“In our culture, we don’t easily get involved with other people. We just need to be able to chill outside,” says 17-year-old Judrick. He was born in Vlaardingen and ended up in Rozenburg via Schiedam. His parents were born in the same kingdom, but in Curaçao. “My mother came here with my grandmother when she was little, to study. Later, my father came too.”
Here, his parents had Judrick, whom they raised with the language, mentality, food, and music of Curaçao. “I listen to music from the island, like the brass bands at the Rotterdam Summer Carnival. I often listen to that music on Curaçao radio or Spotify.” Every evening, he joins his mother for dinner and is served delicious dishes from the island. “For example, salted pig’s tail, okra soup, pastries, and Johnny cake. We have so many things.”
Racism
Despite the beautiful things he sees and takes away from the island, other people don’t always see it that way. Because of his background, he is sometimes treated differently. “Older people would sometimes swear at me and shout racist things. If I did the same thing as a white boy, the police would always blame me.” According to Judrick, that is now a thing of the past. “That was mainly around 2020 when racism resurfaced. Now it’s becoming less prevalent again. And it would also affect me less; you can get angry, but there’s nothing you can do about it anyway.”
Rotterdam
His blood may be Antillean, but he is and feels Dutch. “After all, I was born here.” He loves the city he lives in. “I like the people here.” Although he often stays in Rozenburg for his friends, he also regularly visits the center of Rotterdam. “Just to walk around the city and see everyone.” He has also absorbed the city’s mentality. “I think I’m very direct,” he says with a smile. Still, he would like to continue living in Rozenburg. “Just for my friends.”
His group of friends consists of young people of different nationalities and backgrounds. “From Surinamese to Israeli or Dutch. It doesn’t matter; you just belong. Some people think badly of other people or cultures. But I think they should get to know each other first before assuming the worst.”
Terror kids
His group of friends is not popular with the elderly and authorities in Rozenburg. “They say we cause trouble here, but that’s not true. We often play soccer in the playground near the fire station. And then suddenly the police send us away because we’re supposedly causing trouble while we’re just playing soccer quietly. Or we record some videos at the supermarket or talk quietly under a shelter; we are also sent away or fined because those old people complain all the time. And during the day too; people look at us strangely. You can’t do anything here.”
It doesn’t stop at complaints; people express their hatred online. “I even read on Facebook that they want us gone. They called us terrorist children. While they call online for people to come together to deal with us.”
Judrick believes that more young people should come out. “Just make it more fun again. They should give us that freedom. We’re young, we’re allowed to enjoy our time, right?”
Cultural difference
The fact that older people see young people gathering outside as a nuisance is not only a generation gap, but also a cultural difference. “People from most cultures don’t like it when people come into their homes. Maybe there’s clutter or something. And the family just wants to stay downstairs. That’s why we often sit outside.”
In winter, they often hang out at the community center. It has a PlayStation, a ping pong table, a kitchen, and even a music studio. “It was created to get young people off the streets. And young people just come there to hang out; whatever their background, we don’t exclude anyone. We play games and laugh together and stuff.” But the community center also attracts complaints. “Even then, when the music is too loud, the old folks complain. While I just wanted to celebrate that I had a lot of viewers on social media. Because I make funny videos on there and do voluntary interviews with artists at Theater Zuidplein or something. I just do it for fun. But when I want to celebrate that things are going well, I immediately get complaints via my internship supervisor. I just think those old folks are ruining it for us.”
They had a key, but it was taken away. Judrick admits that this was not only because of complaints from the elderly residents, but also because of their own behavior. “We have plates and stuff so we can make food. But other guys want to eat but don’t want to wash their dishes, so the dirty dishes just stay there.” She has been promised the key back in the summer.