Integration of Chinese

Integration of Chinese

From Media Indonesia

The Feb. 2 editorial of this newspaper succinctly and correctly discussed the integration of the Chinese community. It seems that the word "becoming" connotes a simple meaning.

In fact, it is here that the key to integration lies. Basically, what is sought is the right model of integration to ensure that Chinese-Indonesians will become real sons and daughters of the motherland. There is more to just policies. Something more effective to this end is needed.

Junus Yahya, in his book titled Idealist Chinese-Indonesians quotes Hamid Algadri, a community figure of Arabic stock, as saying: "We are all the same. There are no differences. Yet, Chinese-Indonesians are still subject to discrimination. Even if a thousand laws were written by the people on top, it would be of no use to the Indonesian community. What counts is the effort of Chinese-Indonesians themselves to win the trust of the people at large." (Optimis magazine, August 1983).

Perhaps, the success of integration, U.S.-style, could be adopted as an appropriate model. The idea of a loose melting pot allows the U.S. community to have areas known as Chinatown, Little Vietnam, Little Korea, Little Italy and so forth.

Hopefully, the concept of integration may become a topic of discussion in the cultural congress scheduled for this year.

SIRIUS IRAWAN, Jakarta