The difficult options of assimilation or 'outsiderness' for Indonesia's Peranakan Chinese.

What is it about?

Although Singapore currently makes it impossible in the male descent line, departing from Chineseness has been a common phenomenon in Southeast Asian history. The paucity of alternative terms in Southeast Asian and European language has made the overused Cina a highly problematic label, impossible to detach from a very large northern neighbour and from many cultural stereotypes. Naturally many local-born and culturally hybrid citizens have sought to escape from it. The best documented mass case is the nineteenth century Philippines. Peranakan (local-born, hybridised) Indonesians have not found it so easy to shed this inappropriate label even after experiencing its dangers in occasional pogroms. The ‘outsider’ status it represents in Indonesian society also has its commercial and social advantages. This presentation will be chiefly concerned with the obstacles for peranakan Indonesians to depart from Chineseness. It will argue nevertheless that many Indonesians are quietly succeeding in taking this path.

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Why is it important?

Although the years since Suharto's authoritarian government was replaced by a functioning democracy (1988) have been the least hostile of any in Indonesia's history as an independent country, democratic populism also poses threats of stigmatising 'Chinese' identity. Those seen as Chinese 'outsiders' remain prominent in many sectors of the economy. Many have seen the full assimilation into the already hybrid urban culture of Indonesia as the only safe way out. Others seek to 're-sinify' as pride in the global status of China grows. The problems oif minority outsider status will be with us for a long time.