ABSTRACT
To understand the Foto zoekt familie project and its place within the Tropenmuseum, it is essential to possess some facts regarding Dutch postcolonial history. Migration from Indonesia began immediately after the Second World War, and during the next fifteen years, almost all Dutch citizens left Indonesia. The total number of repatriates is estimated to have been approximately 300,000 (Oostindie 2012, 156). The families which the Tropenmuseum sought to engage in the project can be divided into white Dutch families and their descendants, and the so-called Indo-Dutch families resulting from interracial unions between Dutch men and indigenous women. Following Pamela Pattynama (2012d), an expert on this history, I will use the terms “Indies” (Indisch) and “Indies-Dutch” (IndischNederlands) for all Dutch citizens connected to the East Indies. Within this group, the term “Indo” or “Indo-Dutch” (Indo-Nederlands) will be used to describe people from racially mixed families. The Foto zoekt familie project is distinctive because it seeks to engage both families that are entirely of European descent and Indo families. In fact, the memory communities mingle in their digital participation in this project.
