Stereotype about Holland and Dutch people?

[JonnyBG]

To you Americans (mostly), what would be your stereotype of a typical Dutch person? And to clarify, Dutch people are from The Netherlands.

Don't feel bad if you have no clue where in the world it is, it's a tiny country. You can drive from North to South in 3-hours. Vincent van Gogh was Dutch, surely you've heard of him!

I know a few things Holland is well known for (for one: Amsterdam and it's... contents) but I'm mostly curious about the view from across the pond :)

Updates

+1 y

I expected far more "marijuana and prostitution" answers. Luckily, this seems to be overshadowed by better things :D


The clarification was simply because it's not obvious that the Dutch are from The Netherlands. Unlike Swedish people which are from Sweden, and Germans from Germany etc.

[Spangle]

I'm not American , I'm English . I worked and lived for a couple of months between Tongeren ( Belgium) and Maastricht . The warehouse I worked in had people from Holland , Belgium and Germany working there . It's just in a place that's easy to get to from all those places . I worked with these people every day ( so not a tourist experience , seeing more of real life ).

The area I lived in crossed between Belgium/Netherlands I'm sorry for my ignorance on the subject but I never felt like the people there considered it to be two different places . I only noticed I'd left one country and gone to another when I had a text from my mobile phone provider to tell me :) . It felt like it was one area that just happened to cross two countries .

I loved working there and I thought that the people were a lot like English people . They were mostly funny and kind and friendly , certainly I met a few people who had what I think of as a very " English " sense of humour .

Yes a lot of people speak very good English and were very helpful to me . I did some German at school but was surprised how many Dutch / Flemish words are remarkably similar to English . So I understood more than I expected to ( especially if it was written down , not spoken ).

I'm originally from York in England , which is very flat so it felt strangely familiar .

I think I maybe if you are working a country you see the "real" place and people because you are really interacting with the people in a normal way not just seeing strangers on holiday .

I met people who mentioned Amsterdam etc , but only because I think that that was what we wanted to know about :)

Sorry about the late answer . I just put national stereotypes in the search engine :)

[Spangle]

Plus I noticed that C&A clothes shops still exist there . They left the England more than 10 years ago . Clock House reminds me of being a teenager :)

[JonnyBG]

Thanks for your answer! And yes, C&A has been around for as long as I can remember, I still go there often :)

[fascination_streak]

I am an American, I did get offended when you didn't think we'd know Dutch people inhabit the Netherlands. I don't know a lot about your country, but I do know my geography VERY well.

I haven't heard a lot of stereotypes about the Dutch. I worked for a Dutch lady and she said, "We are very cheap." I don't know how true that is. I also don't think all Dutch people are murders after Joran van der Sloot was arrested for the murder of Stephany Florez.

What I do know is that there are many Dutch surnames that begin with "Van" and you're supposed to write it as 'van.' You also make Delftware which I love! I know marijuana is legal there, and you can go into a shop and just buy it on site. That blows my mind but it's cool as hell. Otherwise, I also know about the wooden shoes, but I don't know what they signify or are used for.

[ivarei]

Well clearly you think all Americans are ignorant idiots.

I've been to Holland aka the Netherlands before and this is what I saw. TULIPS EVERYWHERE, little keychains with wooden shoes in every store window. I remember bottles of whisky in crazy cool bottles shaped like horses and violins. I remember pigeons, I remember a many prostitutes in florescent bikinis, I remember people who spoke perfect English just as easily as they spoke Dutch, I remember everyone rode a bicycle there were more bicycles than people. I remember getting really flustered when I walked into a store and didn't know how to order marijuana and I didn't know how many varieties of it there are. Not really a stereotype. You guys are awesome!

[ivarei]

of course, I was only in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, so I can't speak for Dutch people who live in rural areas. But I suppose most people make assumptions about Holland based on what is depicted about Amsterdam, because most people just don't know anything about it. Just like you form your opinions of Americans based on what you see on Jersey Shore and Jerry Springer. So we're bound to have rather narrow views of you guys.

[johnny_hustle]

"And to clarify, Dutch people are from The Netherlands" - I feel like that's an insult on a persons intelligence. I won't take it as one because I don't think you meant it in that kind of way.

In all honesty, besides the fact that some of my ancestors came from The Netherlands and the fact that an extremely small band called Chapter January that I like to listen too are from there... I don't know much at all about the country. Definitely, never have I ever heard of any kind of stereotype about the Dutch. Their close neighbors in Germany, France, and England all have stereotypes that I know about, but when it comes to a Dutch person; never heard of a single stereotype. I know France isn't touching The Netherlands, but they are pretty damn close. Of course I do not speak for all Americans, just myself.

[sketchy]

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=IRfluaMKoOY

Although in fairness, I believe Amsterdam is very different from the rest of the country.

Anyway, things I associate with Holland:

* The color orange,

* Amsterdam (don't think I need go into details),

* Very straight-laced (more like Germany or Finland, once you get outside of Amsterdam),

* Dykes and lack of hills,

* Tulips & windmills & very narrow houses,

* "Total Football" and (field) hockey,

* Tall people who talk funny,

* Impressionist painters,

* Aeroplanes (Fokker, Spyker, etc).

[JonnyBG]

That video is awesome, he's imitation of a Dutch accent is amazing!

[Prettygurl12]

I am Dutch, but live in the U.S. I visited there this past spring and it was awesome. I loved the people, the accent, and the language. Coming from a Dutch dominated community in the U.S, I'd say that when I think Dutch, I think tall, blond haired, blue eyed, people. Also wooden shoes and Clompum (sp) dancing. Also, I think about dipping french fries in mayonnaise because I had it in Amsterdam and it was fantastic :). I also think of flowers and canals. And storks for some reason. On a less desirable note, Amsterdam does smell like the inside of a marijuana pipe.

[Prettygurl12]

You also have these giant pancakes that you can get anything on.

[MooiBoy]

Ken gij ook nederlands dan?

[Prettygurl12]

I had to type that into google translate, so you're answer is no. I mean, I got pretty good at figuring out what people meant when I was there, but I couldn't respond very well or have much of a conversation. I would love to learn it though. I loved just listening to people speak while I was there. So fascinating.

[Prettygurl12]

*your

Sorry, it's late. I'm not thinking lol

[LuxEtrux]

Clompum dancing = klompendansen 😉

[Kroakies_krickees]

I visited The Netherlands within the last year (in the late summer or early fall I believe). My family and I were there together for 10 days. It's a beautiful country and the people are very friendly and accommodating to tourists. Many know some English (some speak it quite well!) and are happy to use it the moment they notice you're from another country. I have no stereotypes or judgements to pass. I thoroughly like The Netherlands...aside from their use of hemp and their red zones. But America isn't perfect either!

[Kroakies_krickees]

I forgot to mention I have some Dutch in my lineage.

[Anonymous]

Clogs and tulips are the big "stereotype" jokes of The Netherlands. Kinda sad if someone doesn't know where it is or at least have a general idea as it is an important country in Europe. (The International Court of Justice is located in The Hague, in the Netherlands)

As you said Amsterdam with its drugs and its redlight district are pretty well known of.

Not really a stereotype but as a country it has a pretty high tax rate, but that means education is paid for as well as many other things. It also leads the country to rank as one of the most content (and possibly happy) countries in the world.

[chiquitawapa91]

"tiny country"? mean haha

Dutch people are very nice, open-minded, liberal, tall, dutch essence, blond hair, legal hashish, red light district, they have this marking (signage/signboard) of homosexuality somewhere near a river -tourist attraction, clogs/shoes, windmill, best cheese ever! and dutch language

[chiquitawapa91]

dutch and deutsch (german) languages are pretty similar but I could distinguish them after sometime, and their names with "van" separate them from germans I guess...oh and tulips!

[AndyWes]

I'd say you're not asking so much about what we Americans think of the Dutch as sneering as us thinking we're ignorant. FYI, you guys are known for legal drugs and prostitutes. And I would've said the first thing I thought of was William of Orange when I read that title, but a stupid yank wouldn't know things like that, would we?

[gotc147]

They are extremely quiet.

And I don't mean in the you can't hear them way, I mean in you never hear OF them way.

Closest I've been to the Netherlands was Denmark which is much smaller as you should know. Pretty place (as is most of Europe) but don't otherwise hear much of them.

Except Jordan Vandersloot, but then he's just a scumbag, don't much care where he came from.

[elliesaur]

From what I've heard it's all about pot and sex, so you're the coolest guys of Europe. Also, "dutch people are tall and blonde" and "dutch people don't tan, they burn" (something to do with you being rather pale?;P)

We also decide a person is dutch when their name has "van der" in it: van der vaart, van der sar etc.

[gotc147]

Tall, blond and don't tan just burn? That sounds more like the Irish/Scottish because you just described me.

[elliesaur]

That's the stereotype for scandinavian people too, but I'm just saying, it spreads all the way to The Netherlands.

[wpmason]

Well, I've been there, so I may not be the sort of person you're asking this of, but I just think of progressive liberal Europeans. Saying the Netherlands is all about Amsterdam is like saying America is only New York (settled by the Dutch) or Los Angeles. You have some beautiful rural areas and serious engineering feats to keep the water out that are vastly underappreciated.

[blueyaa]

I know the Netherlands pretty well.

I'm from Texas in the USA.

Stereotypes that I hear most often include:

You love football(European football).

You're fast.

Blonde.

For the most part, marijuana isn't strictly enforced as illegal.

A lot of bicycles, which actually applies to almost all of western Europe.

A lot of homosexuals (not saying that's a bad thing), I have nothing against homosexuals.

Blue eyes.

[Asplode]

Hell yeah, don't mess with Texas

[missxbrightside]

i lived in holland last year! hehe.

here are some of the stereotypes (that turned out true):

-they are very blunt

-they're very tall

-they're (mostly) very blonde

-they like to party (a lot... or maybe that was just us international school kids :P)

ones that aren't true:

-everyone is high (they have one of the lowest statistics for drug related problems)

[Betwyn]

<-- Canuckian

1)Resourceful and smart, reclaiming large tracks of land from waterways..

2) tulips

3) clogs

4) Live Sex shows

5) Pot

6) very laid back and liberal

7) Windmills

8) Art

9) bicycles

[MikeK]

You forgot to mention - greenhouses?

[Betwyn]

they have greenhouses?

[JonnyBG]

Oh so many!

[stillagoodgirl]

I actually don't know any except hearing they split the bill if a guy+girl go on a date...but I'm not dutch I just have family there(Surinamese)but I was bron&raised in America and haven't. Been out of the country so the TV is my source because I don't think people teach their children about sterotypes of ther countries

[Anonymous]

Speaking a language that sounds like an Australian having a stroke while gargling raw eggs and carpet tacks... wearing wooden shoes, riding around in windmills eating white cheese, breeding tulips and fingering dykes.

Oh, and straight whipping ass at rugby... except against South Africa and N. Zealand ... who are also pretty much the same as Dutch with a sprinkling of ethnic Africans and Maori tossed in.

[Opinion Owner]

OH, AND LEGALIZED POT AND PROSTITUTION.

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure there are any major stereotypes about the Dutch here in America. Not in the past century, at least. Wooden shoes do come to mind. I also think about it as a place that used to be a popular vacation spot for marijuana connoisseurs. For some reason, I also thought it was mandatory for guys to put in a certain amount of time of military service at one point in time. Finally, I'm not sure why, but in my mind's eye, it's a place with a pretty mild climate temperature-wise.

[Opinion Owner]

Also, most Americans aren't as ignorant as popular belief has it.

[Belgie]

I can't tell you what the Americans think... but I know what the Belgians think. And it's not very flattering. (You probably have similar opinions to the Belgians.)

I'm not a native Belgian, by the way, I just live here.

[curbylizzle]

Why is that hate from Belgians towards us Dutchs? I honestly don't get it because I adore you guys and your country and your language (it's honestly so entertaining to listen to).
The only explaination I could think of is what happened during the Belgian revolution.

[anony84]

Honestly, I don't have any stereotypes about Dutch people because I don't really think about them. I'm going to say tall but that applies to pretty much most Europeans.

[elizabeth24]

Hmm I'm an American and have never thought of sterotyping Europeans or any other people for that matter. But there are a lot of people who don't like the dutch which I don't know why.

[Anonymous]

That Dutch girls are very sexually open and promiscuous. And that everyone smoke's weed and love's to party. But that's a good thing in my book. lol Europe sounds a lot more laid back when it comes to things like drugs and casual sex. Which sounds really awesome but I'm sure is probably exaggerated (correct me if I'm wrong)

[Anonymous]

when I was a kid because I collected dutch stamps because I thought netherlands was where peter pan lived...

but yeah, I guess I think of the typical northen European stereotype... hard working, liberal, socialist leaning, not very religious.

[Love_is_in_the_air]

tulips windmills pot hookers pretty girls beer

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=ffCmFDzaYyQ