Chinese Indonesians in Action: Political Identity Representation in Contemporary Indonesian Popular Films

Anton  Sutandio; Fenty Lidya    Siregar; M. Melly  Kosasih; Hianly  Muljadi; Henni; Rizki Theodorus  Johan; Sonny  Angjaya; Joanna  Deborah

doi:10.35516/hum.v51i6.3136

Authors

Anton Sutandio Bachelor Programme in English, Faculty of Languages and Cultures, Universitas Kristen Maranatha, Bandung, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9125-5938
Fenty Lidya Siregar Bachelor Programme in English, Faculty of Languages and Cultures, Universitas Kristen Maranatha, Bandung, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1140-388X
M. Melly Kosasih Bachelor Programme in English, Faculty of Languages and Cultures, Universitas Kristen Maranatha, Bandung, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2660-4454
Hianly Muljadi Bachelor Programme in English, Faculty of Languages and Cultures, Universitas Kristen Maranatha, Bandung, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0009-0004-0986-4777
Henni Bachelor Programme in English, Faculty of Languages and Cultures, Universitas Kristen Maranatha, Bandung, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5236-5816
Rizki Theodorus Johan Bachelor Programme in English, Faculty of Languages and Cultures, Universitas Kristen Maranatha, Bandung, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2378-0121
Sonny Angjaya Bachelor Programme in English, Faculty of Languages and Cultures, Universitas Kristen Maranatha, Bandung, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7454-499X
Joanna Deborah Bachelor Programme in English, Faculty of Languages and Cultures, Universitas Kristen Maranatha, Bandung, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0009-0005-7503-084X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35516/hum.v51i6.3136

Keywords:

Chinese Indonesians, ethnicity, political identity, popular film, contemporary, ethnic

Abstract

Objectives: This article describes an interdisciplinary research work that combines film studies, the concept of political identity, and ethnicity theory as the method reviews to show how people of Chinese ethnicity in Indonesia are represented in the context of political identity through various contemporary Indonesian popular films.

Methods: The study was a qualitative analysis research. The research objects were four popular films produced between 2000 and 2020 that precisely depict Chinese Indonesians as the main characters.

Results: By referring to the concept of political identity, the research results show that within the short study period of 20 years, films have depicted various political identities among ethnic Chinese individuals, some of which have never been explored before. The ethnicity theory supports the findings from the perspective of the ethnic Chinese culture and traditions.

Conclusion: The findings suggest which dynamics of Chinese Indonesians’ political identity might help Indonesian people gain a deeper understanding of the ethnicity’s characteristics and its role in contemporary Indonesia.

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