Investigating the South Moluccan District in Maastricht, the Netherlands

8/14/2019 Investigating the South Moluccan District in Maastricht, the Netherlands

1/29

Firas A.Extended Essay

Abstract

This essay focuses on an investigation of the main socio-economic characteristics of the south

Moluccan district in Maastricht, the Netherlands. In order to arrive at a balanced conclusion

about the socio-economic characteristics of the 1500 Moluccans living in the south Moluccan

district in Maastricht, many different factors, including the population demographics, income,

employment, education and quality of life were investigated. For this purpose questionnaires

were created and several interviews and self constructed surveys were conducted. These,

along with the secondary data collected from the administration office and government, were

evaluated throughout this essay in order to provide further valuable insights into the socio-

economic characteristics of the families living in the district. In addition the visual

environment was also investigated to give a more thorough picture of the socio-economic

characteristics of the district.

After the analysis and interpretation of the primary and secondary data, the investigation

arrived at several interesting conclusions: the district has proven to be suboptimal for large

families. This finding explained the low number of people below 18 years living in the district

(as large families had to move outside the district to avoid space problems). In addition,statistical evidence in the essay suggests a complex negative relationship between age and

education/income. Further research revealed that the reason for the exceptionally low number

of intercultural marriages within the district is a result of parents trying to keep their culture

alive by choosing a partner from the same origin, pointing towards social segregation.

Clearly, the investigation is of high value for anyone who is keen to obtaining a deeper

understanding of one of the most important minorities existing in modern Dutch society.


2/29


An investigation of the main socio-economic characteristics of

the south Moluccan district in Maastricht, the Netherlands


3/29


Table of Contents


4/29


List of Illustration

CoverPictures of the south Moluccan district in Maastricht, taken by Firas A. 1

Figure 1Moluccans location of origin and current location 5

Figure 2The locationof the Moluccan Islands within Indonesia 5

Figure 3The location of the south Moluccan district within the Netherlands 5

Figure 4The location of the south Moluccan district within Maastricht 6

Figure 5Building used as a shelter for Moluccans (Eijsden 1951-1961) 7

Figure 6

Annotated map showing the south Moluccan district 8

Figure 7Sample representing the age structure of the south Moluccan district 10

Figure 8Photograph of Moluccan church in the district and chart showing religions 11

Figure 9Showing trends in the education levels among the Moluccan population 12

Figure 10Showing the negative relationship between education and age 13

Figure 11Negative relationship between level of education and income 13

Figure 12Showing relationship between gender and level of education 14

Figure 13Employment figures from the south Moluccan district 15

Figure 14Showing figures for annual income of people living in the district 16

Figure 15Showing marital status data constructed for the Moluccan district 17

Figure 16The majority of the population dislikes intercultural marriages 18

Figure 17

Showing how many people live in one household 19

Figure 18Three children playing in front of their house in the district 20

Figure 19Nearby noise, pollution and traffic generated from a main motorway 20

Figure 20A draw back: cars park on the street (no off-street paring available) 20

Figure 21There are somegrassed spaces and a plenty of well kept trees 20

Figure 22Information about how inhabitants of the district rated their housing quality 21


5/29


4

1. Introduction

Today, approximately 40,000 Moluccans live in the Netherlands1, most of them in one of the

60 different Moluccan districts existing within the country2. The main purpose of this essay is

to investigate the main socio-economic characteristics3

of one of the 60 Moluccan districts:

the south Moluccan district in Maastricht. In order to be able to draw a balanced conclusion

about the socio-economic characteristics of the 1500 Moluccans living in the south Moluccan

district in Maastricht4, many different factors, including the population demographics,

employment, income, education and quality of life were investigated. Thus, the population

composition of this area was analysed and evaluated.

The network of maps on page 5 (figure 1 4) gives detailed information about the

Moluccans location of origin and current location. Point A in figure 1 represents the

Moluccan point of origin: the Moluccan Islands. These islands, also known as the Moluccas,

Maluku Islands or simply Maluku, are an archipelago in Indonesia, and part of the larger

Malay Archipelago. They are located on the Australian Plate, lying east of Sulawesi

(Celebes), west of New Guinea, and north of Timor.5

Figure 2 below depicts the location of

the Moluccan Islands within Indonesia, shown in green on the map.

Point B in figure 1 below represents the current whereabouts of the Moluccans under

investigation in this essay: the municipality of Maastricht, capital of the province of Limburg.

The city is situated on both sides of the Meuse River in the south-eastern part of the

Netherlands between Belgium and Germany.6

Figure 3 below depicts the location of the south

Moluccan district within the Netherlands, whereas figure 4 on page 5 indicates where exactly

the south Moluccan district is located within Maastricht, the Netherlands.

1 Source: https://www.nidi.knaw.nl:10011/en/output/2002/mvb-50-06-beets.pdf2 Source: (Leaflet) Inspraakorgaan Welzijn Molukkers, Utrecht3 Socio-economic characteristics such as age, education, marital status, employment, income and housing quality4

Source: Moetira Maloekoe Heer-Maastricht (District administration office)5 Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maluku_Islands6 Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maastricht


6/29


5

7

7 Network of maps constructed with Google Earth and Photoshop, using resources from Wikipedia

Sulawesi(formerly more

commonly

known as

Celebes),

located west of

the Islands

New Guinea,

located just eastof the Moluccan

Islands

The red spot

represents the

Moluccan

Islands and is

shown in green

in figure 2

The

Netherlands

Province

Limburg,

located in the

south-east of

the country.

Its capital is

Maastricht.


7/29


6

Figure 4

Figure 4Red arrow showing the location of the south Moluccan district within Maastricht8

After the Dutch East Indies were decolonized, the Moluccan native soldiers of the Dutch

colonial army, the Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger (KNIL), found themselves in an

awkward situation. Since they were a force that helped the Dutch control the Indies and even

fought for the Dutch and against the new independent Indonesia, the Moluccan KNIL soldiers

were considered as traitors by the majority of the Indonesian population. In 1951 when violent

conflicts seemed to escalate, the Dutch government decided to transfer the last 12,500

Moluccan KNIL soldiers with their families to the Netherlands.

The Dutch government promised these ex-soldiers and their families that their stay in the

Netherlands would be only temporary (3-6 months) and that they would soon be able to return

to a safe home on their independent Moluccan Islands. After the arrival of the south

Moluccans in the Netherlands, they were placed in former concentration camps like

Westerbork and camp Vught.

8 Map constructed using resources from Google Earth and Photoshop as editing tool


8/29


7

The people living in the south Moluccan district in Maastricht today were particularly placed

in Eijsden (south-eastern Netherlands, figure 5 below). During their stay in Eijsden they were

completely isolated from Dutch society, not just geographically (due to the remote nature of

the building) but also socially.

Figure 5

The building used as a shelter for Moluccans (1951-1961, southeastern Netherlands) 9

In 1960 the construction of the south Moluccan district in Maastricht (figure 6, page 8) was

finally completed and in 1961 the first south Moluccan families who had arrived in 1951

moved from their old temporary home in Eijsden to their new houses in Maastricht.

Figure 6 displays a map of the south Moluccan district in Maastricht. The map shows the

Moluccan church, the administration office and the Moluccan nursery school Taman Kanak

(offers Moluccan children entertainment and basic education). Furthermore, the households

from which the questionnaire was retrieved back successfully are marked green. Moreover,

the yellow shading indicates the houses where the interviews took place. The buildings which

are marked in red represent official buildings in the district. Details regarding the annotation

of the map are included in the key of the map.

9 Source: Moetira Maloekoe Heer-Maastricht (District administration office)


9/29


8

Placeholder for figure 6

(Map of district)


10/29


9

2. Research Methodology

As there was only very little secondary data available on the socio-economic characteristics of

the people living in the south Moluccan district, the construction of a questionnaire, consisting

of 12 key questions, was a convenient way to obtain valuable insights into the socio-economic

characteristics of the south Moluccan district in Maastricht. The next step was to seek

permission for the research activities from the district administrator. After a short period of

time, broad support for this research was expressed and pilot exercises were conducted to test

questionnaires and audiovisual equipment. The final version of the questionnaire was

distributed in Dutch and Indonesian to accommodate possible language problems, particularly

among the older residents. The process of distributing the questionnaires took one week, as

they were only handed out personally. This way of distributing and collecting thequestionnaires initially seemed time consuming, but it has proven to be highly productive.

During the process of handing out and collecting questionnaires, opportunities for informative

conversations could be optimally used, as the majority of the people was very kind and open-

minded. Each household that could be reached received one questionnaire in the requested

language and was given one week to fill it in. Getting in touch with the administrative head,

Mr. Lewerissa, and the minister of the church of the Moluccan district was another way to use

the time in between efficiently to obtain further insights. After more than five extended

meetings with Mr. Lewerissa, concerns about getting enough background information were

eliminated. One week later 30 out of 40 questionnaires were retrieved successfully, reflecting

earlier expectations about a low response rate. However, due to the relatively small Moluccan

population, 30 questionnaires were found to be sufficient for conducting valid statistical

analysis. The 30 questioned households will serve as a sample throughout this essay,

representing the population of the south Moluccan district. The obtained data served as a basis

for the creation of a variety of graphs and statistical tables. They will be, along with the

secondary data collected from the administration office and government, evaluated throughout

this essay in order to provide further valuable insights into the socio- economic characteristics

of the 116 families10

living in the south Moluccan district in Maastricht. A questionnaire,

filled in by a Moluccan person, is included and can be found in the appendix (page 26) of this

essay. While the questionnaire was distributed, one aim was to cover both genders equally, as

this would ensure a balanced analysis and would give the opportunity to make comparisons

between both genders concerning their socio-economic characteristics.

10 Source: Moetira Maloekoe Heer-Maastricht (District administration office)


11/29


10

3.Presentation, analysis and interpretation of the data

The first part of the questionnaire focuses on the age structure of the people living in the south

Moluccan district in Maastricht. After analyzing the questionnaires, it became evident that the

age group 35-65 years accounts with 73.30% for the largest part of the population. Looking

for an explanation for this anomaly, the reason was found in the past: in 1961, when the

Moluccan families moved from their temporary home in Eijsden to their new homes in the

south Moluccan district in Maastricht, parents felt more (economically) secure which resulted

in a significant increase in the birthrates among the population. In addition, the post World

War II baby boom resulted in generally high birthrates in the Netherlands, which further

contributed to the increase in birth rates within the district. The population pyramid of

Moluccans living in the Netherlands provides necessary evidence and can be found in theappendix (page 28).

Figure 7

0,00%

10,00%

20,00%

30,00%

40,00%

50,00%

60,00%

70,00%

80,00%

Percentage of

Population

Age Group

Age

Percentage of Population 3,30% 6,70% 73,30% 16,70%

Below 18 18-35 35-65 Above 65

Figure 7Sample representing the age structure of the south Moluccan district

Since the south Moluccans arrived in 1951 in the Netherlands, the percentage of people above

65 years started to decrease at an increasing rate. The age group 65+ now accounts for only

16.70% of the overall population. The high mortality rate associated with the age group 65+

can be explained by considering the fact that most of the people within this age group are

approaching the age of 80+.


12/29


11

Further examination of the houses within the south Moluccan district has shown that the

houses, having only four bedrooms, are not optimal for sustaining larger families. Therefore,

families with many children had to move outside the south Moluccan district. This might

explain the low percentage of people below 18 and between 18-35 years within the Moluccan

district. Today 178 Moluccan families11

live outside the south Moluccan district, but still

within Maastricht.

The next part of the socio-economic investigation focuses on finding out more about the

religious characteristics of the south Moluccan population in Maastricht. The survey revealed

that almost all respondents were of Protestant faith. Further secondary research has shown

that there is a connection between the past activities of the Dutch colony in Indonesia and

religion dominating in the south Moluccan district today. The Dutch colony actively

contributed to the spreading of the Protestant faith among the native soldiers of the Dutch

colonial army (KNIL). All the Moluccans entering the KNIL accepted the Protestant faith and

passed it on to their children. This is one reason why today the Protestant belief clearly

dominates among the population of the south Moluccan district in Maastricht.12

Figure 8

Religion

97%

3%

Protestant

Atheist

Figure 8

Photograph of Moluccan church in the district and chart showing religions

11 Source: Interview with Mr. Lewerissa (district administrator)12 Source: https://www.nidi.knaw.nl:10011/en/output/2002/mvb-50-06-beets.pdf/mvb-50-06-beets.pdf


13/29


12

Point four in the questionnaire primarily deals with the educational aspects of the district. As

evident in figure 9, the majority of the population has basic education13

.

Analyzing the results shown in figure 9 below with respect to age resulted in an interesting

discovery: a negative relationship exists between educational level and age. In fact, people

who reported to have no (completed) education belong without exception to the age group

65+. Their descendants who represent the second generation show a slightly higher level of

education, as the majority of them has obtained basic education (as defined above). The

trend continues: most of the people who belong to the third generation have middle

education14

and therefore show a higher educational level than their fathers and grandfathers.

Finally, the fourth and youngest generation within the south Moluccan district shows the

highest level of education, as the majority of them has a high level15

of education. Reasons

for the existence of a negative relationship between age and level of education will be

investigated in the following paragraphs.

Figure 9

5

15

6

4

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Number of People

No education

Basic Education

Middle Education

Higher Education

EducationalLevel

Education

Figure 9Showing trends in the education levels among the south Moluccan population

13 Basic education defined as lower/preparatory vocational education or junior general secondary education (in

the Netherlands known as VBO/LBO or MAVO)14

Middle education defined as secondary vocational education, senior general secondary education (MBO,

HAVO)15 Higher education defined as senior or university preparatory education (VWO)


14/29


13

One reason for the negative correlation between age and level of education (shown in the

graph below) could be the role that parents play in the education of their children.

Figure 10

Figure 10 Showing the negative relationship between education and age

The second generation of south Moluccans living in the south Moluccan district in Maastricht

had parents who just spoke a few words ofDutch. The lack of the parents education affected

their children negatively, resulting in them having only basic education. As the education

level of the first generation was exceptionally low, they were not able to support their children

(second generation) in the educational area, resulting in the above mentioned outcome. Nor

were they able to afford private tuition or higher education for their children, since there isalso a negative relationship between level of education and income. A low level of education

in the first generation leads to a low level of income among first generation. This in turn

allowed the children of the second generation to have an only slightly higher level of

education. The slightly higher level of education resulted in a slightly higher level of income

which in turn brought about an even higher level of the childrens level of education in the

third generation. Over the generations the educational and hence economic conditions

improved. Cleary, throughout the past decades, language barriers and other educationalobstacles have largely diminished, with young Moluccans in the south Moluccan district

being able to fully integrate themselves into Dutch society. Figure 11 represents a theoretical

model explaining the relationship between education and income.

Figure11


15/29


14

The next graph deals with the relationship between gender and education, and was created

combining two different sets of data from the questionnaire. It becomes evident that there is a

fairly balanced relationship between gender and education. However, it is worth pointing out

that generation by generation the degree of inequality in education between males and females

decreases.

It is realistic to assume that the level of integration plays a role in this case. The more

integrated the less inequality. The fourth generation (the green part of the column) can be

considered to be fully integrated into Dutch society and therefore shows perfect equality

between males and females in the level of education. Interviews with youngsters from the

fourth generation showed that some of them feel themselves Dutch to certain extent.

Figure 12

6,70%

26,70%

10%

6,70%

10%

24,30%

9%

6,70%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%80%

90%

100%

Percentage of

Population

Male Female

Gender

Gender/Education Relation

Higher Education

Middle Education

Basic Education

No education

Figure 12Showing relationship between gender and level of education


16/29


15

Figure 13 below shows that there is a relatively high percentage of unemployment in the south

Moluccan district in Maastricht. 33 percent of unemployed Moluccans are primarily 35-65

years old. During talks with people from this age group, it became obvious that most of them

still face problems finding a job due to their low level of education. Only very few people

reported that finding a job is challenging due to ethnic differences such as skin color.

However, as the level of education has proven to be higher among younger Moluccans, the

percentage of unemployed Moluccans might decrease considerably in the near future. Thus

Moluccan youngsters, having a higher level of education than their parents, might face fewer

problems finding a job.

Figure 13

Employment Figures

50%

33%

17%

Employed

UnemployedRetired

Figure 13Employment figures from the south Moluccan district

The majority of the employed 50 percent are blue-collar workers (e.g. working in the building

construction sector or as car mechanic). This is normal, considering their low level of

education. Blue-collar jobs are generally declining in the area whereas more highly skilled

people are demanded by the labor market. Their low level of education and high age makes

many of them inflexible and therefore eliminates retraining as a possibility.


17/29


16

A further important socio-economic aspect is income. Figure 14 below was constructed using

analyzed data from the questionnaire. With 43 percent of the population earning less than

10.000 annually, the majority has a comparatively low level of income. This is attributable

to the widespread low level of education among the people representing the current

workforce.

With 37 percent of the population earning 10.000 30.000 annually, the lower middle

income group within the south Moluccan district in Maastricht seems to be considerably

small. Only 20 percent of the people earn 30.000-60.000 annually.

Figure 14

Annual Income in

13; 43%

11; 37%

6; 20%

0; 0%

0; 0%Less than 10,000

10,000 to 30,000

30,000 to 60,00075,000 to 100,000

More than 100,000

Figure 14Showing figures for annual income of people living in the district

People earning more than 60.000 annually were not found, and are therefore very rare or do

not exist within the south Moluccan district in Maastricht. The reason for this might not just

be related to the general low level of education (and therefore income), but also to the fact

that families with higher incomes probably moved out of the district, as they are able to afford

better housing.


18/29


17

Following a specific plan in order to cover as many socio-economic characteristics as

possible, the marital status was the next social characteristic to investigate. As research has

shown, 50 percent of the population living in the south Moluccan district is married. A

possible reason for this strong tendency towards marriage was found while comparing marital

status figures created for the south Moluccan district in Maastricht with the data available for

Indonesia. Marriage is generally favored and encouraged in Indonesia. The same mindset was

observed in the south Moluccan district in Maastricht. During interviews with people living in

the south Moluccan district in Maastricht, it became evident that indeed most of the people

have a very positive attitude towards marriage. Furthermore, in Indonesia, parents strongly

favor the marriage of their children, as it is considered to be a very important part of their

social lives. The same could be observed among parents living in the south Moluccan district

in Maastricht. Thus, it is safe to assume that the marriage pattern in the south Moluccan

district today has its roots in the original culture and tradition of the south Moluccans. The

tradition obviously has been maintained throughout the years of the stay of the Moluccans in

the Netherlands.

Figure 15

13,30%

16,70% 16,70%

50%

3,30%

0%

0,00%

5,00%

10,00%

15,00%

20,00%

25,00%

30,00%

35,00%

40,00%

45,00%

50,00%

Percentage of

Population

Single Divorced Widowed Married Partnership Other

Martial Status

Marital Status

Figure 15 Showing marital status data constructed for the south Moluccan district Maastricht

Interestingly, most of the 16.70 percent of divorced men and women were not married to a

Moluccan person, but to someone from a different ethnical background. Thus, intercultural

marriages seem to be less successful, as cultural or religious differences tend to result in

fundamental problems. However, it is not the intention to generalize this observation.


19/29


18

Figure 16 below indicates that the Moluccans generally prefer to be partnered with a person

from the same origin. With 21 out of 23 couples, being married to another Moluccan person,

the phenomenon seems clear. Before starting this particular investigation, different

expectations were drawn. More intercultural marriages were expected, as a result of high

integration and the long passage of time since migration.

After several interviews with married Moluccans from the south Moluccan district, asking for

reasons for their avoidance to marry a person with a different cultural background, it became

clear that many Moluccans see the marriage with someone of the same origin as the only way

to preserve and pass along their own culture.

Figure 16

0

5

10

15

20

25

Number of People

Partnered with a Mollucan person?

People chosen this 6 21 0 2 0 1

Not

Married

Yes,

Moluccan

Other

IndonesianLimburg

Other

Dutch

Other

Nationality

Figure 16

Showing that the majority of the population dislikes intercultural marriages

However, it is very likely that the number of intercultural marriages is significantly higher

among Moluccan living outside this district. Outside the Moluccan district, the degree of

integration might be higher and the living in the same environment as other Dutch might

result in more intercultural marriages. It is remarkable that, the two people who reported their

partner to be from the Province of Limburg, also reported that they have been living less than

5 years in the south Moluccan district in Maastricht. Thus, intercultural marriages are more

likely to occur outside the Moluccan district, and are not necessarily rare.


20/29


19

The next aim was to find out how many people live in one household, and whether there is

overcrowding or if there are any associated space problems. This is another way to measure

their standard of living and gain more information about their socio-economic characteristics.

In figure 17 below, it is evident that only 17 percent can possibly be suffering from an

overcrowded household. After examining the inside of several houses as part of the

environmental assessment report, it became evident that the houses are not able to sustain

larger families. This left large families with no other option than moving outside the south

Moluccan district, in order to avoid overcrowding and space problems. In turn, this is likely to

have led to the current low percentage of households with more than four people within the

district.

Figure 17

Number of people in household

1 Person

13%

2 People

33%3-4 People

37%

4+ People

17%

Figure 17

Showing how many people live in one household

As shown in figure 17 above, in 13 percent of the households a person (usually over 65 years)

lives alone. Two people live in 33 percent of the households, followed 3-4 people living in 37

percent of the households. Until this point, there is a positive relationship between number of

people in household and percentage. The percentage of households almost decreases by 50

percent as the number of people in household changes from 3-4 to 4+ people. This again,

might be due to the above mentioned reason, where large families move outside the district to

avoid overcrowding in their own household.


21/29


20

The picture (figure 18 below) shows three Moluccan children playing with bow and arrow on

the sidewalk. The houses in the background are typical examples of houses in the Moluccan

district. They have a tiny front garden and a small garden. Both are mostly poorly fenced and

overgrown. Many children were seen playing on the street, in front of their houses. However,

as there is only residential traffic, it does not depict a potential threat to the safety of the

children.

Figure 18 Figure 19

Figure 18Three children playing in front of their house. Figure 19Nearby noise, pollution and traffic.

On the other hand the nearby main motorway (fig. 19) does represent a potential threat to the

safety of the children. In some areas of the district, the fence protecting children from the

motorway is broken and has not been repaired. The motorway causes some noise, but normal

speech within the district is still possible. However, signs of pollution are evident: walls and

buildings show some staining. It probably would have been worse without the high number of

mature trees in the area. The trees seem to be well kept and there are plentiful grassed spaces

(fig. 21).The absence of off-street parking can be considered to be another draw back (fig. 20)

Figure 20 Figure 21

Fig. 20 - A draw back: cars park on the street. Fig. 21 Plentiful grassed spaces, well kept trees

Tiny,

over-grown,

front

garden

No play-

groundfor

children

Numerou

s trucks

pass by,

causing

noise and

pollution

Congest-ion

occurs at

least two

times a

day

Housesare built

right next

to each

other

No off-

street

parking

Trees seemto be well

kept

District

containsplentiful

grassed

spaces

Fence to

motorwayis damaged

at some

places


22/29


21

Figure 22 below displays how inhabitants of the south Moluccan district in Maastricht rated

their housing quality.

The majority of the people rated their housing quality with 6/10 and 7/10. This indicates that

there is room for improvement of the housing quality within the district. However, the 6

people who rated their housing quality remarkably high with 9/10 and 10/10, were primarily

people who also reported to live alone, or only in couples. On the other hand, people who

rated their housing quality remarkably low were people with 4+ people in the household.

Figure 22

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Number of People

Rating System: 1 (Very Poor) to 10 (Excellent)

How would you rate the housing quality?

People chosen this rating 0 1 0 1 1 12 8 0 3 3

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Figure 22

Giving information about how inhabitants of the district rated their housing quality

Thus, it is safe to assume that households with 4+ people are less satisfied with the housing

quality than households with 1-2 people. This can be explained by considering the negative

relationship between the number of people in a household and available space for each

person. As more people live in one household, less space is available for each individual

person (sometimes even leading to less privacy). This results in less overall satisfaction in the

housing quality, and explains the results shown in figure 18 above.


23/29


22

4. Conclusion

The essay has revealed the major socio-economic characteristics of the south Moluccan

district in Maastricht. It became evident that the district is suboptimal for large families,

which explained the low number of people below 18. However, after further investigating the

demographics of the district, it became evident that the age group 35-65 years accounts for an

exceptionally high percentage (73.30%) of the overall population. Reasons for this anomaly

were found by considering the past of the Moluccans in the Netherlands and the effects of the

post world war II baby boom. Furthermore, the low level of income among early generations

can be explained by their low educational levelwhereas a negative relationship between age

and level of education/income was discovered (the older the person the lower the level of

education and thus income). Moreover, the low rate of intercultural marriages has proven to

be the result of an attempt (by parents) to preserve and pass along Moluccan culture,

unconsciously pointing towards traits of social segregation. Furthermore, investigating the

relationship between gender and education has revealed that the fourth generation (which is

the youngest generation) arrived at a state of full integration and therefore shows perfect

equality between males and females in the level of education.

Finally, the survey revealed that the majority of the inhabitants of the district are of Protestant

faith. Further research has revealed a close connection between the activities of the Dutch

colony and religion dominating in the south Moluccan district today. Clearly, the statistical

analysis would have been more accurate and valid if more people would have been willing to

fill in the questionnaire. In some cases it was hard do convince people from the non-

commercial nature of the project. Furthermore, due to a limited Dutch vocabulary some

interviews did not develop properly and some questions remained unanswered.

It would be interesting to investigate the exact reason for the people living in the district.

After such a long time, one would expect the number of inhabitants of the district to decline.

Maybe this is about to happen in the near future, as it has been proven how integrated and

educated the fourth generation became. Their high educational level might bring about a

higher income, which in turn could be used to afford a more luxurious living outside the

district. The existence of the Moluccan district might become less important and indifference

towards old traditional customs might arise. Clearly, further research, with more economic

resources, needs to be conducted in order to get a more accurate picture of the development ofthe south Moluccan district in the present and future.


24/29


23

5. Bibliography/References

Books/Leaflets:

Inspraakorgaan Welzijn Molukkers, Utrecht (15/05/1980) Wie zijn ze eigenlijk? Moetiara Maloekoe, Heer-Maastricht (2001 Edition) Stichting Moetiara Maloekoe

Internet:

Ben Allen & Aart Loubert, the Hague Legal Capital (Retrieved on 06/09/2006)History and Identity: Moluccans in the Netherlands URL:

http://www.safecom.org.au/dutch-moluccans.htm

Gijs Beets, Evelien Walhout and Santo Koesoebjono (Retrieved on 04/09/2006)Demografische ontwikkeling van de Molukse bevolkingsgroep in Nederland URL:

https://www.nidi.knaw.nl:10011/en/output/2002/mvb-50-06-beets.pdf/mvb-50-06-

beets.pdf

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia under the terms of the GNU FreeDocumentation License (Retrieved on 05/09/2006) Main article on the South

Moluccas Republic URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Moluccas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under the terms of the GNU FreeDocumentation License (Retrieved on 06/09/2006) Main article on Maastricht URL:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maastricht

Interview/Information:

Information based on interviews conducted with Connies Lewerissa, Administrator ofthe south Moluccan district in Maastricht, (22-28/06/2006)

Information based on interviews conducted with arbitrary selected people (of differentage groups) living in the south Moluccan district, (15-30/08/2006).


25/29


24

6. Appendix


26/29


25

Flow chart for figure 11

Flow chart created to clarify the idea of how education can affect income


27/29


26

Placeholder for the questionnaire


28/29


27

Population pyramid from 2002

16

Population pyramid (2002) of the Moluccans living in the Netherlands, clearly indicating the baby boom

16 Source: https://www.nidi.knaw.nl:10011/en/output/2002/mvb-50-06-beets.pdf/mvb-50-06-beets.pdf


29/29


17

Documents

Investigating the South Moluccan District in Maastricht, the Netherlands