“When I came here, there were not many courses to learn Dutch. So I learned it myself with TV, radio and talking to people. Fortunately, I like chatting because you have to know what is happening in your country and city,” says Katica. This chatterbox came to Rotterdam in 1976 because her husband had found work here. “Many people came from Croatia to work here. That company where my husband worked even specifically recruited people from Croatia. And my husband wanted to because he had worked abroad before; in Australia. But he wanted to leave there, otherwise he would have to do military service.”
It was not the first time abroad for Katica either. “When I was 18, I also went to Switzerland for seven months to work in an old people’s home. Then I came back to Croatia. A little later, I lived in Germany for another three months.” At the age of 24, she came to Rotterdam, in Delfshaven. She wanted to work but because she did not speak the Dutch language, she could only get a job as a cleaner. Therefore, she wanted to learn the language quickly, as she did before in Switzerland and Germany. “Fortunately, I can learn quickly. I was also not afraid of making mistakes, so I just talked to people at work, at the bus stop or neighbours. If I made a mistake, I just kept going, I didn’t stop.” In no time, she was able to work as a coffee lady.
Contact with people
As such, she made a lot of contact with people. “The Catholic church also helped with that; only Dutch people came there,” she said. “That is also where I baptised my son and where he had his first communion. I often babysat the parish priest’s children. When my child went to school, I became a nanny mother in schools. So I also became a babysitter for other children for the whole day. Because I am good with children. That’s how you get a lot of contact with people.”
Beleaguered
Despite her efforts to connect with people, she was not always treated well by everyone. “I was often belittled by Dutch people. Not all, but many made me feel I was worth less because I came from somewhere else. That I had to prove myself. Not all Dutch people, but some did bring tears to my eyes. For instance, they asked what education I did. But why? Do they think an education tells whether I am smart or not? I think an education makes you good at your job, but does not make you generally smart. Life experience does. Often Dutch people are smart in a certain direction they have learned for, but not in general. In Yugoslavia (former Croatia), we learned more broadly.”
Migrants are valuable
She therefore thinks the Dutch can better appreciate people from abroad. “You don’t know why they came here and how smart they are. Migrants are very valuable to the Netherlands. Not all of them, some become criminals, but not all fingers are the same either. So I don’t think you can lump all migrants together.” In any case, she herself does not. She herself, at least, does not. She is open to everyone. “I cannot lie. And I want to help everyone, no matter what religion you follow or what skin colour you have. As long as you want to have a good conversation.”
Now she finds it harder to connect with people. “People used to be closer. Now there is more distance between people, they have less contact with each other, because of television and phones I think.”
Music and handmade food from Croatia
Still, she wouldn’t leave Rotterdam anymore. “I have adapted and I now know all the people here, people who are still here and disappeared. I also know the politicians like Aboutaleb. so I feel at home now.” More at home than in her native village. “No, I hardly know anyone there anymore. As long as my husband was healthy, we did go on holiday to Croatia every year. But not anymore because he has heart problems.” That’s why she always brings something from Croatia into the house. For instance, she listens to music from her homeland and also cooks food from Yugoslavian cuisine. “I was brought up old-fashioned, so I learned to make everything with my hands. I still do that. That’s also how I make my own bread and everyone tastes it.”