Even Santa's Friend Si Piet Hitam Is Linked To The History Of Racism

Photo illustration of Piet Hitam (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - A leader of the civil rights movement in the United States (US), Jesse Jackson has written a letter to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte asking him to end using the character of Santa's assistant, Piet Hitam for any event.

On Thursday, June 18, Jackson said the character he used to attend at Christmas was a legacy of colonial-era racism. Launching Reuters, Jackson raised the Black Piet issue because it was triggered by the momentum of the anti-racism movement that spread throughout the world, including the Netherlands. The debate about the 'preservation' of Black Piet spread throughout the Netherlands.

"I am writing this letter to urge you to pay attention to your conscience and do what you believe and is right," Jackson wrote to Rutte in a letter sent through the Dutch Embassy in Washington which was received in The Hague.

“The Black Piet is inseparable from the tradition of black faces which is very offensive in the United States. The 5 December Piet Hitam tradition is seen as a relic of the colonial era. I believe that with your leadership, the kind Dutch people will respond positively to banning the offensive and racist Black Piet, for good. The whole world is watching, "he added.

In the Dutch tradition, Black Piet is depicted by a white person with the appearance of full black face paint and wearing a curly wig and red lipstick. In tradition, he is present every December 5, helping Santa Claus bring gifts to children.

Other groups continue to support Piet Hitam's existence. Support is based on the theory that Piet's black color comes from the chimney, not racism.

However, Rutte himself had said in 2013 that Black Piet actually came from black skin. So, he couldn't do much about it.

But recently, he said his view of Black Piet began to change. In addition, Rutte has met people, including children, who have expressed their hearts about Black Piet.

"I feel very discriminated against saying Piet is black," he said. "I hope that in a few years there will be no more Black Piet."