Robert Bandanza
September 4th, 2006, 02:53 PM
Call for ban on use of term 'allochtoon'
4 September 2006
AMSTERDAM — The term 'allochtoon' (immigrant, alien or foreigner) should no longer be used within Amsterdam City Council, according to the local branch of the Labour Party (PvdA).
Manon van der Garde, leader of the PvdA on the Council, said the term is no longer relevant. She said it is important groups are designated more specifically.
Scrapping the use of the term 'allochtoon' would also help combat 'us and them' thinking, she said. "We must avoid using the phrase 'allochtoon as opposed to autochtoon (native Dutch person)'," Van der Garde said.
The PvdA is to raise the issue at a meeting of the City Council on Wednesday when the party is due to present its
programme 'Wij Amsterdammers II' (We Amsterdammmers II). She said she did not know if a majority on the Council would support her plan.
Every few years, and particularly around election time, the idea of dropping the term allochtoon is raised. But the term appears to be deeply embedded in the Dutch mindset as to date it has beaten off all attempts to consign it to history.
Separately on Monday, right-wing MP Geert Wilders of the Party of Freedom (PVV) suggested that non-western allochtonen, who are not yet Dutch citizens, should have to sign an assimilation contract with the government.
The contract would indicate that the newcomer shares the "dominant" norms and values in the Netherlands. If the applicant refuses to sign, he or she should be expelled, Wilders said.
[Copyright Expatica News 2006]
Subject: Dutch news
http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=1&story_id=32783&name=Call+for+ban+on+use+of+term+%27allochtoon%27
4 September 2006
AMSTERDAM — The term 'allochtoon' (immigrant, alien or foreigner) should no longer be used within Amsterdam City Council, according to the local branch of the Labour Party (PvdA).
Manon van der Garde, leader of the PvdA on the Council, said the term is no longer relevant. She said it is important groups are designated more specifically.
Scrapping the use of the term 'allochtoon' would also help combat 'us and them' thinking, she said. "We must avoid using the phrase 'allochtoon as opposed to autochtoon (native Dutch person)'," Van der Garde said.
The PvdA is to raise the issue at a meeting of the City Council on Wednesday when the party is due to present its
programme 'Wij Amsterdammers II' (We Amsterdammmers II). She said she did not know if a majority on the Council would support her plan.
Every few years, and particularly around election time, the idea of dropping the term allochtoon is raised. But the term appears to be deeply embedded in the Dutch mindset as to date it has beaten off all attempts to consign it to history.
Separately on Monday, right-wing MP Geert Wilders of the Party of Freedom (PVV) suggested that non-western allochtonen, who are not yet Dutch citizens, should have to sign an assimilation contract with the government.
The contract would indicate that the newcomer shares the "dominant" norms and values in the Netherlands. If the applicant refuses to sign, he or she should be expelled, Wilders said.
[Copyright Expatica News 2006]
Subject: Dutch news
http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=1&story_id=32783&name=Call+for+ban+on+use+of+term+%27allochtoon%27