The Chinese of Indonesia and Their Search for Identity: The Relat ...

backgrounds, and regional origins intersected with Suharto’s assimilationist policies by examining my respondents’ varied reactions to the media. For example, some of my respondents recalled that their parents would smuggle Chinese books and rent Chinese-language films and series in the black market even though they were clearly forbidden. These practices later revealed that they come from families that have a strong affinity to China and were, therefore, encouraged to maintain their Chineseness by their parents despite the restrictions. In this way and others, the media allowed me to analyze the intersection of micro and macro politics that constitute my respondents’ everyday lives. These findings, however, do not suggest that this study should be seen as a comprehensive analysis of how Chinese Indonesians, as a diasporic community, (re)negotiate and (re)construct their identity through the media. It is just the beginning.