ABSTRACT
Chapter 5 deals with the settlement of Hindustanis after their migration to the Netherlands. This chapter argues that the Hindustani community was already established in Suriname, and therefore no ethnogenesis was required for their settlement. Consequently, the homemaking in the Netherlands was of a different nature compared to that which occurred in Suriname. It comprised the reproduction of known and established institutions, thereby re-establishing bonding, safety, familiarity and feelings of community membership. However, the chapter highlights that ethnic institutions were adapted to new circumstances rather than being the passive reflection of nostalgia. They originated from the desire to establish a group identity, of which crucial elements were derived from Dutch culture (such as language), Surinamese culture (practices derived from family life) and Indian culture (religion, food and traditions). The Hindustani case of homemaking in the Netherlands was marked by the simultaneous ethnification and assimilation from the outset.
