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Theme: 2. From Oceanic Crossroads: Empires, Networks and Histories
Ying-kit Chan
ICAS Book Prize 2023 - Secretary Chinese Language Edition
National University of Singapore, Singapore
Dede Oetomo
Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia
Freddy Istanto
Universitas Ciputra, Indonesia
Wu Ling Chong
Universiti Malaya, Malaysia
Tonny Dian Effendi
University of Muhammadiyah Malang, Indonesia
Chang Yau Hoon
Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei
Keng We Koh
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Esther Kuntjara
Petra Christian University, Indonesia
The fall of the New Order regime under Soeharto allowed Chinese Indonesians to articulate their Chinese culture, heritage, and identity publicly. In Surabaya, young Indonesians, both Chinese and non-Chinese, are learning Mandarin; municipal authorities are revamping an entire district in the old town into a model Chinatown; and local communities are developing their own Kampung Pecinan in surrounding districts. At the same time, however, the nouveau riches of Surabaya, many of them Chinese, have deserted old Surabaya to create their own self-contained, California-like urban enclaves on the outskirts, replete with even hospitals and universities. How should these different strategies, or responses to sociopolitical changes, by the Chinese be interpreted? How does China's rise alter the dynamics of intra- and inter-ethnic relations among Chinese Surabayans? Is the "Chinese" label an asset or liability for Chinese Surabayans in everyday life? What are the continuities and changes experienced by Chinese Surabayans and Chinese Indonesians in general? This roundtable session, comprised of scholars born, raised, and based in Surabaya as well as specialists on Chinese Indonesians, seeks to address such questions and offer insights into the interplay between local trends and national policies.