Rep. Brad Slagh, of Zeeland, has introduced a measure to declare November as Dutch Heritage Month in the state of Michigan.

Michigan and the Netherlands have had a long-lived relationship, as the state has been a destination for Dutch immigrants since the 19th century, providing the state with a rich history of Dutch influence.

November marks the month in 1776 when the Dutch fort on St. Eustatius in the West Indies fired the first salute to the flag representing a newly independent United States. November 16 has since become known as Dutch-American Heritage Day and is celebrated annually at the Pinnacle Center in Hudsonville with over 500 people from the Holland area in attendance.

West Michigan in particular, where Slagh calls home, saw many Dutch immigrants starting in the 1840s, when a group fleeing religious persecution established a colony in Holland, Michigan.

The state still has the largest Dutch-American population in the country, accounting for more than 10 percent of the 4.5 million Americans with Dutch ancestry.

Dutch heritage is celebrated annually at the Tulip Time Festival in Holland. Slagh and his colleagues on the Legislature’s Dutch Caucus welcomed Birgitta Tazelaar, the Netherlands Ambassador to the U.S., to the House floor during this year’s festival in May.

“I’m the proud to be of Dutch heritage, like so many of my West Michigan neighbors – hundreds of thousands of them, in fact!” Slagh said. “It’s a great part of the American tradition to celebrate the nations that combined to create our melting pot. The Dutch have contributed so much to our state and continue to do so. It’s an honor to introduce this measure and celebrate our ancestors.”

The measure is House Bill 5943.

###