Drawing from heterogeneous experiences of Chinese Indonesians from different generations across the Indonesian archipelago, join us as Professor Melani Budianta and Margareta Astaman highlight the relevance of the Chinese identity in Indonesia. It foregrounds continuities as well as changes in the socio-political context that influence social relations and examines the continuing transformation of self-perception and cultural identification of Chinese Indonesians.

Co-organised by Yale-NUS College and the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre. Supported by the Tan Chin Tuan Chinese Culture & Civilisation Programme.

Speakers

Professor Melani Budianta is a professor of literature and cultural studies at the Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Indonesia. She has published works on the issue of cultural identity and diversity in Indonesia.

Margareta Astaman actively shares her thoughts on identity through her blog and her several books published by Penerbit Buku Kompas.

Moderator

Low Sze Wee is Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre. He has curated many local and international exhibitions, including important retrospectives on Singaporean artists and the Singapore pavilion at the 50th Venice Biennale in 2003. He has also been involved in strategic arts planning and policy in Singapore’s Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts.

Introductory Remarks

Professor Chua Beng Huat is a Singaporean sociologist whose research interests include urban and housing policies, political economy of Singapore, consumerism and popular culture in Asia. He is a founding co-executive editor of the Inter-Asia Cultural Studies journal.