Religion and ethnicity: Dutch immigration and the first Christian Reformed Church of Victoria, British Columbia, 1952-1961
Date
1999
Authors
Ruitenbeek-Ott, Laura Renata
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Abstract
Examining archival sources from the period 1952-1961 and drawing on the work of immigration and ethnic historians, and sociologists, this thesis argues that Dutch immigrants of the Christian Reformed Church in Victoria emphasised the religious aspects of their ethnicity while not ignoring cultural aspects such as language and holidays. Historical surveys and interviews indicate that religion was not a factor in the decision to emigrate. Although upon arrival, many were quick to join established Christian Reformed Churches and Christian schools or formed their own. Although the rationale for replicating these familiar institutions was to express their faith rather than to create cultural enclaves, outsiders attached the label "Dutch" to these institutions. While the faith of these immigrants determined much of their interaction with wider society, any attempt to retain cultural aspects of their ethnicity would have been confined to the home.
Emphasising religious rather than cultural aspects of ethnic identity, these Dutch immigrants were willing to incorporate English into their worship services and church groups in order to promote evangelism and to ensure that the children would remain in the church. The Christian school they founded was open to members of all denominations because they believed that Christian education was more important than preserving Dutch culture. Religion served as a resource for these immigrants, providing a sense of community, economic assistance and a range of social activities. Despite these struggles with their identities as Christians and Dutch people in a new country, these immigrants desired to become Canadian and were able to do so while retaining their religion.