Before the end of 2022, we went to the cinema for ‘Avatar 2: The Way of Water’. Although visually impressive, the movie drenched me with disappointment for its overly simplified storyline and stereotyping of indigenous communities, not to mention the director’s obsession with the ‘white saviour’ narrative.

To be fair, this movie provided several discussion points with my children, unpacking some complex issues layer by layer.

One aspect we discussed was the discrimination faced by Jake and Neytiri’s children when they fled from the forest to the islands. There are three layers of discrimination here.

First, they were not welcomed by the Metkayina clan as refugees. Second, they were ridiculed for their unfamiliarity with the sea, citing the differences between ‘forest people’ and ‘sea people’. Third, they were mocked for their physical features as children of a native and a foreigner. Following these angles, we talked about migration, integration, diversity, and identity.

This discussion reminded me of my field experience in Sanggau-Sekadau back in 2018.

During a road trip, we stopped by a small eatery operated by a family of mixed ancestry of Chinese and Dayak. The cook, also the father, prepared and served the food on the terrace of the family house.

My local Dayak friends called him ‘kor’, meaning ‘brother’ in several Chinese dialects. Chinese elements could be seen in many parts of the house, including the red lantern in front of the door, the lion dance calendar, the Chinese painting and calligraphy hung on the wall and various decorations displayed in cupboards or on tables.

Drawn by opportunities in West Kalimantan in the 18th century, especially in the mining sector, groups of Chinese came all the way from the southern provinces of China to seek work and earn a livelihood. They stayed and made West Kalimantan their home. Some married local women and blended well into the indigenous communities, fostering a sizeable mixed-race community.

While coastal cities like Singkawang and Pontianak house large Chinese communities, a significant mixed-race population can be found further inland, including the Sanggau-Sekadau region, spreading along the Kapuas River, the longest river in Indonesia.

The family I met in Sanggau-Sekadau is one prominent example of interracial marriage and cultural integration. In my eyes, their multiracial features were quite clear in both physical and cultural aspects.

However, there is no simple racial criterion to define mixed-race communities precisely. It seems that people can choose to identify and align themselves in quite a flexible way depending on contexts. Ethnic identity in Borneo, not only for the Chinese communities, can be very fluid and dynamic.

There were reports about the struggle of the generations from interracial marriage in identifying themselves and lacking a sense of belonging. This problem becomes especially obvious with the proliferation of identity politics when people are grouped by race or religion in establishing political agendas.

Unlike its counterparts in Malaysia, where race-based political parties are common, ethnic politics is much more subtle in West Kalimantan, a place with a long history of ethnic violence.

Interestingly, one can self-identify with multiple ethnicities, such as possessing multiple names in different languages and flexibly ‘activating’ the different ethnic credentials in different contexts.

Yansen Akun Effendy, the former Bupati of Sanggau (2003-2008) with a mixed parentage of Chinese and Dayak, is a remarkable example. He ran for office using his Dayak identity inherited from his mother, but he could also speak Chinese dialect and celebrated Chinese New Year. The impressive book by Karolina Prasad, namely ‘Identity Politics and Elections in Malaysia and Indonesia: Ethnic Engineering in Borneo’, neatly illustrated the complexities of ethnic-based politics in the region.

The close encounter between the Chinese and the Dayaks has resulted in some unique hybrid culture in Borneo. I was particularly astonished at the vibrant celebration of Cap Go Meh in West Kalimantan which consists of substantial Dayak elements.

In the Tatung rituals, people dress in Chinese and Dayak traditional costumes and pierce their skin with sharp objects. Various ethnic instruments are performed, accompanied by dancing and singing. The ritual is similar to what I had seen throughout my childhood in Penang during the ‘Nine Emperor Gods Festival’ held in October. Similar festivals can also be seen in Phuket and many other coastal cities with Chinese diasporas.

Diversity may also bring inclusivity. Singkawang, the city famous for its Chinese temples, was listed by Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace as one of the most inclusive places in Indonesia, well reflecting Indonesia’s national motto, Bhineka Tunggal Ika, or translated to as ‘Unity in Diversity’.

The phrase was taken froman Old Javanese poem written to foster tolerance between Hindus and Buddhists in the Majapahit Kingdom. It reminded me of my school days when masyarakat majmuk was a common phrase used in essay writing. Deeply planted in our minds is that diversity has always been a norm.

The story of Mohammad Azlan Charles Abdullah, as reported in Bernama in 2016, was one of the best examples I have read.

Born as a Sino-Iban in Sarawak, he converted to Islam in his early 20s. However, he has never stopped celebrating Christmas with his family members. In the interview, he described that the children in his family get along very well without prejudice, albeit they were brought up in different cultures. Moreover, he claimed that diversity had strengthened their family ties.

Accommodating diversity can be resource-intensive but may bring considerable benefits. Diversity is not just about putting different ethnic groups together in a residential area. It challenges us to improve continuously, forcing us to jump out of our comfort zone and address issues from different perspectives with an open mindset.

Different cultures compete, merge, and split. Partial clashes of values are inevitable, but we may be able to absorb unique nutrients from different groups, enriching each other. In the face of rapid globalisation, cultural diversity is probably one of the greatest blessings to Borneo.

Well, if everyone looked and acted the same, just like the clone troopers in Star Wars, the world would be super boring, no?

Happy Chinese New Year!

Dr Goh Chun Seng
Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development (JSC)
Email: @email

This article was first published in The Borneo Post, 16 January 2023.