“A multicultural environment feels like home to me,” says Ramona from Rozenburg. She moved from Rotterdam to Rozenburg in 2022, but she was born in Zoetermeer. That’s where she was raised by her Dutch father and Iraqi mother.
“My grandfather fled the Iraq-Iran war with my mother about 45 years ago.” Their family ended up in the Bijlmer neighborhood in Amsterdam, where her grandfather found work. Ramona’s mother was 21 years old at the time and went to study in Delft. There she rented a room from a Dutch student, who we can now call Ramona’s father.
Diverse people, a vibrant city, and everything around the corner
After her childhood, Ramona spread her wings in Rotterdam. “My boyfriend lived in that region, and I saw a nice internship at Erasmus MC, so I rented a small apartment in Rotterdam.” And she has never regretted it. “I found it a vibrant city, and I love that. I like busy cities anyway; you have everything around the corner. I also liked the fact that it’s not necessarily a student city. People of all educational levels and ages live there.”
She was also attracted by the city’s many colors and cultures. “I don’t feel completely at home in a totally Dutch environment. I wasn’t raised in a very Dutch way myself. For example, I don’t know certain Dutch sayings; they weren’t often used in my home.”
Iraqi music, food, and hospitality
Her mother instilled in her the Christian Iraqi culture. “Christianity is a Western belief system. So this culture has somewhat freer norms and values than Islamic Iraqi culture. For example, you can wear whatever clothes you want.“ Music and food are characteristic of that culture. ”I like Arabic music and the food is delicious. Iraqi meals often consist of rice dishes with a sauce containing meat, vegetables, and Iraqi spices.“ Hospitality is also important. ”That is really ingrained in my upbringing. Iraqi hospitality is different from Dutch hospitality. Combining the two can be a bit challenging at times.”
Religion
Although Ramona’s mother was originally Christian, she has developed an aversion to religion. But Ramona does not share this aversion with her mother. “That’s really a trauma my mother suffered during the war. She thinks war is often the result of clashes between different religious beliefs.” Ramona herself thinks differently. “Religion can keep people on the right path and can bring beautiful things, as long as people don’t force it on each other.” She herself does not practice any religion, but she is interested in Buddhism.
Ramona is happy that she was raised in the midst of two cultures. “I think that’s why nothing really surprises me. I’m not easily impressed, because I look at things from a broader perspective.”
Separate from Rotterdam
Nevertheless, she left the bustling center of Rotterdam for the quiet, picturesque Rozenburg. There she moved in with her husband and had a daughter. “Rozenburg really feels like a village separate from Rotterdam to me. I don’t see much of Rotterdam there, even though Rozenburg is also multicultural. There are Surinamese, Iraqi, and Turkish people living there. And Eastern Europeans, although they don’t really mix with the other residents. They speak their own language and hang out with people of their own background. And as far as I’m concerned, they’re free to do so. You don’t necessarily have to mix with everyone; I don’t really mix with my neighbors either, simply because it hasn’t happened.”
So, according to Ramona, things are fine in Rozenburg in terms of cultures. But more shops and bars and longer opening hours would be welcome. “It would be nice if there was an Action store in Rozenburg.”