Dutch must end "Black Pete" racial stereotypes: U.N. body

[microrobert]

Dutch must end "Black Pete" racial stereotypes: U.N. body

A U.N. body called on the Netherlands on Friday to revamp its "Black Pete" Christmas tradition, where white performers black up to entertain children, as many saw it as a "vestige of slavery".

The comments from the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination will stoke an already heated debate on the custom, described as a harmless piece of fun by defenders, but condemned by other groups as an offensive stereotype.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte quickly dismissed the recommendations, saying it was not the government's job to shape folklore.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/28/us-dutch-un-tradition-idUSKCN0QX21920150828

[Ardell]

Kids see it as a vestige of slavery because they are programmed to think that way by the curriculum. Kids are indoctrinated into the left wing belief system before they are even old enough to choose nowadays.

[microrobert]

Dutch city's schools opt for neutral 'Black Pete'

Primary schools in The Hague are abolishing the traditional traits of "Black Pete", the Christmas sidekick of Dutch Saint Nicholas dubbed a "vestige of slavery" by the United Nations.

The decision published Thursday says primary schools need to do away with Pete's black skin, curly hair, golden earrings and thick lips, as well as his position as a servant, which "can be experienced as discriminatory."

It makes primary schools in the Dutch seat of government officially the first to opt for a more politically-neutral "Zwarte Piete", or Black Pete, who has been the subject of furious debate.

"Primary school boards have agreed to adapt the figure of Black Pete on the above mentioned traits over the next three years," said the decision, sent out by the city's primary schools' boards and published by the daily tabloid Algemeen Dagblad.

Primary school boards in The Hague "are of the opinion... based on the debate around Black Pete... that an adjustment is necessary," the letter added.

"How exactly this will be done will be up to individual schools," the circular said.

The debate over Black Pete reaches fever-pitch in the run-up to Christmas every year and has highlighted the issue of racism in the country that prides itself on open-minded values.

Many Dutch citizens see him as a harmless children's figure who appears traditionally dressed in a gaudy medieval uniform to help Saint Nicholas hand out gifts to children.

They add Pete is said to be black from coming down the chimney, and refuse to admit there is anything racist about the character.

But the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination said in a report last month that the character was "sometimes portrayed in a way that reflects negative stereotypes" and is seen as "a vestige of slavery" by many people.

After a particularly heated debate in 2014 other Petes were introduced for the first time: "Cheese Petes" with yellow faces, "Stroopwafel Petes" with striped, light brown faces resembling the traditional Dutch syrup biscuit of the same name and a white-faced "Clown Pete".

http://www.expatica.com/nl/news/country-news/Dutch-citys-schools-opt-for-neutral-Black-Pete_507721.html

[Lawalye]

The dutch may end "black Pete" but we, belgians, will continue to do so.

Fuck the UN.

[Mortimer]

I know its a tradition etc. but i think its better to end it, its really racist and offensive, it could be replaced by a nicer tradition i would say that too if it were a white slave in a african country

[The Lawspeaker]

I know its a tradition etc. but i think its better to end it, its really racist and offensive, it could be replaced by a nicer tradition i would say that too if it were a white slave in a african country

How about no ? It has nothing to with slaves (for starters). The same UN also celebrates an Iranian blackface character.

[Fibonacci]

How about no ? It has nothing to with slaves (for starters). The same UN also celebrates an Iranian blackface character.

During Nowruz, Iranian new year, some people dress up as Piruz. A character similar to santa clause who dresses in red but has a black face. In the ancient times, the black face was a symbol for returning from the dead.

It has nothing to do with black people and what not but in the west, one side of the face would be painted white and the other black so foreigners wouldn't find it racist.

[The Lawspeaker]

During Nowruz, Iranian new year, some people dress up as Piruz. A character similar to santa clause who dresses in red but has a black face. In the ancient times, the black face was a symbol for returning from the dead.

It has nothing to do with black people and what not but in the west, one side of the face would be painted white and the other black so foreigners wouldn't find it racist.

I notice something typical about the UN: everything Western is bad - everything non-Western is good. Time for us to dump the UN.

[Fibonacci]

I notice something typical about the UN: everything Western is bad - everything non-Western is good. Time for us to dump the UN.

I honestly don't think the UN knows much about the character. They only celebrate the new years by doing the main parts of it like decoration and music/dance. I think you're overthinking it.

In the west, Iranians were told not to paint their faces black because of the racism behind it

[Rædwald]

Europeans need to end the EU, it's discriminatory of native Europeans.

[Fibonacci]

They came to our Countries and think they can tell us change our Traditions for their happiness?

NO!

That's pretty sad. I also get disgusted at the fact that immigrants don't assimilate but bring their cultures with them. Immigration should require a contract that forces the migrant to fully assimilate and give up their background.

I went to the west to study, thinking I could escape from the muslim trash chute that is the middle east. but funny enough, I ran into more muslims and shitty cultures along the way.

It saddened me when one of my professors had to apologize to his students for not having non-european names in his physics questions. If that's the future of Europe then it is truely depressing.

[The Lawspeaker]

I honestly don't think the UN knows much about the character. They only celebrate the new years by doing the main parts of it like decoration and music/dance. I think you're overthinking it.

In the west, Iranians were told not to paint their faces black because of the racism behind it

Actually: they were encouraged to celebrate it (the Iranians, that is) The Dutch on the other have to forego on the black face character.

[Fibonacci]

Actually: they were encouraged to celebrate it (the Iranians, that is) The Dutch on the other have to forego on the black face character.

is black pete based on an african character?

[The Lawspeaker]

is black pete based on an african character?

Nope. That is claimed but it seems to have much older origins. It's probably a combination of all sorts of characters and myths.