“As everyone knows Korea now, with K-pop and kimchi, that was definitely not the case forty years ago,” says Martine. In 1984, at the age of three, she and her two older sisters were adopted by a Dutch couple. Fortunately, the Netherlands had a program at the time to help South Korean toddlers by adopting them collectively. The country had been torn apart by war, first with what we now know as North Korea and later with its own dictator and army. The war is still not over, but there is now a ceasefire. As a result, the country now has a better economy and democracy than in Martine’s mother’s time. “The economy was really bad back then. If you were poorly educated at the time and lost your husband while having three children, it was incredibly difficult to build a life. So, in order to have a chance in life herself, my mother gave us up for adoption.”
She ended up in a provincial town in Gelderland. When she was 19 and wanted to go to college, she looked at cities to move to. At first, she chose Maastricht. “But that was more because my parents wanted me to study law, so I chose to study international law.” A month before the program started, she withdrew.
A party
“I wanted to fly the nest and move to a real city: a city that is raw and not too touristy. My other sisters already lived in Amsterdam and Utrecht, everyone was going to Amsterdam, so I thought, then I’ll go to Rotterdam.” Many people have come and gone… it’s a city where you can grow up.“ And a month later, she was there and she never left. ”I’ve thought about that sometimes, but I’ve always felt at home here. I think it’s because Rotterdam shows how a big city can still be small, and you can move around freely here. I also love seeing so many people come together here and do wonderful things. Think of initiatives such as the Wijkpaleis and the yellow bridge over Hofplein. Life isn’t always fun, but here we make it a party together!”
Identity crisis
She quickly felt at home in Rotterdam. Even though she is Korean, of course. Because of her adoption, she suffered from an identity crisis for a long time, as Martine describes it. “When you can’t grow up in the country where you were born, where your parents come from, it affects your own identity. You end up in a new environment and you adapt as best you can. But you keep asking yourself: who am I? Am I good enough? Am I allowed to be who I am? How hard do I have to prove myself before I’m allowed to be here? That was a theme for me in my youth. Eventually, I discovered that the answer lay within myself. To discover that, I needed peace and love from other people who could help me with that.”
A mix of kimchi, rice, action, and curiosity
Ultimately, she is both Korean and Rotterdamese. “I am a mix of both. For me, a good meal always starts with kimchi and Korean rice. I also enjoy watching K-dramas, and when I come home, I take off my shoes. But I was raised in the Netherlands. And the Rotterdam saying ‘Don’t talk, just do it!’ also suits me. Of course, I think things through, but if you sit still, you can wait a long time for something to change. So I like to take action. I’m also very curious, which I think is Dutch too. So I just ask a question if I want to know more about something.”
All of that comes together in Rotterdam. “I’m happy to be part of Rotterdam’s multicultural society. Because for me, it means that if you live here and stand for what Rotterdam is and contribute, you’re welcome here.”
Prefer to be there for each other
Still, she didn’t always see this in everyone. “During the coronavirus pandemic, for example, there was a lot of negativity towards Asians. I find it sad and painful to see how some population groups already exclude each other. Then I think: we all face the same thing: prejudice and blame. I notice this not only between different cultures but also between people who are well off and people who are less well off. For the latter group, it’s difficult to find a roof over your head or use the right systems. So we need to support each other and be kind to each other. We should help each other more. Some people have more, others less, but that has nothing to do with whether you are better than someone else, but with luck and whether you were able to seize a particular opportunity. We create this city together, with all its different colors and what lives inside you.
Film Festival
She would advise other newcomers to go out and discover the culture, especially the food culture. “For me, it’s always about food. That’s also typically Korean. I think the film festival is a really nice place to go on your own. You see people from all over the world and have interesting conversations. So get out there! Rotterdam has a lot to offer. Not just the food truck or dance festivals, but also the small events you didn’t know existed.”