Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Well, it is true, at least how I think waviking24 meant it. I don't see how the response is merited. Pigmentation is somewhat less important, but only if it falls within a certain range when it comes to skin. And as it pertains to hair and eye color, it's even less important. Eye color could be anything. And I think most hair colors would pass tolerably well in the Netherlands (and pretty much anywhere else in Europe for the matter), except jet black hair. Facial features are really a determining factor, though.
You are joking?
Its not like this person is an Aboriginal Australian emigrating to the Netherlands so the '':rolleye s:'' is merited! : smack:
Its not like this person is an Aboriginal Australian emigrating to the Netherlands so the '':rolleye s:'' is merited! : smack:
One doesn't have to be an Australian Aboriginal to be unable to pass for Dutch. Not all whites can pass for Dutch either. I would think the Dutch are quite capable of distinguishing themselves even from other Europeans. It's not a silly thread, though the whole "I heard all Dutch are blue-eyed blondes" is misinformation. But like I said, there's just not enough to go on to say for sure. I think posting a picture would lead to a more accurate determination, but I can certainly understand why he wouldn't want to do that and wouldn't expect it. Maybe if netheramerican would like to name a famous person that he looks like, it would enable people to provide a more definitive answer, if he is not yet satisfied with the answers he's gotten so far.
There is a healthy brunette minority in the Netherlands, with brown eyes and dark hair. The frequency is higher for blond hair and blue eyes than most other countries in Europe, but statistically the most common hair color is not blond. The most common would be a medium to light brown in adulthood, with typically light eyes. The average height in the Netherlands is actually 5'11" for men age 20+ as statistically measured in 2010. The 6' 1/2" stat was for 21 and under self reported. What happened was the self reported height was such a shock that it eventually became blurred into the general population as the official average height, when in actuality it was for a very small sample age using the honor system. And as a result people made out that the Dutch were a race of giants, and so a supposed 6'1" individual is worried about appearing small. You'll likely appear above average, but only slightly among young people, and tallish among older people. Medium brown hair and brown eyes won't likely look out of place with northern or western European facial features, but if you look Balkan or Turkish you will still fit in. The Netherlands like other countries in Europe is now a country of immigrants.
You have never been to the netherlands.. IF average was really 5'11 in the netherlands they wouldnt look noticeably taller than other europeans (even scandinavians included). Another white american who has a master degree europe and how europeans think or act... because he bought a cheap encyclopedia. And hair color is varies like everywhere.. but I bet its lighter than just brown hair.. Belgians are mostly lightbrownhairded, my fiance is belgian.. and everytime she went to the netherlands she joked about the average height brown haired dutch speaking being pushed to the belgian border.. and the tall blondes were stacked at the dutch one... The difference between the looks of dutch and belgians is noticeable.
SO there is no statically... 6'1 is average in holland.. and if you take young ethnic dutch people the average is even higher, as in every country older generations bring the average down. 5'11 is average height for most europeans, specially central-eastern european men. Southern europeans are shorter though.
You are only 1.85 and light brown hair, who cares ? You just started learning Dutch and chances are you will always speak it with an accent. Don't worry nobody will mistake you for a Dutch native.
I'm quite curious why you are so concerned on physical characteristics?
My guess is that any caucausian American can pass as Dutch in the Netherlands, based on physical characteristics. It's the way you dress and behave that sets you apart from the majority. In another thread i saw, you will be working in Amsterdam. Note that the inhabitants of Amsterdam consists of 180 different nationalities. In addition, about 15 million tourist visit Amsterdam anually. Even if you are Dutch and match the stereotypes, hardly anyone will notice it.
Actually, it seems that many Dutch are able to discern at a glance whether someone is "Dutch" or not, vs. Brit, American, Scandinavian, or Slavic. To some extent, anyway. A couple of friends of mine who have Dutch heritage on one side of the family say that when in Holland, the locals immediately identify them as their own. They can see the characteristics in the face. Which is interesting, because one of those friends shows more of her Finnish/northern Swedish heritage in her appearance, than Dutch, IMO. But I guess I just don't see the Dutch side.
I don't think so. You can tell Dutch apart, but by their gestuality, their tumultuous language, their hotfordammer every 20 seconds, etc. There are many Dutch, I know some of them, that are mixed with other people such as Surinamese, Jews, Indonesian and people from their former empire and they are locals. Holland was a commercial empire that invented capitalism, so their cities were/are cosmopolitan. They were open and friendly people since the days when they received Caesar warmly and received warmly all the Jews expelled from Spain, their richness and Spain's poorness. Ethnical Dutch are indeed different, that is why they are called cheese heads, and they are very different from Germans.
They have this "communal" thing that some Europeans consider "common", they invented bourgeoisie and they are the epitome of a merchant devoid of all the prejudices and idiocies of other countries, that why they are sometimes considered vulgar, they are not.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
response is merited. Pigmentation is somewhat less important, but only if it falls within a certain range when it comes to skin. And as it pertains to hair and eye color, it's even less important. Eye color could be anything. And I think most hair colors would pass tolerably well in the Netherlands (and pretty much anywhere else in Europe for the matter), except jet black hair. Facial features are really a determining factor, though.
;0
