The Complexity of Split Identities
What it is like being Chinese in Indonesia.
By Maggie Tiojakin, July 11, 2021
Takeaways
Identity is a complex matter. Yet to exist fully and confidently in a constantly changing world, it is imperative to unravel the complexity of who we are.
However, like anything else in life, this is much easier said than done.
Take my story, for example.
My Chinese-Indonesian family
I was born in 1980, to a sixth or seventh generation Chinese-Indonesian family. My parents had Chinese names, as did my brother.
I don’t have one because my paternal grandfather passed away shortly after I was born. And he was the one who had given all the grandchildren their Chinese names.