From the outside, the building looked no different than the average brick apartment, but upon entering there was an immediate sense of warmth and welcome. The head of organization, Mustafa, met us in the doorway and guided our group in to the well lit spacious area. We seated ourselves around the large main table nestled among many smaller ones just like it. Without any explanation you could see how the set up fostered community and hospitality. One could not help but feel at ease surrounded by colorful paintings, idlic chess sets, a vacant ping-pong table and a long well stocked bar where radio in the corner sat blasting the latest hits.
The ambiance was matched by Mustafa’s large smile and eager answers. Mustafa was one of the founders of the organization back in 1974. He has been living in the Netherlands since he was 19 and has married and raised his daughter here. When asked about his past and what brought him to Holland he was slow to answer. At first, he only revealed that he left ‘as a political refugee’. However upon further pressing he began to open up. Although from the Country of Turkey, he revealed that he was actually Kurdish and grew up in a small countryside village. In his teens he had moved Ankara to study and began to become involved with politics. However, soon trouble began involving a group called the “Grey Wolves” a neo-fascist group associated with the National Movement Party, whose goal was to create the “Great Turkish Empire”. Although Mustafa did not elaborate he explained that he was shot with five bullets before escaping to Sweden and then finally to Holland.
Mustafa knew he wanted to stay in Holland immediately. A sweet nostalgic glow entered his eyes as he told a story about his third day in Amsterdam. “I remember seeing a woman riding a bike, her skirt blowing in the wind, whistling as she rode along. She seemed to have not a care at all. I thought the people here are so free. This is the place I want to stay”. As a result he has worked hard building an organization which allows others to have the same freedom. Although primarily listed as an organization for Turkish immigrants Mustafa explained that all nationalities are welcome. Reading from a print out about the organization he listed some of its activities as fighting discrimination, helping integrate immigrants, working for better living conditions, keeping kids in school, cultural issues and other related topics.
When asked to expand upon cultural integration he replied that it is important to take the best things from every society. Curious, we asked him to name a few of these “best things”.
“Well”, he said, pausing in thought, “From Turkey you have our folk music”
“And Morocco?”
“The tea! Of course!
"From Germany?"
"the sausage!"
"and the Netherlands?"
"… well the apple pie!” He emphatically declared grinning.
Although Mustafa had to run off he had arranged a lovely lunch of soup and sandwiches for us as a final welcoming gesture. He stood up in an abrupt way and waved goodbye. Although ‘Turkish’ we couldn’t help but notice his typically Dutch mannerisms. The small body movements and gestures which usually are embodied by the tall blond blue eyed men had found a home on this dark haired immigrant. Thus although ‘Turkish” his body and person had found a hybrid way of being showing that there are many ways of being an ‘immigrant’, ‘Dutch’, and ‘Turkish”, some are unconscious, some are inherited, but just remember that we can always pick and choose what we think are the best parts of each!
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