PhD | Understanding Dutch Heritage from the Perspective of East Asian Immigrants

PhD-candidate | Paul Hung
Institution: University of Amsterdam, ASCA
Supervisors: Prof. Kati Röttger and Dr David Duindam

This study investigates what happens when East Asian immigrants encounter Dutch cultural heritage. Lacking shared history with the Netherlands, East Asian immigrants as minorities live in an alien environment and see Dutch heritage differently from locals, tourists, and refugees. Therefore, I wonder how they interact with Dutch heritage over time and whether this experience affects their self-constitution and engagement in the host country.

The project adopts a hermeneutic approach and collects empirical material from interviews. Its purpose is twofold. On the one hand, it aims to fill in the absence of immigrants’ viewpoints in heritage studies and fully grasp the interpretation and agency of the immigrants toward Dutch heritage. On the other hand, it attempts to challenge the limited imagination of “heritage” dominated by nationalism and make heritage an open topic and platform for different ethnic groups.