Missing Pieces
Since the end of the Second World War an estimated 300000 persons of mixed Indonesian and European blood lines migrated to other parts of the world. Some estimates put the figure at closer to 500000; however there is no exact number that can be relied upon. Some of these people may have left on their own, but the vast majority were “repatriated” against their will. Whatever the reason for their departure whether it be because of political agreement or under threat of death or violence, I doubt much thought was given to future descendants of these original stateless people.
Most of what I write here will be centered on those migrants of a Dutch Indonesian background; however it could also be used in connection with many other tragic incidents involving many other groups. The exodus from Indonesia began just after Indonesia gained its independence from the Netherlands in 1945 and ended in 1964 when the Netherlands ended its program for Indo repatriation. Many of the people that made that journey believed that their status as Dutch citizens would put them on the same footing as everyone else in Holland and that they would be welcomed with open arms. However, during this time The Netherlands was still recovering from the war and was in no shape do deal with new Indo arrivals, let alone its own people. To say the least assimilation in to the Dutch culture went less than smooth.
The increased demand for housing, jobs and the competition for government services all put a strain on relations between Indos and ethnic Dutch citizens. Also add the fact that all of the aforementioned items were in short supply after the traumatic war years. The combination of racial tensions and scarcity of government services made assimilation difficult and prompted 60000 Indos to further migrate to the United States and Canada.
After their immigration to the USA and Canada the task of integrating into a completely unknown culture began. The task of finding employment housing and other services was at times was very difficult, as the USA was going through its own problems with racial tensions in the southern states and its past actions in Korea. It was very common for the Indos to be mistaken for Hispanic, Indian, and Hawaiian.
According to the Dutch Bureau for Statistics (CBS) it has been shown that Indo’s in the Netherlands, have a lower than average crime rates, incomes at par with pure ethnic Dutch citizens and rates of participation in government, education and healthcare fields close to the national average. These statistics are reflected in data from the USA and Canada as well.
The original migrants from Indonesia did their duties to their adopted lands and worked hard at assimilation and integration for themselves and their children. For years the old ones worked hard. However, while fulfilling their duties to their new countries, they did so in silence. For many of those that left the warm breezes of their pacific home, many made a choice subconsciously or consciously to not relay their stories to the next generations. On the North American side of the Atlantic Ocean, it is as though a collective mind simultaneously turned off the information that should have been re-laid to the young. This absence of information has led to a hole in the history of the third generation of indos that live in the USA and Canada.
For the most part there are very few English books on the subject, no film, no cultural events and no real connection to their past. There are no outside cultural influences on INDO's that help them Identify with their history. Especially the young ones cannot speak, read or write Indonesian or Dutch, but they can understand a few words passed on from grandparents. Ironically one of the only constants that most INDO’s do share is the love of Indonesian food and eating.
There are many second and third generation INDO'S that do not really care about their heritage and have completely assimilated into their respective cultures. They see themselves as fully American or Canadian and have no desire to pursue their past. This is a sad testament to the ability of the INDO to blend in to whatever society that they are a part of. The INDO can be found in every corner of the world and the highest concentrations are in the Netherlands, Australia, and the United States.
For those that do wish to look, it is as though they live in a cultural vacuum. In the US and Canada the INDO is often mistaken for Philippine, Hispanic, American Indian, Hawaiian, or someone of Middle Eastern descent. There is a lot of explanation required when asked where they are from, because the history of Holland and Indonesia is not known at all. Couple aging and silent grandparents, with the absence of information and no cultural influence with a language barrier, it makes it almost impossible to search for ones past. Also it should be noted that those that search for their past do not wish a return to colonial rule or wish for an INDO homeland or any such thing for Indonesia, they only wish to know the truth of their origin.
However the modern age is changing how people connect with one another. The age of email, the internet, and social networks are changing how people look for their roots. Many people of Indonesian descent are now searching through the wired world to find lost loved ones and reconnect with those on the other side of the world. They post old photographs and dusty manuscripts to have them translated to English. Slowly the holes that were once dark are now being illuminated by voices from across the ocean in the blink of an eye.
One group that is currently a fledgling non profit organization is now filming a documentary in Indonesia and will be traveling to The Netherlands and the United States. This group is called The Indo Project, or TIP for short. The TIP organisation originated in the United States and its main goal is to keep the Indo heritage alive. This group can be found on Twitter, YouTube, MySpace and Facebook. The completion of the documentary is one of its main goals and is intended to raise awareness of Indo history. There are other groups on social networks such as Facebook that have a specific purpose of reconnecting the past with the present.
The people that are looking for their roots are in a race against time and complacency. The generation that was born in Indonesia are slowly passing into history, and the generation that replaces them are faced with a choice. That choice is to move forward into the future and let the INDO become a dying breed, or they can try to preserve their history for future generations. It is inevitable that blood lines become diluted and blurred as time passes, but if the steps are taken now there will be something to pass on so that the ones that follow after them will know where they came from.
