“Sometimes I feel too Liberian for the Netherlands, but too Dutch for Liberia,” says Gabriel. His parents are from Liberia and Mali, but chose to settle in the Netherlands. His father was a political refugee and studied international relations at Erasmus University. His parents separated, his father returned to Liberia, and his mother remained in Rotterdam. Gabriel himself only recently obtained a Dutch passport: “When I was born, you had to have two parents with Dutch nationality to automatically be Dutch. That didn’t apply to me, so I had to wait a long time.”
Rotterdam directness versus Liberian hierarchy
Gabriel was born in Rotterdam, spent part of his adolescence in Liberia, went to school in Switzerland, and has now been living in his hometown for years. His story is one of contrasts, questions of identity, and finding a place between different worlds.
Yet he has long felt at home in the city. “Rotterdam has a ‘no bullshit’ mentality. People are direct and clear. That suits me.” But he also sees differences with his father’s country. “In Liberia, hierarchy is important. You don’t contradict an older person, even if you’re right. In the Netherlands, you learn to use your voice. I sometimes feel that tension within myself.”
Food as a gateway to identity
Although as a child he felt particularly connected to his Liberian background, in recent years the Malian side of his family has begun to receive more attention. “Through food, for example: Jollof rice, a West African dish, has soul. The more I cook, the more I get to know that side of myself.”
Global citizen with roots in multiple worlds
Gabriel now considers himself a global citizen: “Because I have lived in different countries, I don’t feel tied to one culture. It has taught me to be open to others and to be flexible. But that doesn’t mean I don’t belong anywhere. I belong to multiple worlds at the same time.”