The 2022 Annual Johannes Van Tilburg Lecture in Dutch Studies by Nadia Bouras, Assistant Professor, History, Leiden University

This talk reviewed the various features of Moroccan migration to the Netherlands from a historical perspective and reflected on the moral panic that surrounds the growing cultural and religious diversity in the Netherlands.

The 2022 edition of the Johannes Van Tilburg Lecture in Dutch Studies took place via a Zoom webinar on Thursday, February 24, 2022.

The lecture was made possible by a generous gift in 2005 from Johannes and Jo Anne Van Tilburg to the Dutch studies program at UCLA, for the establishment in perpetuity of the annual Johannes Van Tilburg Lecture in Dutch Studies. Organized by Center for European and Russian Studies, the event was co-sponsored by Center for Near Eastern Studies, Center for Study of International Migration, and Moroccan Jewish Studies Program at UCLA.

If you were not able to join us live, you are welcome to watch the recording of the lecture here on our website or on our YouTube channel.

Abstract

Moroccan migration to the Netherlands started in the beginning of the 1960s because of rapid post-war economic growth and an increasing shortage of unskilled laborers. In 1969, the Dutch government formalized recruitment practices by signing an agreement with the Moroccan state. This treaty marked the beginning of the official migration to the Netherlands. Today, with over 400,000 Moroccans in the Netherlands (with a total population of over 17 million), Moroccans form the country’s second-largest minority. Yet, despite a presence of over fifty years, Moroccans find themselves at the center of heated public and political debates.

This talk reviews the various features of Moroccan migration to the Netherlands from a historical perspective and reflects on the moral panic that surrounds the growing cultural and religious diversity in the Netherlands.

About the Speaker

Nadia Bouras is a historian, the author of three books and an expert on Moroccan migration history. She earned a Ph.D. in History at Leiden University , where she currently works as an Assistant Professor in social and migration history. She is affiliated to NIMAR, the Dutch Scientific Institute in Rabat (Morocco). Her research focuses on Moroccan (migration) history. As a public historian with an active presence on Twitter (@NadiaBouras), Dr. Bouras is engaged in a wide array of scholarly and social topics, from racism and islamophobia to feminism and inclusion. Dr. Bouras is born and raised in Amsterdam, where she now resides with her partner and two daughters.

About the Van Tilburg Lectures

In 2005, Johannes Van Tilburg and his wife, Jo Anne, gave the Dutch Studies Program at UCLA a remarkablygenerous gift to establish in perpetuity the Johannes Van Tilburg Lecture in Dutch Studies. Mr. Van Tilburg came to the USA from The Netherlands in 1965. In 1971, he became the founding principal of Van Tilburg, Banvard & Soderbergh, AIA and has led this 100 person firm to the forefront of planning and design. His work as a designer is widely recognized throughout the state and indeed the entire country. In 1992, he was honored by his peers and elevated to the level of Fellow of the American Institution of Architects. In 2007, Johannes Van Tilburg was honored by the Netherlands America Foundation of Southern California. Mr. Van Tilburg is deeply committed to education and continues to work as an adjunct Professor in the School of Policy, Planning, and Development at USC. In 2010, Mr. Van Tilburg was appointed Honorary Consul of The Netherlands in Los Angeles.

 Download Podcast

Duration: 01:33:44