(2014) ISSN 1412-9418 Hadrami Diaspora in Karimunjawa Rabith Jihan Amaruli
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HUMANIKA Vol. 19 No. 1 (2014) ISSN 1412-9418 Hadrami Diaspora In Karimunjawa Rabith Jihan Amaruli HADRAMI DIASPORA IN KARIMUNJAWA: Between Identity Maintenance and Assimilation Rabith Jihan Amaruli History Department–Faculty of Humanities, Diponegoro University Jl. Prof. H. Soedarto, SH Tembalang Semarang 50275 Email: [email protected] Abstract This study discusses the Hadrami diaspora in Karimunjawa, between identity maintenance and assimilation. Through oral history, this study found that the coming of Hadrami in the early 20th century in Karimunjawa was solely motivated for economic reasons. They lived and improved their quality of life by working as laborers in the Chinese traders. The economic limited access caused Hadrami in Karimunjawa were not played an important role both in economic and Islamic teaching. For economic reasons as well, their numbers had dwindled in the mid of 1990s20th century. Most of them moved to Semarang and Jepara while the small group still survived in Karimunjawa. As a sayyid family, the Arabs in Karimunjawa did intermarriage mixed marriages (between sayyid and non-sayyid). The role of the Comment [WU1]: Bapak, how about if we use a Arabs in Karimunjawa was begun from Sayyid Abdurrahman era whose became the term of intermarriage? new icon of the Majelis Al-Khidmah, a teaching institution based in Surabaya. Recently, it has branches in many parts of Indonesia. Keywords: diaspora, Hadrami, identity, assimilation I. BACKGROUND In that process, I met with Sayyid Abdurrahman Al-Hamid, a This study began from my Hadrami descent who had long lived involvement when I conducted Social in Karimunjawa. The meeting made Research Methods course at me interest to explore more about Department of History, Faculty of Hadrami in Karimunjawa. Writing Humanities, Diponegoro University in Karimunjawa islands. At the same to migration, ethnicity, and social integration time, some reasearch counterparts and in Karimunjawa are extremely useful for this I were was also involved in research study. My special thanks to Mahendra Pudji P. project of maritime ethnic 1 Utama whosefor gaveiving me some important acculturation in Karimunjawa islands. references about ”diaspora‘. Last, As an amateur in English writing, I should say 1 I should say thank to Mahendra P.udji thanks to Noor Naelil Masruroh for her Utama and A. Dwihendrosono ( ) for our a kindness to read and correct and fixed this great discussion whenile we stayeded in article. Karimunjawa. Some important inputs related 130 HUMANIKA Vol. 19 No. 1 (2014) ISSN 1412-9418 Hadrami Diaspora In Karimunjawa Rabith Jihan Amaruli about Hadrami in Karimujawa is plantation, especially copra as a interest, considering Sayyid leading commodity. The Chinese Abdurrahman is one of Hadrami Arabs introduced the first grocery stores, who‘s still ”remains‘ in the mid of pawn shops, and mortgagees the Karimunjawa multiethnic society. lending of capital to society. Comment [WU2]: May I say that one of Chinese activities were mortgagees? --> Karimunjawa as a multiethnic Controlling over the important of orang yang sering ngutangi Pak. society appears of the ethnic economic access had made the compositions that has stayed, settled, Chinese as the rich man. Most of them and inhabited in the islands, i.e.: Java, used his wealth to lured girls to be Madura, Bugis, Mandar, Bajau, and concubines (Interview with Asrini, Buton. The administrative center June 4th 2013). She was well-known located in Karimunjawa village , as an elder and baby masseur. Her which is also become the research father, Mulyani, was a police officer in location. The village shows that the Dutch colonial period. The Javanese are the majority of the Chinese in Karimunjawa derived from population. Although derived from Lasem, Jepara, and Semarang. various ethnics, the social life in Uncommonly, when they came to Karimunjawa is closer to Javanese life. Karimunjawa, the Chinese traders It can be seen from the type of brick carried laborers (workers) from their houses, traditions, and their daily regions. Some of the workers are language. It is very easy to find people Arabs (Interview with Asrini June 4th who speak Javanese fluently, whatever 2013; Sayyid Abdurrahman, June 2nd their ethnicity. It is why, the ethnic 2013). origin who are inhabitted of the islands In the Post-colonial period, the can not be identified easily. The ethnic ethnic composition in Karimunjawa compositions in Kemujan village, the gradually changed, the Chinese who closest village from Karimunjawa previously played an important role in administrative center, are revealing a the economic, they leaved different face. In Kemujan, especially Karimunjawa when the Japanese in Batulawang, which has become occupation. Ba Kin Ting/ Ba Ging Bugis community in Karimunjawa, we Sing for example, a wealthy merchant will easily find Bugis houses on stilts of copra, decided returned to Lasem that stands in the amidst of the and died there. It was confirmed in mangroves and reeds. We will find a 1965. Many Chinese leaved lot of people speaks Bugis than the Karimunjawa in the Post-G30S. For Javanese, although Javanese language tThe Chinese who remained in is not an obstacle for them. Karimunjawa, decided to change their The ethnic population in name and religion based on the Karimunjawa also consists of two government‘s insistence. Hong Tek, foreigners ethnic, they are Chinese and for example, was one of the five Arabs. Since the colonial period, the wealthy Chinese merchants in Chinese and the Arabs had been Karimunjawa, decided to stay in existed and demonstrated their Karimunjawa. He became existence in Karimunjawa. The moesleamMoslem and changed his Chinese economy activities played an name to Widodo. His ability in writing important role regarding to coconut became the reason why he was 131 HUMANIKA Vol. 19 No. 1 (2014) ISSN 1412-9418 Hadrami Diaspora In Karimunjawa Rabith Jihan Amaruli selected to be Carik (village development, the people displaced secretary). Up now, there are only two from one area to another within a identifiable Chinese families in specific region or territory, it may also Karimunjawa (Interview with Asrini, be included in the diaspora category June 4th 2013). (Ember, Ember, and Skoggard, 2005: For different reasons, the Arabs xviii; See also Hall, 2006: 475). Based Hadrami began to leave from on the most prominent reasons, the Karimunjawa (Interview with diaspora can be divided into five types, Martoyo, June 4th 2013). There are i.e. victim, labor, trade, imperial, and two Hadrami clans who still remain, cultural diaspora. The emerging types namely Sayyid Abdurrahman in of diaspora are motivated by changing Karimunjawa and Faisaluddin in definitions of it and the symptoms as Kemujan. This study intends to reveal the reference (Cohen, 1997: ix-x). the existence of Hadrami in In that context, Hadrami Karimunjawa followed by the main diaspora can be placed in to trade and questions. What is the motivation of labor diaspora. Practically it caused all Hadrami arrived in Karimunjawa? Hadrami immigrants evolved the trade How are they maintains of their and labor. In fact, the typical of existence in the multiethnic society of newcomers of Indonesian Hadrami in Karimunjawa? What are the taken the late 19th century was worked as options for them to maintain their shop assistants or small traders which identity or assimilate? The answers of referred to their who had been a these questions are expected to provide resident in the archipelago (Kesheh, a comprehensive understanding about 2007: 15). After received salary, they the existence of Hadrami in became as like as the number of Karimunjawa. independent Chinese traders. Most of them would be middleeconomic brokermen by buying import goods II. METHODOLOGY from the European firms and reselled it to other dealers or consumers in The Hadrami existence in Indonesia (Kesheh, 2007: 16). Since Karimunjawa can be analyzed by his arrival, Hadrami could be using concept of diaspora. The integrated easily with the locals. They diaspora is derived from the two word had been thoroughly assimilated with ancient Greek namely dia (”through‘) the indigenous in three or four and speirein (”spread‘ or ”sow‘). generations. The main factors were Diaspora refers to sociological concept that the majority of immigrants were of trans-national and trans-cultural. It men. There were fairly high is about the displacement of intermarriages between Hadrami and inhabitants in the territory or region of native women (Berg, 2010: 33). Now, their culture, accompanied by the these conditions generate two groups formation of cultural identity in a new of the Hadrami immigrants in place with oriented to cultural origin. Indonesia, namely walaiti (original) Originally, the concept of diaspora and muwallad (hybrid). By the used to see the context of trans- immediate results of the Hadrami national migration. However, in its hybrid descent diaspora made them to 132 HUMANIKA Vol. 19 No. 1 (2014) ISSN 1412-9418 Hadrami Diaspora In Karimunjawa Rabith Jihan Amaruli become the majority group of their economic dynamics, and even in their community (Kesheh, 2007: 18). socio-religious life reform. In this Traditionally Hadrami divided context Hadrami immigrants are faced into a complex social stratification two important choices between system affects almost every aspect of maintaining their identity or life, including their employment. The assimilation. The question about social division enforced Islamic legal Hadrami identity maintenance become principle (kafaah), for example, the become a great debate today. This is women are only allowed to marry with because the Hadrami has played men who have equal or higher of between two identities, they must social status. The highest class in assimilate into indigenous community Hadrami is sayyid, the social elite as a process and to maintain their groups who claim to be a direct status as the taken results of cultural descendant of the Prophet Muhammad values, one of which is maintaining Pbuh, especially from his grandson nasab (lineage) (Abushouk and Husayn. On the basis of the sayyid, Ibrahim, et.