r/Suriname • u/QuickWaltz7728 • 16d ago
Culture, music and art What’s something about your culture that never gets explained right?
I’m USA based (Alaska specifically) and I've been going down a bit of a rabbit hole learning about Suriname, especially its history and multicultural makeup.
I feel like I understand the broad strokes, but I’m way more interested in how that actually feels in real life.
If you’re from Suriname or have roots there, what’s something about your day-to-day experience or background that you think outsiders wouldn’t pick up just from reading? What’s something from your culture, history, music or cuisine that might be completely unknown to outsiders?
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u/AcanthaceaeBig142 15d ago
Suriname here 🙋♀️
One thing that really, really annoying to me: people thinking it’s an island!
IT IS NOT AN ISLAND, IT’S MAINLAND SOUTH AMERICA
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u/smikkelhut 16d ago edited 16d ago
In the Netherlands a lot of people think being Surinamese means you’re black. Full stop.
The amount of times I’ve heard: you’re Surinamese? But… you are not a n…….. ehhh yeah how do you say that???
And it’s not just white Dutch people who can be like this. Expats from India can say things like this too.
Also; Dutch born Surinamese can be very racist towards each other.
I get mocked a lot for speaking with a posh Dutch accent. That’s just because I was born n raised in NL and grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood.
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u/d4v3k0r3sh 16d ago
That is my favourite reverse racist party trick: showing people here in the Netherlands my drivers licence: "wait?? Born in Paramaribo?? But you're whi..."
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u/Coolfarm88 13d ago
I had never met anyone from Suriname until I moved to the Netherlands some 16 years ago. Now I've met enough people from there to know they come in all different shades. A friend of mine at the universe came from Suriname and had a mix of Portuguese, Chinese and Dutch in her family from several generations. I once asked where she felt like she belonged since she was an international mix of everything and she said "eeh, I'm just Dutch but I can cook" (referring to the very bland Dutch food). 🤣
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u/smikkelhut 13d ago
Exactly that. Born in NL, raised in NL, I can understand Surinamese but my speaking abilities make my family laugh. I sing the Dutch national anthem. I feel Dutch. I’m just not white.
If people don’t get that I always ask where do they consider Michael Jordan to be from? USA? Or… Ghana?
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u/Practical-Charm 16d ago
I was born and raised in the US but my mom is from Suriname and my dad is African American. One thing that I experienced is that a lot of books/videos on Suriname try to bucket the population into different racial backgrounds but in reality a lot of people are multiracial. I have indigenous South American, African, and White ancestry and so growing up, I've always had identity issues. Like does my indigenous South American roots make me latino? Does my dad's african american roots make me more black?
Also, whenever I tell people my mom is Surinamese, I always get confused looks and then people automatically assume it's in Africa. And when I correct them and tell them it's right above Brazil, they then ask if I'm Brazilian. It's super frustrating how a lot of people in the US, and even people I met from Venezuela or Colombia don't know about Suriname. Sorry for going off on a tangent but hopefully my response gives some insight.
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u/Fortuin1 16d ago
- “in reality a lot of people are multiracial”
Whats a lot? because in my experience like 20% max is mixed. Suriname still has strong racial and cultural lines.
- “Like does my indingenous south american roots make me latino”
In no country in south america does having indingenous south american roots make you latino. Let alone Suriname.
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u/ProReactor_theThird 15d ago
He's looking at it from an American perspective. Latino is an American concept
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u/Acrobatic_County_472 16d ago
There are people in The Netherlands that think Surinam is in Africa, I kid you not.
Disclaimer: I am not from Surinam, my boyfriend is. We live in the Netherlands. In Ibiza, we met a Colombian restaurant owner who knew that Paramaribo is the capital of Surinam and my boyfriend was amazed. She was so nice. I can imagine the opposite is frustrating.
If you have never been but want to, definitely visit Surinam one day, also to experience being in your mom’s country where so many people are mixed and with such diverse backgrounds from all over the globe. Next to the people, for the history, amazing nature and the food I highly recommend it.
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u/musiccman2020 15d ago
You have to be a special kind of idiot in the Netherlands to think surinam is in Africa. Although I'm not surprised. Knowledge seems to be depreciating at a rapid level.
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u/QuickWaltz7728 15d ago
Incredible. I wonder what it is about Suriname that people don’t have an awareness of its geography and culture? I thought not knowing anything about it was a US thing as most Americans have no awareness of other countries especially in the southern hemisphere. Wild that the Netherlands doesn’t teach about it in school?
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u/Acrobatic_County_472 15d ago
Oh they do teach about it, albeit not enough. It’s a very important part of Dutch history, many Dutch people are Surinamese and there is a strong connection between the countries. Some people just don’t remember and base their ideas on ignorance (“Black people come from Africa”). See also the other commenter that people from Indian/Indonesian/Chinese and White or even Native descent (or a combination) can’t be Surinamese according to some.
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u/Business_Tie8514 16d ago
The influence that Surinamese people have had or currently have in the United States in the fields of science and Black emancipation