The Indo-European Problem in Indonesia

Abstract

THE SO-CALLED Indo-European question is one of the most disquieting problems in contemporary Indonesia. The Indo-European group there is essentially similar to groups elsewhere which comprise Eurasians, half-castes or mulattoes. In dealing with such groups, modern sociology has tried to establish a number of common characteristics. For example, they are supposed to belong usually to the man type, to reside mainly in urban areas, and to exist on the borderland between two clashing cultures-one dynamic and technically superior, the other more static. In the past the superior culture has customarily been represented by the race. In societies in which mixed-bloods are found, white superiority finds expression in a higher social prestige. External characteristics of the whites, such as a light complexion, European dress, and correct pronunciation of European languages, are liable to become symbols of a desirable social status. The nature of mixed societies is responsible both for the social position of mixed-bloods and for certain of their mental traits. As marginal men, they belong to a restless, unbalanced human type. Their characteristics are determined largely by their social position, which generally is intermediate between the pure whites and the colored masses. Of course, the position of half-castes varies from society to society. In some, they are, in many respects, assimilated into the ruling white class; in others, they are placed on a par with the scorned colored people or, considered as bastards, are rated inferior to them. Even in countries where overt race prejudice and legal discrimination do not exist, a white complexion affords some social prestige. On the other hand, even in countries where half-castes, together with the mass of the colored population, are discriminated against, they may often enjoy a certain amount of social consideration. Although the foregoing observations apply in some measure to the Indo-Europeans of the Netherlands Indies, the prewar situation there presented certain specific variations from conditions prevailing in other countries.