On Sunday 25 January, VNC and InBetweeners (a community of curious Chinese people who come together to explore cross-sector topics they care about), hosted a well-attended and inspiring event at Verhalenhuis Belvédère in Rotterdam, exploring the history and lived experiences of the Chinese diaspora in the Netherlands. Through three personal narratives, the audience was taken on a journey spanning more than a century of migration — from the first Chinese pioneers in Katendrecht to today’s globally connected generation.
Moderated by Li’ao Wang, CEO of VMN Media, the afternoon revealed recurring themes of adaptation, resilience, identity and belonging, and showed how each generation has shaped both Dutch society and the Chinese-Dutch community in its own way.
The First Wave: Pioneers in Katendrecht – David Zee
David Zee, author of “Chinese Kees”, opened the program with a deeply personal and historical account of the first wave of Chinese migration (1910–1950). Drawing on his own family history and years of research, he described how Chinese sailors arrived in Rotterdam during labor strikes in the port, often facing hostility and discrimination.
His grandfather was among those early migrants who helped establish what became the first Chinatown in mainland Europe, in Katendrecht. Chinese boarding houses, restaurants and associations emerged, creating a community despite difficult living conditions, restrictive government policies and social exclusion.
David illustrated how early Chinese-Dutch families struggled for recognition and basic rights, including marriage and citizenship. Only in 2008 was the Chinese community officially recognized as a migrant group in the Netherlands. His story showed how perseverance and community solidarity laid the foundations for later generations.
The Second Wave: Growing Up Between Two Cultures – Cheng Liu
Cheng Liu represented the second wave of migration (1960–1990), sharing his experience of arriving in the Netherlands as a ten-year-old boy in the 1980s. Suddenly immersed in a new language and culture, he was one of very few Asian children in his class and had to learn to navigate life between two worlds.
His father worked in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a path Cheng initially followed as an entrepreneur before later focusing on developing the profession more broadly in the Netherlands. His story highlighted the challenges of identity, family expectations and integration, including marrying a Dutch partner and raising bicultural children.
Cheng emphasized the importance of staying connected to one’s roots while fully embracing Dutch society, describing himself as a Chinese Dutchman or equally a Dutch Chinese. For him, balance between cultures became a strength rather than a conflict — shaping both his professional life and his role as a father.
The Third Wave: Global Citizens and Bridge Builders – Bei Wang
Bei Wang brought the perspective of the third wave (2000–present), moving to the Netherlands as a student and later staying for love and career. Growing up in China during a period of rapid globalization, she described how her Western-influenced education and curiosity led her to Europe.
Her professional journey – from Greenpeace International to digital media and later to founding her own consultancy and teaching Creative Business – mirrored global shifts in technology, media and cross-cultural communication. She spoke about navigating Dutch directness, institutional systems and identity as an immigrant professional.
Bei framed migration as a form of innovation and described herself as a “bridge builder” between China and Europe. Her message focused on humanity, creativity and hybrid identity, seeing cultural difference as a source of strength rather than division.
Shared Reflections: Identity, Discrimination and Belonging
During the panel discussion, the speakers reflected on what they recognized in each other’s stories: the sacrifices of earlier generations, the challenges of discrimination, and the responsibility of shaping one’s own path.
They discussed experiences of racism, particularly during global crises such as COVID-19, and how visible identity can influence perception. Yet the conversation remained constructive and forward-looking, emphasizing empathy, dialogue and the importance of human-to-human connection over abstract narratives.
Audience questions addressed the changing role of government policy, education outcomes within Chinese communities, and the importance of avoiding stereotypes while celebrating diversity. A recurring conclusion was that true integration comes through collaboration, not comparison.
Closing: Building Bridges Across Generations
The afternoon concluded with a VNC New Year’s drink, bringing together participants for informal conversation. The event demonstrated how three generations of stories together form a living history of the Chinese diaspora in the Netherlands — from pioneers carving out space, to children growing up between cultures, to global citizens shaping new connections.
As VNC Chair Monique noted in her closing remarks, the mission of VNC is to bring China and the Netherlands closer together and to provide a home for dialogue, understanding and shared experience. This event embodied that mission through personal stories that transcended statistics and politics, reminding everyone that migration is ultimately about people, choices and belonging.
