Jamie Schaduw (36) is the son of a Moluccan father and a Dutch mother. He is committed to preserving languages and cultures that are prone to disappear in the future. Although the Moluccan-Malay language is important to the Moluccan community, there are few from the younger generations who speak it fluently. Dutch is often the dominant language, as Jamie discovered through a study he conducted among 840 Moluccan community members.
When the Moluccans came to the Netherlands between 1951 and 1962, they were forced to assimilate. There was very little room to express their own culture and identity, which was similar for other groups from the former Dutch East Indies. Everyone was expected to adapt as quickly as possible. Speaking Dutch was seen as more desirable, even though second-generation Moluccans still actively used Moluccan-Malay as their mother tongue. Nowadays, we know that bilingualism and multilingualism are beneficial for language development.
To keep the Moluccan-Malay language alive, Jamie founded the platform Totaal Moluks. Through this platform, he aims to document, revitalise, and preserve Moluccan-Malay, regional languages and dialects as intangible cultural heritage.
“Moluccan-Malay is not a standardised language. If you want to learn the language, you can not do it through Duolingo or Google Translate. With the Totaal Moluks app, I want to give Moluccan languages a place. I want to use my skills to preserve the colloquial language, which is disappearing in the Moluccan community.
Moreover, there is little Moluccan content. With Totaal Moluks, we aim to create as much Moluccan content as possible, which includes the documentation and spreading of the large variety of local languages in all vivid details. Since May, we have almost 8,000 users on the platform. We collaborate with communities in the Netherlands and Maluku itself to create our own Moluccan media. We can learn a lot from them. For me, decolonising also means giving our own people on Maluku a leading role and voice. In my opinion, we still see far too little of this.”
The history of the Moluccans in the Netherlands is a sensitive and complex subject. Starting in 1951, about 12,500 Moluccan KNIL soldiers and their families were transferred to the Netherlands under military orders. Moluccans were placed in residential centers, including converted ex-concentration camps. This was the case for Jamie’s father, who came from a family of nine and was born in Kamp Vught, where Moluccan families were housed in a part of the former German concentration camp. What was initially intended as a temporary stay became permanent. Jamie says:
“My father has experienced a lot of racism and discrimination, although he wouldn’t describe it as such. Which can make me angry. The treatment of Moluccans in the Netherlands by the Dutch government and citizens is something I find shameful, racist, and deeply unequal. But I prefer to steer clear of social and political issues, as it shows a one-sided view of what being Moluccan actually entails. The Moluccan cultures, with their own stories and 81 original languages, tell more about who we are. Rarely are Moluccan identities discussed separately from politics, war, and trauma, as if our original communities and ways of life did not exist and Maluku ceased to exist after 1951. We are a heterogeneous group with a very complex history and position during colonial times. My grandfather was initially a man from Kariu, a Moluccan adat-negri located in the north of Haruku. Kariu is part of a vibrant Pela-gandong alliance with Aboru, Booi, and Hualoy. Descendants of these four negri’s—Moluccan villages with a traditional village administration—consider each other family, as four children from the same womb, with all the duties and unwritten rules that come with it. This local culture is what makes me Moluccan, not some postcolonial label imposed by an outsider.”
Jamie was born in Rotterdam and grew up mainly in Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht. He remembers his youth as a boy of colour in a predominantly white environment as good and safe. During his younger years, he was exposed to some Moluccan-Malay, although he didn’t learn the language from his father.
“People in the Netherlands often didn’t even know what Moluccans were. My sister, brother, and I stood out because of our skin colour. Together with a Filipino friend, we were the only ones of colour. You get asked questions about where you’re from. In my teenage years, I became more aware of my background, started reading books on the subject, and became more interested in stories from the Moluccan community. At home, Dutch was spoken, although I did pick up some Moluccan-Malay when my father was on the phone with family or during family gatherings. We also listened to Moluccan music. I picked up the sounds and the music. At a certain point in time, I became more interested in my own culture and language. I learned a couple of words and could lightly follow conversations.”
From age 19 to 22, Jamie lived for three years with his family in Ambon (Maluku). Jamie truly learned to speak the language, more specifically the local Ambon Malay language, for the first time during this period. It opened up a new world for him. Since then, he has returned regularly to Maluku.
“Being Moluccan is so much more than just a flag or good food. For me, being Moluccan means having an unconditional bond with your loved ones and natural environment. It is a holistic and profound way of being that, for many Moluccans, is a source of strength, pride, and meaning. You cannot avoid the language. Everything is in the language: how you express your emotions, for example. Learning the language is an enrichment.”
At a later age, his heritage played a more significant role in his life, and he began to notice more things he had not considered before. His awareness grew.
“It was mainly the prejudices that I faced. Simplistic assumptions were made, and I was not aware of them. Only when you meet others who are also ‘different’ can you share these experiences. You develop an extra sense. Meaning that as a person you become increasingly sensitive to it because you are treated differently. You notice that people react differently to someone of colour.”
In his career, Jamie faced challenges related to his skin colour.
“I realised later in life that I was capable of more than I thought and that I’m actually quite a good leader. In past experiences, I was not taken seriously. As if, as you always have to prove yourself as a person of colour. You always get an extra set of questions because people need more reassurance. I find it exhausting and annoying that people underestimate me. But now that I work for myself, I see a change. Others approach me and take me seriously. So if you face discrimination, I want to tell you that people react to you that way because they are ignorant. That it is their problem, not yours. It is not your responsibility that they are not ready for the modern world. Show them how it should be done. Aim for a position where you have influence and can make a difference.”
In a world dominated by Western media and languages, Jamie is committed to other languages that he believes are equally important.
“I see myself as Moluccan-Dutch and bicultural. A Moluccan who grew up in the Netherlands with roots in Kariu. For me, the more local, the better, otherwise it becomes complicated. I don’t see myself as ‘Asian,’ because that is not how others usually see me either. I find representation important because it shows that you matter. It helps you develop a positive self-image. You are allowed to occupy that public space. You are part of a new group of Dutch people who together define a new norm. You belong. You, too, can be a leader. In a world dominated by Western media and languages, we need to show that lesser-known languages also deserve recognition. It would be a shame if these languages disappeared, along with the cultures they represent.”
Recommendations:
Reading and Listening Tips from Jamie:
Podcasts:
Music:
Songs from the East that proudly sing about their roots. “Rusuk” is a romantic song in a new style; the word “Rusuk” means “rib” and is often used metaphorically to describe an inseparable bond between two people. The title “Racikan Timur” translates to “Eastern Blend” or “Eastern Style,” referring to how people from the East (in this context, people from Maluku, Papua, Flores, NTT, etc.) add their unique flavour and style—quite literally in this song. These artists are part of a young Hip-Hop movement that is rapidly evolving, especially in those regions.
Book:
This is a poetry collection written in Indonesian, Ambonese Malay, and Dutch. In the Netherlands, you can order it through Fitrah.
Interested in Totaal Moluks? Check out their website or download the app from the App Store and Play Store.
Follow Totaal Moluks on Instagram.
The writer of this article is Jane Regina Sauer. She is a freelance (content) writer, journalist, editor, translator, and yoga teacher.
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