Chinese Indonesians Reassessed: History, Religion and Belonging

• Main Authors: SAI, Siew Min, HOON, Chang Yau
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2013
• Subjects: Chinese; Indonesia; Social integration; Ethnic conflict; Ethnic relations; Asian Studies; Political Science; Race and Ethnicity; Religion
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/1084
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Most studies of the Chinese in Indonesia, who form a significant minority with over 4% of the population, and who have played a disproportionately important role, focus on the impact of the Chinese minority, particularly during Suharto's regime, in having brought about an assertion of Indonesian nationalism, which has defined and strengthened itself in opposition to the Chinese "internal outsider". In contrast, this book considers the Chinese in Indonesia in a much fuller way, exploring new areas of study. It shows how the Chinese minority is much more diverse, and the picture much richer and more complicated, than previous studies have allowed. Subjects covered include the historical development of Chinese communities in peripheral areas of Indonesia, the religious practices of Chinese Indonesians, which are by no means confined to "Chinese" religions, and Chinese ethnic events, where a wide range of Indonesians, not just Chinese, participate.