Continuity and Change: The Dynamics of Chineseness in Indonesia (original) (raw)

The momentous rise of China as a new global super power has given rise to renewed interest in Chineseness among diasporic Chinese communities. The impact of China's rise has a tremendous influence on the ways in which Chinese culture is being strategically reconstructed in contemporary Indonesia. To many Chinese overseas, Chineseness has become an indispensable social asset capital, cultural resource and ethno-commodity that can benefit them in their commercial dealings with China. The economic incentive that China has to offer has become a major impetus for Chinese Indonesians to resinicize by reconnecting to their Chineseness, learning Mandarin and enthusiastically consuming Chinese cultural products. Through examining the historical trajectory and contemporary dynamics of the ethnic Chinese in Indonesia, this article argues that for the time being, Chineseness is embraced positively among Chinese Indonesians as an economic asset. However, the fate of this community, which has experienced numerous violent traumas in the past, remains uncertain in the future.