The Hadrami Arabs of Ambon: an Ethnographic Study of Diasporic Identity Construction in Everyday Life Practices

Abstract

This dissertation is the result of an ethnographic study of present-day Hadrami Arab descendants in Ambon. It aims at understanding the interplay between ethnicity and religion in the construction of diasporic identity and in the social integration of the descendants of Hadrami Arab migrants in Ambon. The research question addressed in this dissertation is how ethnicity and religion intersect in individual and collective constructions of identity of present-day Ambonese Hadramis and how this intersection relates to their positions in Ambonese socio-economic, political and religious power constellations. The study aims to contribute to filling the gap of knowledge on the diaspora of the Hadrami Arabs especially in Eastern Indonesia. Adopting a constructivist approach, this study uses the concept of diaspora as an analytical lens in combination with the intersectionality perspective. This dissertation is first and foremost based on ethnographic research. Data for this ethnography were mainly gathered through fieldwork consisting of interviews and participant observation. Besides, the data are documented through notes, photos, and audio-visual recording.