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I call
the month leading up to the Chinese New Year, “Chinese appreciation month”.
That is the only time of the year when the Indonesian media look at
Chinese-Indonesian culture, society and history. By the following week,
Chinese-Indonesians are once again below the radar and remain so for the
rest of the year.
Usually, the media cover similar things in relation to Chinese New Year
(the term “Lunar New Year” is used in places where non-Chinese communities,
such as Koreans and Vietnamese, celebrate their own unique New Year’s Day):
Poor Chinese living in Tangerang, Banten and assimilated communities in
Central Java. Histories on Chinese hardship in Indonesia would cover the
Batavia massacre of 1740, the ban on Chinese culture during the New Order
regime and probably the anti-communist purge in West Kalimantan in 1967.
There is no mention of the major anti-Chinese riots in Jakarta and
Surakarta 15 years ago.
Finally, newspapers will publish articles from scholars on the meaning of
being Chinese-Indonesian. Gossip programs ask Chinese-Indonesian
celebrities how they celebrate, and television shows images of people
praying inside temples, before the management organizes handouts for
beggars.
By now Indonesians regard the festival and the national holiday as normal,
a decade after it became legal. Stores display Chinese-themed paper
ornaments, while malls and supermarkets feature lion dances, Chinese-themed
music and lucky draws. But it is a short-lived festival, a month-long
cordiality. For the rest of the year, Indonesia lives uneasily with its
Chinese identity.
There is no clear indication on how many Indonesian residents are of
Chinese ethnicity, but it is safe to say that there are many — in the range
of 5 to 9 million. Indonesia is probably the home to the largest Chinese
minority in the world, hosting more ethnic Chinese than the United States,
Australia and anywhere in Europe. Numbers wise, the closest competitors to
Indonesia are Malaysia and Thailand (Chinese-majority Singapore does not come
close).
Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia attempted in the past to assimilate
their Chinese populations, usually by pressuring them to adopt
native-sounding names — apart from prohibiting the Chinese language. In the
21st century, however, a minority of Chinese in these countries have
revived their families’ original names. A growing number of Southeast
Asians are learning Mandarin, while the national media have increased their
coverage of news on China.
It seems, however, that Chinese-Indonesians are lagging behind their
Southeast Asian cousins in “rediscovering” their Chinese culture and
heritage. Neither Mandarin nor any other Chinese language is much used,
most Chinese-Indonesians cannot read Hanzi characters, and there is no
profitable Chinese-
language media.
The main reason is because Chinese identity and cultural expression is
never a comfortable topic in Indonesia. After the expulsion of Singapore
from Malaysia and anti-Chinese riots in Kuala Lumpur in the 1960s, Malays
and Chinese in those countries have been living in parallel worlds with
completely different ways of life. Retailers and media accommodate Chinese
demands for music and films in the Cantonese and Mandarin languages and the
Chinese eat pork and drink beer as much they like since they and the Malays
have their own places.
On the other hand, in 1967 the Indonesian Army concluded that only
assimilation could stop public animosity toward the economically active
Chinese. Contrary to popular belief, the Army did know that Chinese culture
was not related to communist China, and they knew that most
Chinese-Indonesians were anti-communists. But they believed that if the
Chinese were allowed to speak in Hokkien, pray to their ancestors, and go
to Chinese schools, stability would elude Indonesia.
Over the decades, Chinese-Indonesians have learned to play safe. They
become Christians, they go to Christian schools and universities, and they
adopt Indonesian and Western lifestyles at home. Conversations between good
friends are in local dialects, be it Javanese, Sundanese, or Malay
(although the choice of words often sounds vulgar since they are learned
from the streets and stores).
Compared to Malaysia, in Indonesia Chinese and non-Chinese live together
better. But this living arrangement is also based on somewhat formal
pleasantry, since the Chinese play down their culture, background and
presence. What they do bring forward is Christianity, which is also the
main identity of many other ethnic groups.
Chinese (and other East Asians) everywhere tend to keep themselves out of
trouble. They avoid confrontation, they do not want to stand out and they
conform to authority. Chinese-Indonesians who become celebrities play down
their heritage, keep out of Chinese world entertainment hubs such as Taiwan
and Hong Kong, and demonstrate their Indonesian identity. Mandarin is
taught in schools but kids do not speak it and most Chinese-Indonesians
study Mandarin at home or in unmarked schools with private tutors. While no
Chinese-Indonesians will talk about May 1998, it is an unspoken reminder
that they live in a volatile house.
Some Indonesians want to promote Chinese-Indonesian culture in the fashion
of Chinese-American culture, but they are more enthusiastic than the
Chinese. Many Chinese-Indonesians reject the idea of constructing a
tourist-oriented Chinatown in Jakarta, fearing that it will incite hatred.
Chinese-Indonesians do not comment on which Indonesian word for them is
most suitable: Cina, China or Tionghoa. While many non-Chinese openly show
their love for Korean, Japanese and even Chinese cultures, many Chinese
youth prefer Indonesian and Western cultures. This is not merely playing
safe, but also a result of a lifelong dedication to playing the
assimilation game.
Therefore, many Chinese and non-Chinese Indonesians are happy with the
invisibility of their Chinese identity for most of the year. The Chinese
see discreetness as the guarantor of security, while other Indonesians are
satisfied with their Unity in Diversity (with emphasis on unity) vision.
Both are still unsure about their feelings of being Chinese and being
Indonesian. Jakarta can have a Chinese vice-governor, but some quarters
have blamed Chinese-Jakartans for the latest flood.
Indonesians can praise China as a foil to America and as a role model for
Indonesia, yet are irritated by the sound of a phone conversation in
Chinese and by the sight of Chinese “mall rats”.
On the other hand, Chinese ladies can complain about the non-Chinese and
then discuss intensely the fates of sinetron characters. A Mandarin-speaker
will receive a less-than-impressed reaction from her friends when talking
or writing her Facebook status in Chinese, even though almost everyone in
her social circle is Chinese too. Media coverage of the Chinese New Year —
the only time when Chinese-Indonesians are in the spotlight — is a reminder
that everyone in Indonesia is still uncomfortable with the Chinese
identity. ●
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