“What’s your name? Who are you? — Ah, Mahutin, you’re one of us.” Just saying her name evoked recognition among Beninese people. Her surname even allowed people to deduce which city her family came from. “In the Netherlands, everyone struggled with my name. But in Benin, I felt a connection for the first time when I said my name. Here, I can truly be myself. That had a big impact on my identity: I was born in the Netherlands, but I am also Beninese — and I can be proud of that.”
Mahutin’s father grew up in Benin. He didn’t have much. He couldn’t go to school, he lived with family, worked hard, and searched for light in the evenings so he could read his books. At the age of 14/15, a Dutch aid worker asked him to teach adults from the Netherlands about local traditions and rituals. When that aid worker returned to Europe years later, he asked Muhatin’s father to come with him. At the age of 18, her father left, wearing shoes borrowed from his cousin, and traveled via Switzerland to the Netherlands. Here he fell in love with Mahutin’s Dutch mother.
New Dutch identity
“We — three children — are ‘beautiful’ in the sense that we fully embrace both cultures. I am not half of one culture; both flow completely through me. Others cannot define me — I do that myself. I used to wonder: am I Dutch enough, or Beninese enough? I have let go of that. I have integrated both.
I am of mixed blood: entirely Dutch and entirely Beninese. This is how I define a new kind of Dutch identity: critical where necessary, direct and curious, and with the warmth I bring with me from Benin — making time for people, genuinely asking how they are doing.
Spirituality and flavors from Benin
Another thing Muhatin brings with her from Benin is spirituality. This African country is the birthplace of Voodoo spirituality. “It’s nothing scary; Hollywood has turned it into a horror story,” says Mahutin. “For me, it’s about respecting nature and honoring ancestors — knowing that there is more than just the visible.” In her family, this includes libations: at important moments (birthdays, moving house, a birth), protection and prosperity are requested, with spoken affirmations and thanks to the ancestors.
When she misses Benin, she reconnects with her roots through flavors. “Okra soup is my favorite; my father used to make it often. When I’m homesick, I go to the toko, buy okra, and make okra soup. Then I’m back in Benin for a moment.”
Pride
She finds that she can be increasingly proud of her African roots. “When I was little, there was often a negative image associated with ‘Africa’: poverty, backwardness. Now people tell their own stories through music, film, and social media. There is more pride in the diaspora, including in Rotterdam.”
At home in Rotterdam through meeting people
Mahutin grew up in Amsterdam, but has been living in Rotterdam for ten years now. “I came here for love,” she says. The first thing she noticed in Rotterdam was how spacious the city is. “The skyline as soon as you walk out of Central Station, Kop van Zuid—it feels international. And you see the different cultures everywhere in the city, not just in one neighborhood.”
Still, she didn’t immediately feel at home. “That took years. I hadn’t let go of Amsterdam: I was still working there, my family and friends were there, I traveled back and forth. It was only when I started working here and really invested in social contacts that I found my way. Feeling at home went hand in hand with meeting people.” That’s what she advises other newcomers to do. “Immerse yourself in Rotterdam culture. Go to events, visit community centers and city gardens, make contact. Feeling at home starts with getting to know people.”
Proud of all nationalities
Nevertheless, Muhatin wants to see more of all nationalities in Rotterdam and more pride in that diversity. She cites the power of art, culture, and education: from Keti Koti and Summer Carnival to food festivals and programs that focus on countries and roots. “That’s where encounters and deepening connections take place. Let’s show more pride in diverse cultures — what we can learn from each other about community, caring for one another, and spirituality.”
According to Muhatin, we all need to make more effort to embrace that diversity and treat each other well. “It’s a two–way street: newcomers taking steps, but also established Rotterdammers embracing that. Don’t wait for ‘organic harmony’: you have to keep working at it — in education, in culture, by making things accessible and meeting each other.”