Brandon Twp.- When Anita Bakker accompanied her youngest son to his first day at a new school eight years ago, she thought she was in a third world country.
In reality, she was in Oakland County.
‘When the kids wouldn’t do what they were supposed to, the teachers turned the lights off and had them put their heads down,? Bakker recalls. ‘To us, it was a weird way of teaching.?
Bakker, her husband Emile, and sons Dean and Chass were new residents of the United States, having just arrived from the Netherlands. The differences in education between the two countries were just the beginning of culture shock for the Bakkers.
Anita Bakker, now 47 and a Brandon resident, had no desire to move from Holland (which refers to the one-third of the Netherlands that is below sea level). She was born in Kockengen, grew up there and worked in Amsterdam. She married Emile and for seven years they lived in an apartment above a bakery. They wanted to buy a home, but in Holland, houses are expensive and difficult to obtain because there are so many people. (The Netherlands has a population of about 17 million people in an area that is 41,526 square kilometers, or twice the size of New Jersey. It is one of the most densely populated countries in the world).
Emile Bakker, an automotive designer, had always wanted to live and work in Canada, and he and Anita moved there in 1988 after he took a job with Chrysler. Their sons were born in Canada and after three years, Emile was offered a job in Germany. They returned to Holland, wanting their children to grow up where they did and learning the language. They stayed in Gulpen in the south of Holland for seven years, but Emile was unhappy with his job. They settled in Brandon Township in June 1998, thinking Emile would have an abundance of choices in his career and could change jobs easily. They would find that work conditions also vary greatly from their native country.
She notes that in the Netherlands, a certain number of vacation days are given per year based on age, with a minimum of 21 vacation days. There are also strict rules about the number of hours worked per week. Overall, she says, it’s 37 hours per week. Most Dutch work 40 hours per week and get paid extra in vacation days.
‘Here, you can be made to work 80 and if you switch jobs, you start over with vacation time,? says Bakker. ‘Here, it’s stupid to leave a job, you’re stuck to a company. In the Netherlands, they can’t fire you unless you do something really stupid and if they do fire you, they have to give you three months notice.?
In Holland, Bakker says there are no soup kitchens, no unemployment and no one needs to be poor. There is no tipping, or small tips are given, because service employees make a living wage. Healthcare insurance is available for everyone. She acknowledges that a drawback to it is longer waiting times, but thinks it is criminal that in America there are 45 million people without health insurance. When she first arrived, she was surprised to see milk jugs on counters of businesses where money was collected to help children with leukemia or other illnesses.
Public transportation is big in the Netherlands, with cars discouraged because there are so many people. Citizens use the bus, train, subway or bicycles to get around.
The Dutch are well-known for frugality and also for the variety of their cookies and sweets, says Bakker.
She notes that in America, the emphasis is on meat at a meal, while in Holland, the focus is on the vegetables.
She likes Europe because of the directness of the people. She believes they are more accepting of differing beliefs and opinions, open to discussion and debate.
‘When you live in a country as small as Holland, surrounded by other cultures, languages, causes, you become open to other cultures, ideas and opinions,? she said. ‘There is more interaction.?
She is surprised at the number of people she perceives to make decisions based on their religious beliefs, regarding topics such as abortion and homosexuality.
‘In the U.S., many people say things are wrong based on God and the Bible instead of talking about it,? says Bakker, who has raised her sons without religion. ‘In Holland, religion doesn’t have as big of an impact on society, on how people think and form opinions in life.?
In Holland, she misses the landscape, the historical buildings, the narrow streets, and what she calls the ‘coziness,? but she loves the space in America. She has traveled extensively in the time they have lived here, to the east coast and New England, Texas, Arizona, South Dakota, Yellowstone National Park, Colorado, Kentucky and Tennessee.
‘The nice thing about America is there is so much space, so much acreage for everyone,? says Bakker.
She also enjoys the weather, the shopping, and the generosity of Americans.
Bakker is not sure if the U.S. will remain home. They plan to stay at least the next 10 years, but may return to Holland if their sons, now 17 and 15, decide to attend university in Holland, where college tuition generally does not exceed $2,000 per year. The family has returned to Holland twice in eight years, their most recent trip this summer.
‘I will miss things from here,? says Bakker. ‘There is so much nature here. You can have more pets, too. We are so spoiled here with all the room around us. Holland is the best country in the world for seniors, but it’s easier to move when you’re young.?
The Bakkers have plenty of family in Holland and friends in France and Germany. She considers herself Dutch, but a permanent citizen in America.
‘It feels like I don’t have roots anymore,? she said. ‘It’s like you have something everywhere. It’s more the people than the place. If you move, you always remember the good things, not the bad.?
Editors note: This story is one in a multi- part series, ‘Coming to America,? and will focus on area residents from other countries.