Also, on the subject of integration, a point I wish I had made (but again, I am not a party member or active within its ranks so I didn’t want to take over the discussion): what exactly is integration? Ask ten people and you will get ten different definitions. Is an immigrant integrated once she learned the language? Is she integrated once she eats the local cuisine? Once she joins neighborhood initiatives? Once she can sing the National Anthem? The problem with the debate is that there are no clear goalposts and foreigners are required to live by the subjective notions of each individual that makes the social fabric of this country. Not only do parties not have clear definitions of what constitutes “integration”, but even individuals within parties differ in their opinions on the subject.
So, people like me, are left to be “evaluated” in a social context that cannot even agree on exactly what we are being evaluated on. We are left to fulfill the expectations (however subjective or personal those might be) of every Dutch person who meets us and feels entitled to pass judgement on our level of integration into this society.
Talk about a race against vague and undefined concepts.
For the past decade and a half I have been making all my content available for free (and never behind a paywall) as an ongoing practice of ephemeral publishing. This site is no exception. If you wish to help offset my labor costs, you can donate on Paypal or you can subscribe to Patreon where I will not be putting my posts behind a lock but you'd be helping me continue making this work available for everyone. Thank you. Follow me on Twitter for new post updates.