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The Netherlands has more than 1.2 million inhabitants of Asian origin. Yet we see few Asian Dutch people in Dutch society, while there is a lot of talent around. Today, the first Pan Asian Awards will be presented in Amsterdam, to put all this talent in the spotlight.
The Pan Asian Awards are organized by Pan Asian Collective (PAC), an organization founded in 2019 by Deventer-born Hui-Hui Pan. “PAC was founded because we missed the stories of the Asian community in the Netherlands in the media and culture sector, when there was a strong need for them,” says Pan, who has his roots in China. . “That’s why we create our own stories in the form of campaigns, texts, programs and exhibitions.”
“We have more than 1.2 million Dutch people of Asian origin in the Netherlands and they are also part of the Netherlands. However, this is not always the case for them, because they hardly see each other anymore” , explains Pan. “The reason we hold the Pan Asian Awards is to give certain role models the recognition they deserve.”
One of the nominees is Mao Lin Liao. With his company REBLIKA, he provides avatars and “digital people” to fashion, film and technology companies around the world. For example, he created the virtual girl Sweetie for Terre des Hommes, which was used to dismantle a large online pedophile ring.
Another nominee is actress, presenter and documentary filmmaker Roosmarijn Wind. She played, among others Cops Rotterdam, SpangaS And tattas. Last year she directed the documentary Goodbye Hanky Panky to discuss anti-Asian racism.
‘The Asian as a court jester is allowed, but also shows the normal image’
“There are a lot of Dutch people of Asian descent who contribute to science, art, music, literature and technology. But when I ask Dutch people if they can name a famous person from Asian descent, they usually can’t,” Pan says.
“The only one people know is Mr. Cheung, who has been on the show for a long time. i love holland. But he must represent some sort of court jester. This is not representative of the average Asian in the Netherlands,” said the founder of PAC.
“I have nothing against a stereotype or a skit. But if that’s all we see on TV and in movies, then we don’t recognize the difference between something that should be funny and normal. L “We miss the normal image and it affects how Asians are perceived in the Netherlands. Why, for example, aren’t we invited to share our knowledge and stories on TV talk shows?”
“We should celebrate our successes more often”
“We don’t have space, but we don’t take it. We should voice our opinions and celebrate our successes much more often,” Pan admits. “You see that the younger generation is already much more vocal than the older generations. And that’s good, but also a shame. Because it’s precisely those older generations who can be proud of what they’ve achieved in the Netherlands. Down.”
But she sees some developments. “That’s how the theatrical performance was The banana generation the first to share stories from the Chinese community. I cried for three days because these stories touched me so much.”
Pan is hopeful as she looks to the United States, where the Asian community has been making itself more visible for much longer. “You see more and more Asian productions and creators there. That an actor like James Hong won a prestigious SAG award for his acting for the first time this year at the age of 94, after sixty -ten years in the business, was an unforgettable and hopeful moment.”
