Tionghoa (Chinees-Indonesische) nederzettingen in postkoloniale stedelijke gebieden van Indonesië. Een case study over Semarang

Tionghoa (Chinese Indonesian) communities in post-colonial urban areas of Indonesia. Chinese Indonesians are descendants of Chinese migrants who arrived in the archipelago in successive waves prior to Western colonialism and developed a distinct hybrid culture. Despite their long-standing presence and Indonesian citizenship, they have often been regarded as foreigners. Throughout colonial and post-colonial history, social jealousy, economic disparity, and exclusionary policies—combined with certain socio-economic privileges— have resulted in repeated episodes of discrimination, riots, and violence against this community, which in general nevertheless remains, in economic terms, better off than the average Indonesian population. Historically, the majority of Chinese Indonesians settled in cities, particularly within commercial districts. Although ethnic residential segregation is no longer legally enforced, a factual concentration of Chinese Indonesians remains in certain neighborhoods. In many Indonesian cities, they continue to occupy strategically valuable urban areas, reflecting historical trajectories shaped by colonial land regimes, post-colonial governance, and economic positioning. This study reconstructs the adaptive ethnic placemaking processes of Chinese Indonesians in post-colonial Indonesia, focusing on how spatial belonging is continuously negotiated under shifting political, legal, and socio-cultural conditions. The research draws on fieldwork methods including observation, informal interviews, mapping, and documentation, as well as the analysis of spatial planning and land regulation documents. Rather than treating placemaking as a fixed or purely physical outcome, this dissertation conceptualizes it as an iterative, adaptive, and multi-scalar process shaped by governmentality, everyday practices, and socio-cultural negotiation. The analysis spans multiple spatial contexts, including Chinatown, inner-city kampungs, business districts, memorial landscapes, and suburban gated communities. By examining placemaking from the perspectives of the community, the state, and private actors, this dissertation demonstrates how Chinese Indonesians continuously negotiate visibility, security, and belonging within post-colonial Indonesian cities.