Photo by wirestock
The life of overseas Filipinos is a story of two homes, and, specifically, for those in the Netherlands, it is a journey of building a new life among cold winds and colder waters while keeping the heart in the Philippines.
Chasing Windmills by Maya Butalid gives us an authentic look into this world, showing the life of overseas Filipinos in the Netherlands—the hard work, the joy, the sadness, and the search for identity.
This is the story of modern-day heroes far, far away from their tropical home.
Starting a New Life for Overseas Filipinos
For many Filipinos, moving to the Netherlands will be a significant change: the weather is cold, the language is strange, and the culture is different. Everything you have grown accustomed to will be upended.
Maya describes her first panic when she could not understand a train announcement.
“The feeling of panic and helplessness lingered for a while. It was such an awful feeling, I never wanted to feel that way again. Never again! It made me realize how important it was to learn the Dutch language.”
Learning Dutch is often the first challenge. And that is because if you’re moving to a new country, language is the key to everything—finding a job, helping children in school, and making friends.
As such, Maya worked hard, studying every day, to pass her exams.
She says mastering the language is “liberating” because it helps her become a part of society.
But, of course, it wasn’t easy.
This is where the life of overseas Filipinos starts.
Photo by vwalakte
The Challenges of Overseas Filipino Workers
The challenges for overseas Filipino workersare manifold and varied.
For some, like Maya, the move was due to political factors, while for many others, it is for economic reasons—to support family back home.
Either way, loneliness and the pain of being away come a-plenty.
Although it wasn’t the case for Maya herself, a complex obstacle that many overseas Filipinos face is long-distance parenting. When you leave a family behind, especially young children, it is easy and common for overseas parents to miss important milestones, school events, and opportunities for bonding.
The only recourse they can make, to try and salvage the memories missed, is through sending money and balikbayan boxes full of gifts, clothes, and food.
These boxes are symbols of love and sacrifice, physical connections to children growing up thousands of miles away.
Emotional distance is a heavy burden in the lives of overseas Filipinos.
Being Modern-Day Heroes
In the Philippines, overseas workers are “modern-day heroes” who send billions of dollars back home every year. This money builds houses, pays for education, and supports entire families.
It is their sacrifice that keeps the Philippine economy strong.
But in the Netherlands, overseas Filipinos and other immigrants are often seen differently. Maya takes note of the Dutch word allochtoon that had described her once: a person who came from a non-Western country. While it seldom reached violence or the like, sometimes, people looked down on allochtonen, thinking that they are not welcome to the Netherlands and that they are more or less subservient and inferior due to having been born somewhere else.
Because of this, Maya felt she had to “prove herself.” She writes about a colleague who thought she managed to acquire a job just because she was Filipino (this is, of course, absurd, as if being Filipino guaranteed anyone anything).
This fight for respect is a quiet battle in overseas life.
A Home Away From Home
Despite the many challenges they face, Filipinos have built a rich community away from home, having solidarity with one another, celebrating holidays like Christmas and Flores de Mayo, and sharing food with one another.
Maya found that joining Filipino groups actually helped her fit into Dutch society.
“[M]embership in Filipino organizations provides a secure base from which overseas Filipinos could establish relationships with the host culture.”
Aside from preserving their own cultures, overseas Filipinos also like to blend them with the cultures of their own home: at home, Maya’s family speaks Cebuano and eats Filipino food. But outside, they speak Dutch, follow Dutch rules, and join Dutch activities. As such, her children grew up with both worlds.
Maya’s daughter once asked her if she was Filipino or Dutch, to which she answered that she was both and was “lucky to be ‘two’.”
This mixed identity, this mingling of two worlds, is a special part of the OFW Pinoy diaspora experience.
Photo by Kireyonok_Yuliya
The Pain of the Split and Finding New Purpose
Maya’s story in the Netherlands began from a deep personal split: she was part of a political movement fighting the Marcos dictatorship in the Philippines.
But in 1993, her group split from the main movement.
Suddenly, she had lost her income and her life’s work.
“The split meant that the monthly allowance that we received from the movement was suddenly cut off.”
This was a very low point for her and her husband as they had to borrow money to feed their family.
Yet, it also forced her to start a new chapter in her life.
She found herself a regular job in the Netherlands, working to help other migrant mothers. This troubled time showed her resilience, and she learned from it.
It is a decisive moment in the life of overseas Filipinos—when one dream ends, but you find the strength to build another.
The Journey of Courage
The life of overseas Filipinos in the Netherlands is a path of incredible courage: leaving your comfort zone for the hope of a better future; facing cold winters and lonely days, working hard to learn a new perspective and new ways of doing things.
It is the pain of long-distance parenting and missing loved ones, and it’s also the joy of building a community and raising children who are proud of two cultures.
Maya Butalid’s book, Chasing Windmills, captures this beautiful, complicated journey perfectly.
Discover the whole, inspiring journey. Read her personal account of resilience and heart in Chasing Windmills.
