“Work like a Javanese, worship like an Acehnese”: The transformation of social reality and identity among Javanese migrants in Aceh, Indonesia

The movement of an individual within the country, also known as internal migration, is most likely driven by the pressure to improve existing living standards. However, this has consequences: unfamiliar and new environments may force migrants to adapt quickly and integrate into local communities. Using Javanese transmigration to Banda Aceh Province, Indonesia, as a case study, the article demonstrates that the impact of internal migration should be viewed as a dynamic and dialectical social process. Javanese migrants must constantly adjust their subjectivity, which is heavily influenced by the established objective reality of Acehnese society. The label “Javanese migrants”, in particular, has been strongly internalized in the Acehnese mind throughout a series of historical events. Moreover, we observe that an opportunity exists for Javanese migrants to challenge the established objective reality in various forms, varying from abstract to concrete actions. This article emphasizes the lived experiences of each informant using a phenomenological approach that bridges the philosophical focus on individual consciousness and the sociological focus on social structures. Thus, it challenges oversimplification in studies of migrants and ethnic groups, arguing that individual subjectivity should be valued and given primacy amidst the dominant legal-politico framework with its emphasis on discrimination and violence.