Sundanese Language Survival Among Indonesian Diaspora Families in Melbourne, Australia
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Ahmad Bukhori Muslim, Sundanese Language Survival Among Indonesian Diaspora Families SUNDANESE LANGUAGE SURVIVAL AMONG INDONESIAN DIASPORA FAMILIES IN MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA Ahmad Bukhori Muslim Indonesia University of Education [email protected] Abstract Most migrant families living anywhere in the world, are concerned with maintaining their ethnic language, in order to sustain a sense of belonging to the country of their origin and enable extended family harmony. This study explores the survival of Sundanese language among eight Indonesian families of West Java origin (Sundanese speakers) living permanently in Melbourne, Australia. Most of these families migrated to Australia in the 1950s as Colombo Plan scholars and unskilled labourers. Semi-structured interviews and home observations showed that, despite believing in the importance of Sundanese language in their diasporic life, speaking Sundanese is the only practice that most of the participating parents, can do to maintain their language, alongside Bahasa Indonesia and English, to show they belong to the Sundanese culture. However, Sundanese language levels of politeness limit its use among their Australia-born second generation, making this ethnic language unlikely to survive. The young people only understand and copy a few routine words of greetings and short instructions. The study also suggests that the parents needed to be accommodative in order to maintain the Sundanese language by combining it with English and Bahasa Indonesia. Key words: Sundanese language maintenance, Indonesian diaspora, parental advice and values INTRODUCTION Like other local ethnic groups of Historically most Sundanese people Indonesia, a lot of Sundanese people migrate have lived in the Western part of Java Island, to various overseas countries, including long before the independence of Indonesia. Australia. The history of modern migration They share the western part of this small of the Indonesian diaspora to Australia but highly densely populated island, which started in the 1950s, including current the is also the hub of Indonesia, with other Sundanese people who came to Melbourne local ethnic groups such as the Javanese, as early as Colombo Plan scholars (Museum Madurese, Balinese, and Malay. In the cities Victoria, 2015). Having lived in Melbourne of West Java province, most Sundanese speak permanently for decades, they still strongly Sundanese language in their daily activities consider themselves Sundanese-Indonesian at home, schools, government offices, and who do not want to lose their cultural they therefore may identify themselves more identity. They have strong motivation to to being Sundanese than to being Indonesian. communicate and socialize this cultural In most cases, Sundanese people and other identity, particularly in their ethnic language, local Indonesian ethnicities usually identify to their younger generation who are mostly themselves to being Indonesian more strongly were born in Australian. only when they are overseas. They want to Geographically a close neighbouring show their Indonesian heritage when living country to Australia, Indonesia is most in other countries such as the United States or often considered ‘psychologically far’. Australia as experienced by the participating Most Australians have unfortunately limited Sundanese families in this study. knowledge about Indonesia, other than Bali. 89 International Journal of Education, Vol. 8 No. 2 May 2015 Due to their larger numbers, migrants from born and grew up in Australia, and their countries much further away than Indonesia children’s extensive exposure to English such as Vietnam, India, China, Bangladesh, impedes maintenance. Despite the negative Sri Lanka and even Bosnia are more well- response of their children, some parents keep known among Australians than Indonesians. using the language in their daily routines. Evidence of this limited knowledge or This effort is not always as successful as they engagement is provision of Australian public expect. This issue of Sundanese language services in languages other than English, maintenance and what it means for the including various ethnic languages such as participating families is the main topic of this Arabic, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian, study. German, Greek, and Swahili. Very rarely does This research centres on two questions. this public service include Bahasa Indonesia, Firstly, ‘how is Sundanese language used the national language of Australia’s closest among Indonesian diaspora families of West neighbour. Java origin?’ Secondly, ‘what does this use, Overcoming the psychological barrier if any, mean for their linguistic and cultural requires promotion of the Indonesian language identification with Indonesia?’ These two and culture to the public of Australia. Due to questions have been researched through limited Indonesian government promotion semi-structured interviews and observations of Indonesia overseas, the engagement of in homes and at cultural events over a five Indonesian communities in Australia can year period. effectively take the lead. Often times, people to people diplomacy has stronger effect than METHOD that of government to government. This This research is a qualitative initiative for cultural promotion has been ethnographic case study. Eight families, taken by some Indonesian communities in represented by four fathers and four mothers, Melbourne, Australia, including Sundanese took part in the study. Most of them are people who have concern for promoting Australian permanent residents who hold Indonesian language and culture, particularly Indonesian passports, living in the Greater that of Sundanese. They have established Melbourne area. Only one participant, an organization called Paguyuban Pasundan married to an Australian, has taken Australian (The Association of Sundanese) in Melbourne citizenship. Six of the parents are Sundanese and organize various Sundanese cultural couples, another couple are Indonesian activities like Kabayan and Angklung but non-Sundanese , and the other has an (Bamboo-made traditional Sudanese music Australian husband. Most of the participating instrument) performances. parents come from Bandung, the capital At the family level, these diasporic city of West Java. A few of them are from Sundanese people, particularly among other cities in the province such as Bogor, the couples who are both of Sundanese Tasikmalaya and Sukabumi. origin, Sundanese language is used when The participants’ length of stay in communicating with their children as they Australia ranges from 11 to 40 years. Some want to maintain their local ethnic language. families are young (the eldest child being They believe that this ethnic language is an 13 years old) others are old (the eldest child effective medium to communicate family being 29 years old). Most of their children values of respect and giving of parental advice were born in Australia and only a few of that they want to pass down to the younger them were Indonesia-born. Children mostly generation to maintain family harmony. have taken Australian passports for more Unfortunately, most of their children were educational and social benefits. A few of 90 Ahmad Bukhori Muslim, Sundanese Language Survival Among Indonesian Diaspora Families the participants of older families have even Familial Ethnic Socialization (FES) supports Australian-born grandchildren. exploration, commitment, and belonging Data for this study has been generated to ethnic identity. The mother’s family from semi-structured interviews, informal obligation expectations provide positive talks and participant-observations at homes, family identification and ethnic culture community centres, and cultural events over learning opportunities that may encourage a five year period. Each interview took 30-45 children’s ethnic identity development (Su minutes. The interview guide can be found & Costigan, 2009). For ethnic minority in Appendix 1. Observations at homes and adolescents, ethnic identity is an important various cultural events were conducted for aspect of self-concept which is salient during more than four years; before, during and after their adolescence (Phinney, 1992; French, the interviews. The results of interviews and Seidman, Allen & Aber, 2006). This ethnic observations were then compiled on the basis identity has proven to be a critical facet of of emerging themes and analysed by relevant adolescents’ developmental experiences, as theories of language maintenance and it relates to their psychological functioning, investment as part of cultural identification. supports self-esteem and self-concepts, Participation in this study was and promotes cultural adjustment (French, voluntary. All participants were asked Seidman, Allen & Aber, 2006; Phinney, 1990, to complete consent forms prior to their 1992, 1996; Umaña- Taylor, Diversi, & Fine, participation. Interviews were conducted 2002; Lee, 2003, 2006; Phinney, Cantu, & at their convenience. They were allowed to Kurtz, 1997; Tsai, Ying, & Lee, 2001). withdraw from this study anytime at any In the context of Australia, each stages of study. They were also allowed to minority ethnic group may have a different select information that they considered to focus in socializing their cultural values. be off record. Finally, all names used in this Speaking the ethnic language is the first study are pseudonyms. More details about cultural practice that members of ethnic participants can be found in Appendix 2. minority want to maintain (Clyne, 2005;