Dutch-Indonesian Community

In the bottom of this post, I attached an article titled “Japanese Minority Policy; The Eurasians on Java and the dilemma of ethnic loyalty” , written by  E. Touwen-Bouwsma.

This is another good resource to learn how our ancestors lived during japanese occupation, which as we know, one of the most terrible period in Dutch East Indies.

Eurasian and Indonesia had their worst time during japanese occupation. Many of our grandparents might have told you about how monstrous japanese was. They were crazed sex animals, enforcing the eurasian/dutch/indonesian women into their sex slaves. Socially, Eurasians and Dutch were in lower position compared to the asian people. People who couldn’t prove their asian heritage were subject of high tax. The identity of asian they rejected during dutch period was gladly accepted by the eurasians, but even so, it didn’t help to make their life better. Japanese still treated the eurasians as inferior class.

Japanese also systematically ensure the eurasians separated themselves from dutch, by keep reminding the eurasians that they were in fact, never treated equally by dutch and always subject of ridicule.  There was different treatment to Prisoner of War (P.O.W) between dutch and eurasian. Japanese gave impression that eurasians would be treated equally due to their asian heritage. The tension between eurasians and dutch grew, but eventually the policy was proven to be false. There was no distinction between eurasian and dutch, many were taken into forced labor in equal, harsh treatment.

Japanese had policy to abolish any western root in Indonesia. The usage of dutch language was forbidden. Japanese and Indonesia were the national language. Japanese placed in the highest hierarchy, the oriental people was the second, eurasian the third, and dutch at the bottom. In many aspect, the eurasians treated as badly as dutch had. They must prove their asian heritage. These who had less 50% of asian heritage were subject of heavy tax, resulting many eurasians and dutch living in worst conditions compared to previous decades.

Later, in 1943 Japanese starting to treat Eurasians equally as Indonesian in their greater East Asia Community, and they had to give up their european ancestry. It was made to abolish arrogance of racial superiority implanted by dutch toward the eurasian community. The eurasians were demanded to become asian instead of eurasian, let alone european. Many eurasians didn’t welcome this idea, for they still considered indonesians were inferior, but there were also eurasians who preferred to give up their eurasian identity to have better living.

As Indonesia gained its independence, the ultra nationalists announced “Bersiap” period in the last quarter in 1945. Commencing to repel any attempt of colonial masters to reclaim Indonesia, and they swore to defend their motherland from Allied. The eurasian civilians were murdered and killed, causing many to fear living in Indonesia due racial tension. Later, many migrated to America and Netherlands, expelled from their motherland.

This post is merely an excrept of fascinating 21-pages article . Download link is below:
Japanese Minority Policy; The Eurasians on Java and the dilemma of ethnic loyalty (E. Touwen-Bouwsma)

Is appearance only the most important matter of being eurasian? Does it necessary to have “exotic” look to call yourself eurasian? Eurasian has stereotype as people who have amazingly beautiful look, until the point one might say “you are ugly, how can you call yourself eurasian?”.

There is one good article here from time, about the eurasian invasion in the entertainment industry. There is never enough market for eurasian models, because they are balance: not too western, not too asian. Mixed look makes them a good eyecandy.

One of my concern is that such mindset actually might objectification of being eurasian. I know some people who are eurasians that are too asian or too western that feel inferior to half mixed eurasian who have these “exotic look”. I found this matter is pretty distrubing. How should the newer generations of eurasians cope with the issue, especially for these who don’t have the vibe being “exotic”?

Does physical appearance necessary to make someone conform their eurasian identity?

full article is below:

original link. This is a very good article about current condition of dutch-indonesians situation in world-wide.

(By Boot, Brederode and Krancher, 2006)

Before starting this essay, the writers stipulate that they wish to use the term “Dutch-Indonesian” – herein Indo – since this is the most commonly used and accepted form in the United States.  The two young Indos in the Netherlands do not whole heartedly agree that this appellation as being the correct translation of the Dutch word “Indische Nederlander.” They would have preferred “Eurasian” or even “Indo-European” instead. However, for publication purposes they adopted the vocabulary used by their bangsa in America.

Everytime I heard “Tong Tong” it reminds me to Pedagang Kaki Lima, the food peddlers selling their food in the street using gerobak. The term tong-tong is most likely an onomatopoeia, because they tend to make sound “Tong Tong”, using wood to notify their customer.

Anyway, Tong Tong festival is one of biggest eurasian event in the world, as described in the site:

The Tong Tong Fair in The Hague is the biggest Eurasian fair in the world. In 2008 it was held for the 50th time – a golden jubilee, with 133,000 visitors!

The event is a sensory stimulating blend of cultural festival, exhibition and food fest rolled into one, held in an archipelago of tents and stands. One of the biggest attractions is the Tong Tong Festival, with more than 400 performances spread over 12 days. The daily entry ticket for the Tong Tong Fair also includes a theatre pass for the Tong Tong Festival.

So, if you don’t have the time or money to travel all the way to South-East Asia, come to the Tong Tong Fair in The Hague and imagine that you are in the East. The Tong Tong Fair comprises the immense Grand Pasar, the famous East-West exhibition with hundreds of stands offering Eastern merchandise and food. Many of the exhibitors come all the way from Indonesia especially for the event. Equally famous is the Food Court with dozens of restaurants and ‘warungs’; it is one of the biggest of its kind in Europe.

The international Tong Tong Festival takes place in five theatres on the fair site. The large Bintang Theatre (seats approx. 600) is where the  major music and dance artists perform. The Tong Tong Podium is used mainly for acoustic sets and dance. In the Culinary Theatre (‘Kooktheater’) master chefs demonstrate how to prepare both difficult and easy dishes from various Asian cuisines. The intimate Bibit Theatre presents lectures, interviews and theatrical performances: mostly in Dutch, but increasingly in English too. In the Bengkel (studio) you are welcome to participate in all kinds of workshops: in music, dance, art, cooking and lots more. We have had the pleasure of welcoming artists, lecturers, master chefs and cooks from Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore and the United States in recent years.

Ah too bad it’s geographically far, but I will remember to visit this one if I managed to visit Netherlands!

Darah Ketiga means third blood. it’s probably refers to third generations of Indische who celebrating and reviving their Indo culture.

This is the description of their site:

Darah Ketiga is opgericht op 30 maart 2001, en wederopgericht met nieuwe bestuursleden op 1 januari 2009.  Darah Ketiga is door de jaren heen een noemswaardige vereniging bestuurt door derde generatie Indische Nederlanders.

Wij zetten ons op landelijk niveau in voor cultuurbehoud en cultuurontwikkeling van de Indische cultuur. Dit doen we met eigen activiteiten (zie jaarprogramma) maar ook met andere Indische verenigingen & organisaties; samenwerking en contact binnen de Indische gemeenschap vinden wij zeer belangrijk! We vormen namelijk samen de Indische cultuur, dat kun je niet alleen!

Darah Ketiga staat voor duidelijkheid, durf en zekerheid! Wij zijn een vereniging door de jongere generatie ontstaan, maar zowel jong als oud is welkom bij ons!

translation (via google, sorry, I’m not dutch speaker)

Darah Ketiga established in March 30, 2001, and re-formed with new members on January 1, 2009. Darah Ketiga is through the years a significant association manages third generation Indo Dutch.

We at the national level in cultural preservation and cultural development of the Indo culture. We do this with their own activities (see program) but also with other Indo associations & organizations, cooperation and contacts within the Indo community, we believe very important! We are together in the Indian culture that can not be alone!

Darah Ketiga for clarity, courage and protection! We are an association created by the younger generation, but both young and old is welcome to us!

I found the link to this community at the bottom of wikipedia’s article of Indo People. It’s forum and community dedicated to revival of indische culture by the dutch, so it’s naturally written in dutch. If you are living in dutch and thinks you could fit this community, I recommend you to join.

Last month, I read a journal titled “The Eurasian Minority in Indonesia”, written by Justus M. van Der Kroef, first published in American Sociological Review. It’s a 10 page academic journal, would probably bore most of people, but a hidden gem for sociology and eurasian enthusiast. The article was well written and described the life of eurasian minority up to year 1949.

The author described that one problem of indische was the lack of data. There was no precise data regarding the population of eurasians. In 1854, 9,000 of 18,000 european in java possessed “charateristic skin color”, and 5,600 without this charateristic also considered as eurasians. Legally, the european considered the eurasian as european.

Things would further complicated as eurasians married with indigenous indonesians and their descendants classified as native. In 1941, it was estimated the number of eurasians was 300,000, and by 1940, there 8-9 millions of Indonesians with european ancestors.

Even before dutch arrived, there was eurasian portugese that came from Bengal, India. There were also spanish filipino. These eurasians laters captured by dutch as slave, merchants because they were considered better compared to native Indonesians.

In 1617, Whites were forbidden to marry native indonesians, or they risk themselves being banned from society, and later, this is extended to eurasian. In the 19th century, discrimination to Eurasian sharpens. The european status must be “proved”, and eurasians mostly works as clerks, or low officials.

Educational facilities for eurasians were low, and few were received any training in europe. Eurasians were still living as second class, and often subject of ridicule to the dutch due speaking “broken dutch”. They adopted distinguished culture, mixture of native and european. They were part of native, but not fully native, they were more similar to european, but treated as second class citizen despite their legality being “european”. Many also lived as paupers, in kampung.

By the 19th century, the structure of eurasian community was shown more clearly.

The top one were eurasians who gained wealth due successfulness of being entrepreuner. Very few were elites in government and military, but often result of symphaty of their superior.
In the middle class were majority eurasians who worked as petty officials, clerks, subalterns, and only few managed to get beyond elementary schools. In most cases were European in name only.
In the lowest group was the paupers, the Indonesianized group. They were people handy in craft, living in kampung, and also part of organized crime.

The last two groups hade social jealousy toward the full-blood european. The dutch government themselves often show racial discrimination. These Indos were particulay ridiculed because of their broken dutch, yet didn’t provide proper language education. The social structure made them forever inferior to the pure elite europeans.

By the 20th century, the polarity grew greater. The european in East indie became more “european” and distinguished eurasian not as part of their society. number of europan immigrants and abudance of eurasians made a fierce competition toward jobs in officials and enterprises. The Indo themselves now also must compete with trained Indonesians (as result of Ethic Politic, education was also provided for native Indonesians).

In 1919, the Indos joined hand, forming Indo Europeesch Verbond. It was made to promote emancipation toward Indo minorities and unification of europe and Indos. It was largely unsucessfull despite being largest part of parliement in Volksraad (People’s Council). At first, the europeans supported the idea, but europanization made them distinguish themselves from eurasians.

The social discrinmations also reached the children. The chidrens at first were told as “Indian Children”, they spoke with same manner, same accent, but later the anti-thesis between europan and eurasians also penetrated the world of children.

The article is longer than this post, so I recommend you to read it yourself.

Download link (Mediafire)

This is the community that started it all, months after I joined facebook, I saw this interesting group at facebook, a group dedicated to dutch-indonesians. Being descendant of Indische who has been living in chinese culture, I was introduced to a whole new world, the people who share heritage with me. Indische does not die, in fact, the third generations keep coming, revisiting the history of past colonial times, learning their family history and found that Indo culture worth preserving.

If you have facebook account, I really recommend you to join this group. It’s a small space in internet where we could fit in.