What's it like living in the USA as a Dutchie? 🇳🇱 🇺🇸 

Are you Dutch, European, or anyone who has lived or currently living in the USA? What have your experiences been like?

A Dutchman living in the United States for 60 years though I have been back to the Netherlands numerous times and lived in Amsterdam in the 1970s. I have made the same observations, and totally agree with most everything this gentleman has said. The only disagreement I have is with his comment about the American Dream. His observation that it still exists is dictated by his entry into America at a pretty high socioeconomic level. He stated he was a VP of his medium sized company after coming to America from Singapore. IOW he may already have been in the top 20% where opportunites are abundant. I live in Michigan in the Detroit area and I can honestly say that for the VAST majority of people here in the Detroit area, the American Dream is just an illusion ... as it is for the many homeless people you show in your video. As the richest country in the world it is scandalous that homeless people, many of whom are military veterans, have to live as they do. It is true that the opportunities for Dutch people to become as rich as Bill Gates or Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos is much much less, but they generally never have to worry about having to sleep in a cardboard box under a highway overpass, or dying because they can't afford their medication, or struggling through life because they can't afford a decent education. The United States IS a great country, but it is NOT perfect, and it could become a better one if it wasn't so resistent to learning how to become better from countries such as the Netherlands.

I was raised in the USA by Dutch parents , lived there for 16 years in the state of Georgia... Currently living in the Netherlands and have been for 11 years now... Both wonderful countries and have their ups and downs.. As a blue collar worker i personally prefer the Netherlands cause i have alot more peace of mind here and life feels more stable here. I have affordable healthcare , i have a car but it's not a necessity, i have plenty of free time and vacation days and when i'm sick i don't have to worry about making ends meet.

Very refreshing interview. I compliment you for letting Paul speak without you interrupting him as you see so often in interviews.

Oooh, David, what a nice interview. But this man is still very Dutch. But he does give a very nice and good analysis of the difference in life in the USA and the Netherlands. And OMG I'm so glad I live in the Netherlands. I had a stroke and am 100% rejected from work, but I can just continue living with all the ups and downs that come with it. Viva Hollanda!!!!!!!

It struck me about how he mentioned that a lot of Americans label the European system as socialist. The European system is not socialist. They are all capitalist. Even Sweden, he was wrong about that. Saab, Volvo and IKEA are not state owned corporations. It's just a different view of capitalism. In Europe they strive to see it as a team effort and for it to work each part of the team is vital and all should benefit. In America it's seen more as a gift from those at the top and the rest of the team should be grateful for any fruits that fall off the top table. If you want to benefit, you need to get your own table. European capitalism is kinder and fairer. Even European countries with conservative governments in power like the UK have welfare and health systems that Republicans would regard as socialist.

As a Dutch person with friends in the U.S. I can say Paul gave a pretty good rundown of the differences between the U.S. and the Netherlands. I also like that you found someone who´s ´very Dutch´ in his communication style. Straight in your face ´recht voor zijn raap´ as we call it. I think if you´re really ambitious, and you want a life that´s all about work and career, then the U.S. is a better place to be with more opportunities. If you also enjoy other things outside working, you value a more egalitarian society with a stronger emphasis on work/life balance, then the Netherlands is a better pick. Both are great countries with their ups and downs though, it comes down to what kind of individual you are whether you'll prefer one over the other.

You're so much better at interviewing than most TV hosts or journalists. You really listen and ask good questions. Great job!

i love that this man is after 20 years still the biggest dutchman. puur cultuur

Indonesian living in the Netherlands for the past 1.5 years now. Been with the same American firm for 6 years. All points here make so much sense! Can’t get over the fact how you just randomly bumped into one of the people with, dare I say, the most relevant experiences to your channel.

I’m a Dutch woman of 35 years old. I have a disability and need an electric wheelchair and other stuff (like chair for the shower etc) and i’m so happy that i can get it without any problems. The Netherlands is not perfect but i’m really glad to live here.

If he thinks that you can spontaneously knock on someone's door and they let you in for tea the Netherlands, his country has changed immensely since he lived there.

Thank you for not interrupting the guy you're interviewing unlike many other channels and news interviews.

🇨🇦 my parents immigrated to Canada separately in the late 1950's and met in Toronto. My Mom is from the Achterhoek, Gelderland (Barchem) and my Dad is from Arnhem. They became Canadian citizens as soon as they could. We kids grew up very multicultural, the Canadian way. Dutch was spoken at home, English everywhere else. I get the word 'gezelligheid'. My Dad started as a stock boy in a grocery store when he first arrived and ended his work life as a retired self employed business man. He always said that this would not have happened if he had stayed in the Netherlands and all the young men who emigrated could become anything they wanted here. The CEO dude was SPOT ON with his observations of both countries and world view. 🇨🇦 Canada is a closer model to the 🇳🇱 Netherlands in politics and social living, as well as being a very close cousin to the US 🇺🇸 in work ethic. I wish we could all live with more harmony amongst ourselves.

The was phenomenal! Thank you for putting in such great work!

Dutch guy here. Haven’t lived or visited the US. But always love these experience videos, because they’re not biased by something others said but come from actual experience.

Excellent interview. As a Dutch person I travelled the US some time ago and I was amazed by the friendliness of the Americans. It seems it's more normal there to be friendly to strangers.

For me as a European (I'm Danish) I found the US the most friendly country you could ever hope to go to for an immigrant. I could as easy live in the US (I lived in LA for 3 years) as I live here in Denmark. But all things considered I find conversation here to be more profound and the social fabric to be deeper. Not to speak of art and culture for which nothing compares to Europe.

Fascinating! This was sent to me by a friend who has lived in the Netherlands for decades but who is originally from the USA. I grew up in Holland (born in 1943) and have been in Canada since 1969. This made me realise how Dutch I remain and how much Canada is something in between.

Uitstekend gesprek! Heel informatief.

I watched the video on my tv, and I just had to log on the app to write a comment. What an amazingly good exposé about the cultural and systemic differences between these two countries. As a Dutch person this is very insightful and makes me appreciate our way of life even more then I already did. Best of luck to Paul he really captured my attention with his story. Best of luck with you’re channel too! I’d be very interested now to travel to the US and see these differences for myself. Who knows, I just might ;)

David that was so nice to hear Paul's impression of life here as compared to the Netherlands. Paul, despite being well off financially, is very aware of how hard life is here for the average person. Healthcare and higher education costs are things even he finds shocking as well as our homelessness problem that is getting worse by the day. Most people just get by and are just one accident or illness away from losing it all. He also sees that we don't know how to come together to find solutions in a bipartisan way which is holding the U.S. back in every way. Perhaps Paul needs his own flog to spread the word how to fix issues in the U.S. the Dutch way.

I'm Dutch and never worked or lived in the US but I know some people who have and the main thing I heard is that managers in the US are way more involved in promoting their workers to better positions. Like if some manager had someone working for them who had a good talent for something, they would look if they could find opportunities for them within the company to get a better position. In the Netherlands that's not the case at all. They are happy to have you and they won't blame you if you go looking elsewhere, but your manager will do nothing to help you. And I think that's really something we Dutch people should improve on.

I think you're a good interviewer. You really let Paul do his word. I have been to U.S. several times. and even though I have never lived or worked there, I do recognize some things. I once stayed with a family for a week and I felt welcome, but they didn't have much time for me because they had to work ;-)

Great interview 👍

Omg the way he moves and his posture while he speaks is iconic to what my Dutch father does. Social interactions with friends or family in Nederland differs on your crowd of people. His friends there are more spontaneous. But my Dutch family and friends prefer planning ahead for visitations. Sometimes spontaneous visits are very welcomed depending on the situation, like visiting from abroad for just one cup of tea and cookie and only catching up for at most an hour. Have to be mindful of the hosts planned schedule.

Very cool interview. Well done!

Great interview! Love hearing peoples stories and different perspectives.

The Netherlands are bigger then Amsterdam. That is a very important thing to understand. In the “smaller” city’s and villages you just go to friends and go for coffee, lunch etc… Amsterdam and Rotterdam are know as “business city’s. But in the smaller parts (north, south and east) are the start for the business parts of the Netherlands.. and I always call it the Netherlands. Holland are just 2 provincies of the Netherlands (noord “north” and zuid “south” Nederland)

Very interesting and it sounds like a really fair assessment by Paul.

Incredibly interesting interview! Thank you. So much to ponder on.

Leuk interview 🙂

amazing content thank you for sharing

Some of the reasons he mentioned about work as well as work/life balance are why I am moving to Europe later this year

I really enjoy watching your videos. Very insightful and calming. Thank you.

Great interview!

Gezelligheid is truly a word that can not be translated into English, no word can describe the complex meaning of it

He should come back for a year or so. So much has changed in The Netherlands.

Excellent & informative video!

Wow both so lovely to listen to. Enjoyed every second of this.

Great interview and very interesting interview partner! Love the Netherlands, but also the U.S. I‘ve been to both countries and I had fantastic colleagues from both places. Greetings from Hamburg.

The way he describes the Netherlands, I feel he's describing the Netherlands of about 30, 40 years ago. I grew up in a country where the doors were always open and the carkeys in the ignition. Even of expensive cars. Nowadays all doors are closed and nice cars need very sophisticated alarm systems and tracking. Otherwise you won't even be able to get an insurance.

What a delightful conversation!

Thank you so much for this video, David! It really gives a nice, useful insight 🙏🏻✨

I'm surprised at his comment that people rarely invite other people to their houses in the US. My experience living here has been the complete opposite: Americans are quick to invite strangers to backyard barbecues, Christmas parties, Thanksgiving dinners, and what not. In addition, based on what I have learned from the internet, Dutch people are anything but spontaneous. A meetup requires an appointment, often set weeks in advance. Perhaps his experience is different because he was talking about meeting with his friends?

My experience with work is that in the Netherlands, we work less hours, but during those hours we work hard and efficient. We have a very strict "on the clock, off the clock" mode and if you are on the clock, you focus on your work. We also schedule everything and we are very strict about being on time and using our time efficiently.

amazing work and top notch content and like many others said, better interview style than most tv shows!!!

Hallo Pail vanuit Amsterdam een dankwoord voor je uiteenzetting. Ik heb zelf 5 jaar in de States gewoond (2000-2005). Dat stukje Amerika dat je aangaf is daarom heel herkenbaar voor mij. Nogmaals geweldige presentatie om de verschillen (Amerika/Nederland) helder en duidelijk aan te hebben gegeven. Dank hartelijke groet Koen

I am from Holland... ( dutch ), have to say this is a real intresting interview.

I am European. Belgian to be specific. And I agree largely with what he says. Indeed we have to worry less and life is more about living which is effectively the reason of our existence. On the other hand, your testimony perfectly exemplifies that the US has an attraction for people who are very productive because they want the opportunity to build something. While our system is highly attractive for people who might not want to undertake such a high risk and are looking for certainty and protection from the state. Obviously, current geopolitical alliances create a defensive umbrella over Europe with the strong American army backing us but when things get real it might become clear that Europe has traded her security for her wellbeing. This is wonderful in times of peace but might be counterproductive in wartime.

Wonderful interview!

David, great interview. Thanks!

I have lived in Amsterdam, and I am American . I have very similar opinion about the difference as your Dutch guest. Would love to talk with you about it.

Never been to the USA but I worked with people from there. The culture difference is shocking, especially when it comes to communicating. These people take their time to get to the point they're really want to make. We Dutchies are more direct, like in an extreme way. They call it blunt, I call it proper time management.

Interesting interview 👏

This was one of the best, and I think more accurate reflections on the subject than I've seen in most any similar video I've watched. Nice job David! ...and tell Paul we said Thank You.

This is really interesting, David, especially when the Dutch expat talks about a lack of 'gezelligheid' where he is based in San Francisco. Coming from the States as an international teacher, I've lived in the Netherlands now for 23 years. And, personally, I could honestly say the reverse. Whenever I go back to visit my few old friends and family in California and Colorado I feel an immediate sense of being invited into an inner circle of familiarity and coziness that's been hard for me to experience here in the Netherlands. What I've observed over the years is that, in the Netherlands, strong friendships are mostly made early on, such as in primary school, and they are kept throughout one's life. So, it's harder for the foreigner to break into that inner circle.

Great conversation. Your interviewee had a very nuanced perspective even on something that he doesn't experience--racism in America. Keep doing these!

What an interesting and nice interview!

Interesting interview , without interrupting.

As a Dutchman, I recognize so much from all of this having lived in Austin, Texas for 5 years. While Austin is very democratic, I also got to experience the republican viewpoints w.r.t. foreigners coming to US for work. Culturally there are many differences, but I feel they’re close enough to overcome them. My family and I are now back in NL for 1,5 years and while we are in fact coping with the reversed culture shock, we do hope we can enjoy another exploration to US someday. Very insightful video, thanks for posting! Love to hear more!

Grown up in Holland as a foreigner, has been a bit hard. You get labeled one of the 3 labels: Expat, Allochton or East European. (I know, they are all allochton) On the bases of this label dictates *your chances who your friends will become or what kind of opportunities you will be presented by in your life. Having been in UK, Australia, NZ and US it felt very liberating to be judged on my skills rather on what my name is.

love this type of interviews. hope more countries will come.

Nice conversation!

I'm a German living in France for the last 13 years where basic health insurance is completely free! This removes so much pressure !! (On the downside, you have to wait a very long time for medical appointments). I lived two years in the US but as an au pair girl so that doesn't really count as I wasn't able to see what real work /adult life looks like. However I saw how much my host parents worked and how little time off the got. I wonder how so many people tolerate this system.. I would be burned out all the time...

Never been in the US, but I had a lot of chats with Americans, and have a friend (from the UK) who lives there. Unlike Paul, my friend didn't come there with a valued skillset, Paul, like he said, came in at management level already, he basically started in the US at the top 3 or 5% already, moving up from there. My friend got a job at a Burger King, because his experience wasn't valued as much, nor did he have any top level experience. He went there for love (she had a child, so moving to the UK was not an option for them) and just found a job to pay the bills. The American dream is real, but it will always be a dream for most people. People also dream about winning the lottery, but you shouldn't be focused on that your whole life either. But sure people can work towards that dream, and people make it. However even if there were enough top paying jobs, loads of people can't make it either. Not everyone is born the same, not everyone has the intellect to make it. On top of that plenty of people don't want those jobs. They want the money, but not the job. I'm a youthworker, it's what I want to be, I've been working in this line of work for 15 years, and I have no financial worries. I live comfortably, got good savings, and will have a similar income when I get my pension at 67. Oh and I work 36 hours a week, got 6 weeks of vacation a year and lots of securities. So yes if you can get to the top paying jobs, the US will be financially better for you. For everyone else, the Netherlands will beat it every single day.

Love your channel, I have been binging your videos lately

Very nice interview.

I was born in the Netherlands, but my parents are immigrants. I have been to the US multiple times and I am planning om moving to the Bay Area. My experience is pretty different when it comes to friends and invitations in the NL. I have to plan everything in advance with my friends - weeks before sometimes, because everyone is very busy (including myself). When I'm in the US people are more welcoming in my experience. It might also be my energy because I really feel at home in the States and that happiness must radiate 🥰

A great interview, I really loved that it was far more than bashing one side or the other, it was mentioning advantages and advantages of both. An honest, objective take, not simply pushing an agenda. I agree with almost everything said. My only note is that there are no Socialist nations in Europe. My country, Bulgaria, was Socialist - this meant the means of production were owned by the State - all the farms, factories, mines, shops - everything. And there was only one Party, of course. Perhaps Cuba is the only nation that is Socialist, I'm not sure, but in Europe we don't have them any more. Taking care of the people is Social Democracy, not Socialism.

One of the best analysis I've heard...

Really refreshing conversation. Almost 20 years in the states and still in touch with the Dutch culture. The work -life balance in the Dutch culture is second to none.

What a nice and learnful conversation (with a Dutch guy who has something to say). 🥳👌🤸😎. I've lived in US back in 1987. It was exactly the same as this man is telling; one lives to work. The social context is from Dutch perspective weak.

This should be titled "What its like living in San Francisco* as a Dutchie". Obviously alot of the same basic things will apply through alot of the US but alot of this is particularly acute in SF or even alot of California.

Great interview David, Kind regards from the NL!

Great video, absolutely love it. Lived for 8 years in Long Beach,CA and moved back to the Netherlands to go back to my roots. The guy made a great analysis, thank you for sharing

My kids now both studying in the States, I am a dutch guy, living the last 20+ years abroad, of which 10 in the caribbean and 10 in Manila Phils. Since 2 years I live half of the time in Nashville, TN and half Manila. Love the TN place, reminds me off how it was in the Netherlands when I was a kid. Only good experiences sofar. Friendly talkative people in the state of Tennessee. Good food too!

Absolutely fantastic interview David! Would have loved to hear his view on racism expanded, but a perfect interview besides that. My take away is that if you have talent and live a life without tragedy or struggles, America is the perfect place to be. But, if you don’t have the top talent or if you have any obstacles pop up in your life, America is much more difficult.

echt een geweldige video

Wonderful guy. Through and through Dutch. Feel like I could listen to him for hours

The issue I have with this American free market fundamentalism is that it stretches out over markets that aren't free at all. You can't say no to heatlth care and education, so people are taken advantage of in that. The free market works great for things people want, is doesn't work at all for what people need. He's taken advantage of too, he can afford it, but it still isn't fair.

Love this. I think grit and freedom can be found in both places. The Dutch polder model system should be introduced in US in my opinion! As an American born in Louisiana and met my Dutch man in Houston in 2009, we have moved three times back and forth. I am still exhausted 😅With a Hurricane living TX and pandemic living in Zoetermeer, it has been a hard call. After pandemic life, it’s people over place for me. The Southern hospitality. But interestingly enough after 13 years, I have discovered that NL and small state and culture of Louisiana are most similar! Beignets to olliebollen! But it’s heartbreaking and embracing to see that both are awesome but it’s how you were brought up and how you went to school that sets the basis on every comparison here in Holland. It’s a 6 month living in USA and 6 month in Europe and that is a winning combo for life and educating others on both sides of the pond. Or a Pangea. 😊The US can learn from the Dutch on their biking infrastructure, polder model, Deltaworks and the Dutch can learn from Americans on their spontaneity and ambition and “shine”, taking compliments. It’s okay to desire the stand out mentality that is taught in US schools. Thanks for your channel as I just subscribed! Proost! 🎉

I have lived in both Europe and USA and both have pluses and minuses. I work in the USA as a government employee and have a great pension and pay $180/month for healthcare (guaranteed for life). Making a blanket statement that American healthcare is expensive and no one has a pension is not true.

Heel interessant!

Great interview. I'm living in the Netherlands and working for an American company. I think that's the best of both worlds. You get the work ethics and work recognition like the US, but with the social structure from the Netherlands.

I’ve been living in Amsterdam for almost 1 year now and it’s been extremely difficult for me adjusting to everything here… It took 8 months to get a visa, i’ve made only 1 friend and I still have not gotten hired by a company and have been unemployed for almost 10 months. I would definitely say America is more welcoming and easier to find a job than here being labeled as an expat. The cost of living is cheaper but also until you find friends, land a good job and secure a nice apartment life here is tough…. I love it here otherwise, how easy life is and how people are less stressed but as an expat moving here is very difficult in my opinion and I am someone who normally adapts really easily to new places and environments

Dear Pilgrim Mate, very nice video with interesting nuances and points. Nice interview. Keep it up!

Really interesting video!

The first thing he said was that no one judges your background, then at 8:15 he's talking about how everyone judges your background. Plus, this is about living in SF, not exactly the average American city.

He's describing California and to some degree other coastal cities like Seattle, NYC, and DC. Theses things are quite different in the Midwest and South. Even in the Northeast, there isn't the same degree of freedom and ambition he describes in California. Midwesterners and Southerners are much less work-focused. The cost of living in Columbus, OH or even Chicago is much lower than any coastal city but still offers larges houses, good medical care, and education. The regional economic, political, and cultural differences within the US are as great as the differences between European nations.

Very interesting video and Paul made some very nice observations. Sometimes you need an outside view to really appreciate the living standards around you. You're a very good listener and I like you gave him space to elaborate on his view. Good luck with your channel, it gives a very nice perspective on finding balance in your life.

Very good interview.

As with your guest in this report, I hail from Utrecht and mostly the Alblasserwaard and it so appears that we both spent similar amounts of time living in the US. Your guest apparently has adapted and adjusted to life in the US and I haven't and have, very happily so, returned to NL. I lived in the US from 1993 to 2015, having had varied employment, but mostly in the IT and consulting spheres. For me it was not a huge priority to live in the US, since I already was employed in a very international environment and I had worldwide experience in what I was working with, which was (Air)freight logistics and its IT aspects. My American wife got homesick, so we decided to relocate from NL to US, but I had my own misgivings, doubts and scepticism about this move. I must say that I found it extremely hard to adapt to the US lifestyle where I particularly had an aversion with the prevalent know-nothing, ignorance is bliss attitudes. On top of that, the almost universally expressed hubris and the rocksteady (but false and near cultlike) belief in American exceptionalism never failed to create feelings of deep disdain and aversion in me. Having worked with law-enforcement and nationwide telecommunication safety and security, I have found the US an on many levels deeply flawed society which expresses itself in the pervasive violence and anger at most every level, but where the burden in pain and damage expresses itself in inequity, senseless violence and backwardness and finds itself increasingly projected on the least resilient part of US society. The best that I can describe it is that I find that the US finds itself in a continuing cycle of (constructive or not) destruction in which the vast collateral damage of operating such is measured in the devastated fortunes and lives of the least capable and most socially vulnerable parts of US society. US Life expectancy and academic performance is decreasing and inequity is rising and that does not bode well for the future. After my kids were done with hight-school, I ended up moving back to the Netherlands (where in the meantime a lot, as in a heck of a lot) things had changed and not all for the better, but here I feel at home and at ease. There is currently nothing that I miss about the over 2 decades in the US and I have the distinct notion that the US has nothing meaningful to offer to Europe than that what we as Europe, cannot provide for in a better, more responsible and above all more affordable and socially responsible fashion.

Thank you! been waiting for this type of view. i’d love to hear from more dutchies that have chosen to live somewhere else. i don’t understand why they move away

Great vid 👌

Nice conversation. ! Best wishes from Gouda, The Netherlands. 🌷🌷🌷🇳🇱

Great interview. Was his profession when he first came in Private Equity ? He obviously started with a high income when he came to the U.S. so sure, his American dream became reality. By the way if he came at almost 50 and he’s been here almost 20 years, he looks great for his age. Bike riding sure keeps you healthier ;)

Amazing video as always David. Does it make you personally feel more and more European as time passes by? I realise you have your family in the USA, but it must be surreal to look back at your personal journey?

Ow yeah :) Good Stuff; Really nice video (being from the Netherlands, living in Holland parts are totally recognisable, and nice to hear some perspectives / experiences on living in the US too )

This is very interesting, always curious about the differences between our two countries. I do wonder what the perspective is from someone who doesn't have such a high paying position though, it seems like the experience for someone with an average job would be pretty different.