Negotiating Javanese and Muslim identities: cultural and religious construction among Indonesian migrants in Bangkok

This study explores how Javanese Muslims in Bangkok negotiate Islamic and Javanese identities within a transnational and double-minority context. Using a qualitative interpretative phenomenological approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews, participatory observation, and written reflections involving 15 participants from Kampung Jawa, Bangkok. Findings show that Islam and Javanese culture are perceived as complementary rather than contradictory. Practices such as pengajian, slametan, tahlilan, and Maulid Nabi function not only as religious activities but also as mechanisms for preserving collective memory, social solidarity, and cultural continuity. Identity negotiation varies across domestic, communal, and public spaces: Muslim identity is more visible in broader Thai society, while Javanese identity is maintained primarily within families and community networks. Younger generations develop hybrid identities shaped by Thai education, digital media, and transnational connections with Indonesia. The study contributes to scholarship on diaspora, hybridity, and lived religion in Southeast Asia.