Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
acceptedVersion
Publication Date
6-2006
Abstract
The dominant discourse in accommodating the ethnic Chinese in Indonesia during Suharto's regime was one of assimilation, which forcefully aimed to absorb this minority into the national body. However, continuous official discrimination towards the Chinese placed them in a paradoxical position that made them an easy target of racial and class hostility. The May 1998 anti-Chinese riots proved the failure of the assmilationist policy. The process of democratization has given rise to a proliferation of identity politics in post-Suharto Indonesia. The policy of multiculturalism has been endorsed by Indonesia's current power holders as a preferred approach to rebuilding the nation, consistent with the national motto: 'Unity in Diversity'. This paper critically considers the politics of multiculturalism and its efficacy in managing cultural diversity and differences. It deploys the concept of hybridity to describe as well as analyze the complex identity politics of the ethnic Chinese in contemporary Indonesia.
Keywords
Chinese Indonesians, hybridity, multiculturalism, assimilation, Indonesia, Chinese overseas
Discipline
Asian Studies | Race and Ethnicity
Research Areas
Sociology
Publication
Asian Ethnicity
Volume
7
Issue
2
First Page
149
Last Page
166
ISSN
1463-1369
Identifier
10.1080/14631360600734400
Publisher
Taylor and Francis
Citation
HOON, Chang Yau.(2006). Assimilation, Multiculturalism, Hybridity: The Dilemmas of Ethnic Chinese in Post-Suharto Indonesia. Asian Ethnicity, 7(2), 149-166.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/831
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1080/14631360600734400