Dutch stay calm during sharp multicultural debates

People’s views on the multicultural society do not change very fast. “Deep down the Dutch have not been brainwashed by the sharp tone in public debate,” says Tilburg University professor of cross-cultural psychology Fons van de Vijver.

In a blog post, Van de Vijver responded to the integration bill of Dutch Interior Minister Piet Hein Donner that was presented last week. Van de Vijver says that the Dutch are not more negative towards multiculturalism then ten years ago. “Several studies that we have carried out at Tilburg University show that the past ten years native Dutch people have hardly changed their opinion about immigrants.”

The Dutch are not very positive, but also not very negative about the integration of immigrants, Van de Vijver says. Apparently values like ‘do not discriminate’ are deeply rooted in our society. Van de Vijver also says that measures to compel immigrants to integrate and to completely let go of their own culture do not work.” The threat posed by this only strengthens the desire to preserve its own culture.” [MvdB/transl. YV]

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