on not speaking chinese chinese indonesian case study comm 397i

On not speaking Chinese

Chinese Indonesian Case Study

COMM 397i

On not speaking Chinese

Trivia Background on Chinese Indonesians Group discussion Test #1 discussion

Indonesia: Trivia

Which part of the world is Indonesia located?

A. Middle East

B. East Asia

C. South Asia

D. Southeast Asia

Indonesia: Trivia

What is the main religion of Indonesia?

A. Islam

B. Buddhism

C. Hinduism

D. Confucianism

Indonesia: Trivia

Which European country colonized the country for more than 300 years?

A. Great Britain

B. Portugal

C. Netherlands

D. Spain

Indonesia: Trivia

How many islands does Indonesia have?

A. 17,000

B. 1,700

C. 700

D. 170

Indonesia: Trivia

What is the name of the capital city of Indonesia?

A. Singapore

B. Jakarta

C. Brunei Darrusalam

D. Bangkok

Case Study: Chinese Indonesians

Ethnically diverse: has over 200 ethnicities living in 17,000 islands.

Chinese minority constitutes 4% of the population.

Has a stronghold on the economy. “Entrepreneurial minority”: Dutch positioning of

the Chinese between the Europeans and the “natives”. Chinese were never accepted as “Indonesian”.

Case study: Chinese Indonesians

Assimilation policies from the 60s to the 90s: Name-changing policies: Lie to Lianto. No public displays of Chinese cultural

expression: Chinese language, Chinese New Year celebrations, books.

Chinese books and dirty underwear. “Special” identity cards for ethic Chinese. SKBRI: special proof of citizenship.


Most of people born after the 1950s didn’t grow up speaking Chinese.

Still retain some elements of Chinese culture, but more of a hybrid: peranakan culture.


Not really Indonesian… “As a minority (Chinese Indonesian) living in Indonesia, I

grew up living my life exclusively mostly with other Chinese Indonesians (and communicating in Indonesian language). Although we lived in a community of Indonesians, I didn’t interact much with other Indonesians…This environment did not help me to mingle with other Indonesians and to learn about Indonesian culture in real life. I learned all of it in school, which mostly remains as a theory and was not as easily practiced in real live. This environment has dampened my understanding of what it means to be Indonesian…”


Yet not really Chinese… When we declare ourselves as Chinese, most of

us (especially the young generations) we don't even know our mother tongue language anymore. Some of us might still be able to speak some Chinese dialects, but that’s about it.

Being Chinese Indonesian is like an exodus, never belonging anywhere, always in search of a “home” which we’ll probably never find…

Case study: Chinese Indonesian

So here’s the confusion: We’re Chinese, but we don’t speak Chinese. We’re NOT Indonesian, but we’ve lived in

Indonesia all our lives, we speak Indonesian as our native tongue thanks to the assimilation policy…

So how we solve the dilemma?


We’re still confused but… Bridging the language and cultural gap: be

more Chinese than the Chinese. Hybrid identity: something that embraces

both aspects of being Chinese-Indonesian.


Group discussion: reading questions. Class discussion to follow.


On Thursday: May 1998 riots targeting Chinese

Indonesians in particular. DVD of my cousin’s wedding.

Jakarta Riots May 1998


Former president Soeharto

Reigned for 32 years Corrupt dictatorship 1998: Asian economic

crisis, students protested against him calling him to step down.

Jakarta Riots May 1998

US Embassy in Jakarta

US Embassy in Jakarta

People line up outside from 5AM to get an interview for a visa.

Heightened security due to several bombing attempts by Muslim extremists.

My brother is American.

My brother Nelson


Discrimination goes both ways: The Chinese tend to keep to themselves: no

Indonesian friends until 2002. Views the Indonesians as “less”: most

Indonesians are maids in a Chinese household. Inter-marriages hardly ever occur: the case of

my aunt Felicia.

Discussion Questions for NY Times Reading What is the symbolic significance of public

celebrations of Chinese New Year for the Chinese minority in Indonesia after 30 some years of being banned to do so?

How are Chinese Indonesians a “triple minority”? Why did some community leaders cautioned the

Chinese to tone down their celebrations?


What’s the condition now? Discriminatory laws officially banned in 1999. Schools are teaching Chinese as foreign

language option. The president goes live on TV during Chinese

New Year to wish us a happy new year. Segregation (both economic and ethnic) still

exists, but it’s not as prominent as before.


Wedding DVD: All day event: 6AM-11PM Tea ceremony (both houses), church

ceremony, family brunch, the reception. East-West, Chinese and Indonesian.

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