Meet the Expert | Interview with Rosemarijn Hoefte
Professor Rosemarijn Hoefte is specialised in Caribbean Studies and as a historian she works at the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV) and the University of Amsterdam. She studied History at Leiden University where she came into contact with Caribbean Studies during an exchange to the United States. Here her interest for this multidisciplinary field began to grow and she ended up doing her MA in Latin American Studies at the University of Florida, where she also completed her PhD. In this interview, Hoefte discusses her current research into nation building and nation branding and her study of the life of Surinamese activist and politician Grace Schneiders-Howard.
At the moment, Hoefte is doing research into the process of nation building and nation branding of postcolonial states. She explains that when colonial states get their independence, they have their constitutional freedom, but do not yet have a nation. But how do you create a nation and how do you do that in a high pressure situation? Nowadays, many states engage in nation branding, which is the commercial sale of one’s land to attract tourist or investors. Often, people see this process as nation building as the first step, while nation branding comes after. According to Hoefte, however, these processes are simultaneous in postcolonial states, who actively look at who and what fits in the picture of how they want to present their nation.
Hoefte explains that many Caribbean states dependent on tourism and therefore actively brand their country as, for example, a paradise where you can be completely alone, sipping a drink on the beach. However, what these nations do not show is that many of these beaches are privatised, limiting access for local residents. In these places there are also many large resorts, owned by a majority of foreign companies who stimulate tourists not to go outside of the resorts. This causes the local population not to earn anything from the influx of tourists. According to Hoefte advertising these places, foreign and domestic parties reflect a new kind of colonialism; places are described as ‘authentic’ and you have the chance to experience the traditional way of living amongst the local people.
Hoefte’s favourite project, however, is her research into the complex life of Surinamese social activist and politician Grace Schneiders-Howard. Schneiders-Howard’s father was English-Barbadian and her mother belonged to the Surinamese elite. Schneiders-Howard was the first female politician in Suriname and founded a union for migrant workers. Schneiders-Howard also actively worked together with the Rockefeller Foundation to start a campaign against hookworm in Suriname. She was, however a complex person. While she spoke up for the poor, she was also quite classist and even though she became the first female politician in Suriname, she did not support emancipation of women. Hoefte explains that it is, therefore, not necessarily a biography that she is writing, but it is more a sketch of her life, through which deeper notions of the society of that time is reflected. Despite the controversial life Schneiders-Howard led, Hoefte highlights how important it is to get her story, and the story of women like her, to the outside world. Women are excluded in the archives and it is important to record their stories.
Hoefte is now retiring from her positions at KITLV and the University of Amsterdam. These last weeks were marked by several special moments, including a visit by Queen Máxima, during which prof. Hoefte joined discussions with the Queen, and the celebration of KITLV’s 175th anniversary. On 2 July, she will have her own farewell symposium.
To conclude with her advice to students and (upcoming) researchers; ‘take every chance you get to broaden your research or to go into a new direction. This is a unique moment in your life in which you can be curious and can truly dedicate time to it. Be surprised and discover what you really enjoy. If you get a chance, go for it!’
Interview by LeidenGlobal intern Fleur van Tellingen
June 2026
>> photo credits Dirk Gillissen & Danique ter Horst
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