that there is now more and more room for the history of Indonesia.”
Article by Jane Sauer
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