My Grey World » Indonesian Chinese

Indonesian Chinese

Indonesian Chinese
Chinese Indonesian
Chindo
Indochina
Cokin
Tong ngin
Tionghoa
Cina

There are a lot of things people use to call me and similar people : a person of Chinese descent/ancestry who was born and raised in Indonesia.

But in English-speaking world, I always choose to call myself “Indonesian Chinese”.

Sometimes I don’t use it at all, fearing discrimination or sorts. But most of the time, I’m proud of using it. Really.

Never mind about the grammatical rule or anything. Perhaps it should have been Chinese Indonesian, since an adjective should be placed in front of a noun, yes? But then both Chinese and Indonesian can be both adjectives or nouns so.. I don’t know. I’ve found at least two books in SMU Li Ka Shing Library about people like me using different terms : Chinese Indonesian or Indonesian Chinese.

But I chose to use Indonesian Chinese because of this : I’m always an Indonesian first, then a Chinese. Chinese is merely my ancestry, my heritage. Granted, I grew up in a Chinese culture too, being always pushed for the best and punished for being ordinary. But above all, I consider myself an Indonesian. Always. And will always be. (okay honestly I should see in some years’ time, that if they continue to make it difficult for me to travel overseas just because of my citizenship, i’ll seriously consider changing citizenship for practical reasons)

I know May 1998 incidents might have supposedly made me against my country and the so-called indigenous people (how can you say I’m not indigenous too when I was born on the same land as you?). But I didn’t. I don’t know why. I can list a lot of cheesy reasons like how Indonesian nature captivates me, how I love Indonesian food, how Indonesian people are so friendly, and the blah. But no. I love my country, and just like any other type of love, does it really need a reason?

So to so-called native/indigenous Indonesians that refuse to recognize me and others as Indonesians, remember. Indonesia is a melting pot. Living in a melting pot is not the same with, say, a cupboard? In a cupboard you sit and live together with other things, but in a melting pot, we become one. OK I know cupboard is a silly analogy but you get what I mean (I hope).

Whatever happened to Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, man.

Oh and, no, not all of us are rich. Believe it or not, at my very first room in Singapore, the maid employed in the apartment is an Indonesian Chinese.

And where else did you think your “mi ayam” and “siomay” come from?

photo by Midori

photo by Chandra

I know. Yum.

And to people who think that I’m not Chinese because I can’t speak or read Mandarin or because I don’t do things in a Chinese way, this post is my answer. I’m always an Indonesian first then a Chinese. After all I don’t wanna be a Chinese that demeans and teases other people like you.

4 Responses to “Indonesian Chinese”

Daphne Maia on May 9th, 2009

ehh. i just had to comment on this sentence:

“Chinese is merely my ancestry, my heritage.”

altho i tell people I am a Malaysian-Chinese, i don’t think Chinese is merely my ancestry, my heritage.

cos above all, I am Chinese. i don’t consider myself a citizen of any country, but a citizen of the world. i don’t feel as much for Malaysia, as I feel for Singapore or Indonesia, countries I’ve lived in for a decade or more each. But for each, I can say, i feel only as much as my good memories of the place remain. no nationalistic or patriotic feelings, at all.

So above all… I am Chinese. we’re so different ah?

Reply
Sylvia Giacinta on May 9th, 2009

Yup we’re different like that

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hf Lim on December 29th, 2009

No…. U all are mixed up….. No such thing as malaysian chinese, indonesian chinese, and the word indochina means Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, nothing to do with indonesian….. Just always remember, we are all chinese and we must help each other no matter where we are……….

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Sylvia Giacinta on December 30th, 2009

HF Lim, I don’t know if you’ve read my piece, but clearly I was not talking about Indochina at all. And my point is Indonesian Chinese is the term I use to describe Indonesians of Chinese descent like myself.

I’m sorry to say this, but I would prefer to help my fellow Indonesians, regardless of ethnicity, to help other Chinese whom I got no connection to.

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