Becoming Chinese in Indonesia

A Study of Ethnic and Nation Identities in Tangerang, Banten

Researchers:M. Iqbal DjajadiMuhammad Reza Zaini

Department of Sociology, University of IndonesiaDepok, Indonesia

About ‘Becoming Chinese in Indonesia’

Source: ‘American-Born Chinese’ Comic by Gene Luen Yang

Flow of Presentation

Introduction

Historical Background

Problem Statement

Analysis

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

Chinese-Indonesians

Taken-for-Granted Taken-for-Granted

‘Chinese-Indonesian’

IdentityIndividual

‘Chinese-Indonesian’

IdentityIndividual

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

Who are the Cina Benteng?

Origin

(1) Descendants of Chinese immigrants (Hokkian) from Fujian Province to Teluk Naga, Indonesia c.a. 15th – 17th century;

(2) ‘One of the most assimilated Chinese’ group in Indonesia(3) Result of inter-generational intermarriage between Chinese (generally) males and native (generally) females.

Cultural Identity

(1)Retain Chinese cultural practice combined with indigenous cultural practices, without knowing its meanings/values; (2) Still consider and be considered as a part of ‘Chinese-Indonesian’ cultural identity.

Contemporary Life

(1)Live around the proximity of Tangerang, Indonesia. Cina Benteng became synonymous with Tangerang itself;(2)Poverty rate relatively significant.

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

In Situgadung Village, there is a ‘Cina Benteng’ community which had been settling for generations.

At the beginning, they did not considered themselves as ‘Cina Benteng’, but ‘Orang Keturunan’, (descendants). Through a long process, they eventually identified themselves and even proud as a ‘Cina Benteng’, (Peranakan Chinese).

What are the implications of the findings to the Ethnic Chinese Studies?

How is the process underwent by the Orang Keturunan community of Situgadung Village?

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

We employed qualitative method, emphasized to grounded concept (Neuman, 2006).

ABSTRACT THEORYISSUE

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

Please refer to the discussion for further details of methodology.

Title: “A Note on Methodology” based on Neuman (2006)

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

Ethnic Identity (Trimble and Dickson, 2006): Traced its etymology to idem (Latin: same) and ethnikas (Greek: kin). A sense of belonging where each member of a certain group is considered to share the same origin and cultural traits.

Social Collectivity (Koller,2012): An individual/collective effort to identify themselves, as a mean to distinguish their identity among other individuals/social collectivity within the society. Ethnic identity is one of the manifestations of social collectivity.

At the beginning, they did not considered themselves as ‘Cina Benteng’, but ‘Orang Keturunan’, (descendants). Through a long process, they eventually identified themselves and even proud as a ‘Cina Benteng’, (Peranakan Chinese).

Suparlan (2005): The usage of social collectivity is linked to the survival method of an individual/social group in the society.

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

Banten

Tangerang

“Banten Girang” (9th/10th Century, Guillot, Nurhakim, & Wibisono:1996)

“Tang-Lan”

Tangerang was where the concentration of Chinese settlement , especially after the Dutch colonial rule (Chinese laborers)

Several villages in present-day Tangerang also has Chinese naming origins.

文海廟 , 文山廟 , 文德廟

FINDINGSFINDINGS

FINDINGSFINDINGS

Situgadung Village

The name Situgadung originated from Sundanese, which are “Situ” and “Gadung”. Previously named “Kampung Amoy”, from a Chinese dialect.

The Chinese were among the first settlers.

Borders the Bumi Serpong Damai gated community.

FINDINGSFINDINGS

李王 沈 陳 鄭葉

Their Chinese ancestors came ashore to approx. in the 16th century. Their descendants are the members of Orang Keturunan community in Sampora dan Situgadung village.

Set ashore around the proximity of coastal Tangerang.

After the Netherlands annexed Tangerang to its colonial empire in 1684, many local Chinese were employed as plantation laborers.

Dutch Colonialism Japanese Occupation Struggle for Independence Old Order Era New Order Era

Yap Ong Sim Tan Lie The

Sampora Situgadung

FINDINGSFINDINGS

Cina Benteng

Cina Benteng

Orang Keturunan

Orang Selam

Pribumi

FINDINGSFINDINGS

1. Informant A’s family (鄭 ), is a n Orang Keturunan family, who adhere the Tri Dharma Buddhism.

2. Informant A often heard from his family about ‘Tionghoa’ (Formal term to refer Chinese-Indonesians).

3. From his High School teacher, he began to heard Cina which was referred by his teacher to him and his other Chinese classmates.

4. Informant A graduated from High School in 1981. At the same time, he felt that the cultural and religious identity of Orang Keturunan somehow considered “unfit” for his personality. (BSD-Pentecostal).

FROM ORANG KETURUNAN TOFROM ORANG KETURUNAN TOCINA BENTENGCINA BENTENG

6. Informant A converted to Christianity in 1982.

7. As the interaction with the Chinese intensified, Informant A and other Orang Keturunans were identified as Cina.

8. In 1988, Informant A, as well as his relatives and neighbors, moved to Jakarta to search for works (Cina Udik).

9. To distinguish them from the diversified Chinese population in BSD, they eventually began to be identified as Cina Benteng.

FROM ORANG KETURUNAN TOFROM ORANG KETURUNAN TOCINA BENTENGCINA BENTENG

FROM ORANG KETURUNAN TOFROM ORANG KETURUNAN TOCINA BENTENGCINA BENTENG

“Less-Chinese”

Adherence to non-Christian beliefs

Engaged in agriculture

Low socio-economic status

Rural-dweller

“More-Chinese”

Adherence to Christianity

Engaged in business

High socio-economic status

Urban-dweller

The Shift of Identity

Ignored “Chinese-ness”

Mastery of Mandarin/Chinese dialects.

Practice of Chinese traditional customs.

To some extent. Physical traits.

FROM ORANG KETURUNAN TOFROM ORANG KETURUNAN TOCINA BENTENGCINA BENTENG

“Less-Indigenous”

Adherence to non-Islamic beliefs

“More-Indigenous”

Adherence to Islam

The Shift of Identity

Note: Less social traits needed

List of socio-political factors which triggered the change of identification

FROM ORANG KETURUNAN TOFROM ORANG KETURUNAN TOCINA BENTENGCINA BENTENG

Socio-Political Factors

Japanese Occupation

Dutch Military Aggression

Indonesian “Anti-Chinese” Policies

Communist Coup of 1965

Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD) gated community

Pentecostal Missionaries

Migration of middle-class Chinese-Indonesians to BSD

FROM ORANG KETURUNAN TOFROM ORANG KETURUNAN TOCINA BENTENGCINA BENTENG

What define “Chinese-ness”?

What kind of cultural/identity transformation is this?

Conclusions

Historical Events Infrastructural

Changes

Demographic

Changes

Economic Changes

Decision to Become Cina Benteng

PHASE ISocialization

PHASE IIAffiliation

PHASE IIISignificance CINA BENTENG

Conclusions

Cina/Chinese

Cina BentengOrg. Keturunan

Conclusions

(1) In this case, “Chinese” identity it’s an achieved status;

(2) Chinese identity is a constructed reality. Due to historical events, it is defined distinctively in Indonesia;

(3) We can see that there are a constructed ‘parameter’ of Chinese-ness.

(4) Orang Keturunan are a community which is almost completely turned into natives, but their shift of identity somehow changed as a result of several social factors.

Closing Statements

Thank You for Your Attention

In Memories of M. Iqbal Djajadi

(1961 - 2014)

QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION