This research paper is my senior paper for Asian Studies, and I also be present this research on UW annual research symposium on May 15, 2015.
The Rising Power of Chinese Muslims in Post-Soeharto Indonesia
Research abstract:
During the Soeharto regime (1967-1998), President Soeharto pressured the Indonesian peoples only to act in the economic sphere, so that there was hardly any room for Chinese to pursue other interests or even to cultivate their identity as Chinese Indonesians. This meant that they could not express or teach their children about their traditional culture. However, after the New Order government fell in 1998, the New Citizen Bill came out which guaranteed that all ethnic groups, particularly those of Chinese identity, would be awarded equal citizenship. Moreover, the establishing of Cheng Hoo Mosque in Surabaya, and the founding of PITI (The Association of Chinese Muslims in Indonesia) were two major movements towards re-establishing Chinese Muslim identity in Indonesia. There were also rising numbers of Chinese Islamic preachers, who utilized social media to show their ethnicity and status as converts to Islam in order to attract other Indonesian people's attention and interest. My research is based on several books and articles, which offer different perspectives on this time period, such as the views from British observers, Chinese Indonesian observers, Christian Indonesian ones, and Chinese Muslim women’s views. These authors include Hew Wai-Wang, Haji Junus Jahja, Siew-Min Sai, Susanne Schroter, and Felix Heiduk. Two of the books I will write about are Religious Pluralism: State and Society in Asia, and Chinese Indonesia Reassessed: History, Religion, and Belonging by Hew Wai-Wang. My bibliographical resources were suggested by a professor of Southeast Asian History in the Jackson school, and through my own UW library research. Using particular and situated knowledge, my research examines different perspectives and moral viewpoints on this topic. I hope this project will educate more people on religious issues in Indonesia and advocate for religious diversity.
Learning and reasoning:
Analysis/Research
Symposium Poster
The Rising Power of Chinese Muslims in Post-Soeharto Indonesia
Research abstract:
During the Soeharto regime (1967-1998), President Soeharto pressured the Indonesian peoples only to act in the economic sphere, so that there was hardly any room for Chinese to pursue other interests or even to cultivate their identity as Chinese Indonesians. This meant that they could not express or teach their children about their traditional culture. However, after the New Order government fell in 1998, the New Citizen Bill came out which guaranteed that all ethnic groups, particularly those of Chinese identity, would be awarded equal citizenship. Moreover, the establishing of Cheng Hoo Mosque in Surabaya, and the founding of PITI (The Association of Chinese Muslims in Indonesia) were two major movements towards re-establishing Chinese Muslim identity in Indonesia. There were also rising numbers of Chinese Islamic preachers, who utilized social media to show their ethnicity and status as converts to Islam in order to attract other Indonesian people's attention and interest. My research is based on several books and articles, which offer different perspectives on this time period, such as the views from British observers, Chinese Indonesian observers, Christian Indonesian ones, and Chinese Muslim women’s views. These authors include Hew Wai-Wang, Haji Junus Jahja, Siew-Min Sai, Susanne Schroter, and Felix Heiduk. Two of the books I will write about are Religious Pluralism: State and Society in Asia, and Chinese Indonesia Reassessed: History, Religion, and Belonging by Hew Wai-Wang. My bibliographical resources were suggested by a professor of Southeast Asian History in the Jackson school, and through my own UW library research. Using particular and situated knowledge, my research examines different perspectives and moral viewpoints on this topic. I hope this project will educate more people on religious issues in Indonesia and advocate for religious diversity.
Learning and reasoning:
Analysis/Research
- The ability to assess a situation, seek multiple perspectives, gather more information, identify and critic issues that need to be addressed
- While researching for author commentary on Chinese Muslim identity, I found it interesting that there were several very extreme opinions. Because the writers came from different personal backgrounds such as the U.S, China, Indonesia and even Chinese who immigrated to Indonesia and converted to Islam, etc., the way these authors see history is different. Thus, I applied my analytical skills to better identify and understand each perspective and find out the factors that influenced the authors’ “lens” in relation to the issue.
Symposium Poster