Controversy

This is a short fiction story about an interracial couple who encounter the traditional Dutch Christmas character, Zwarte Piet or Black Pete, who is St. Nick's menial helper, on their vacation to the Netherlands; who experience a racist incident; and who find themselves in the middle of the current controversy on Black Pete. Is this simply a fun and harmless character, or a racist representation of black people based upon the Dutch history of empire expansion and the slave trade, and views similar to that in the United States during the 19th and early 20th centuries as demonstrated by the minstrel shows. Does it perpetuate racism by teaching children from an early age that this character is okay and representative of black people. You be the judge.