Ragna Indra Heidweiller

In the heated debate on migration, hardly any attention goes to how migration and colonialism have shaped the Netherlands.

That is why she wrote the book ‘We Are Here Because of You’. In this rich, narrative-driven book, author Ragna Indra Heidweiller traces her family history. From India via Suriname – where Hindustani contract workers continued to labour on the plantations after the abolition of slavery – to the Netherlands. And she shows what it costs us when these stories are not told.

Ragna Indra Heidweiller writes for De Correspondent on identity, inclusion and relationships. Her previous publications include ‘In for better or worse, but only if you do the washing-up’ (2021) and ‘Workbook for the ideal division of roles’ (2023).