Totok

Indonesian term for immigrants
Dutch Totok couple wearing Dutch traditional clothing on New Year's Day 1926

Totok is an Indonesian term of Javanese origin, used in Indonesia to refer to recent migrants of Arab, Chinese or European origins.[1][2][3][4] In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries it was popularised among colonists in Batavia, who initially coined the term to describe the foreign born and new immigrants of "pure blood" – as opposed to people of mixed indigenous and foreign descent, such as the Peranakan Arabs, Chinese or Europeans (the latter being better known as the Indo people).[3][5][4]

When more pure-blooded Arabs, Chinese and Dutchmen were born in the East Indies, the term gained significance in describing those of exclusive or almost exclusive foreign ancestry.[1][3][4]

'Peranakan' is the antonym of 'Totok', the former meaning simply 'descendants' (of mixed roots), and the latter meaning 'pure'.[4][6]

Chinese were divided into Thanh people (like Totok) and Minh Huong (mixed Chinese Vietnamese like Peranakan) in 1829 by Emperor Minh Mang of the Nguyen dynasty.[7]

Notable Dutch Totoks and descendants

Totok father with Indo wife and children and Indigenous nanny
  • Paul Acket [nl] (Semarang, Java, 1922), founder of the North Sea Jazz festival
  • Albert Alberts (1911–1995), award winning author, journalist
  • Beb Bakhuys (1909–1982), football player and manager
  • Ben Bot (born in Batavia) (b. 1937), minister
  • Hans van den Broek (b. 1936), minister
  • Jeroen Brouwers (1940-2022), author
  • Conrad Busken Huet (1826–1886), newspaper editor on Java (1868–1876)
  • Louis Couperus (1863–1923), childhood in Batavia, Java (1871–1877), author of The Hidden Force (1900)
  • P. A. Daum (1850–1898), newspaperman, author
  • Johan Fabricius (1899–1981), author of De Scheepsjongens van Bontekoe (1923)
  • Anthony Fokker (Blitar, Java, 1890–1939), aviation pioneer
  • Hella Haasse (Batavia, Java, 1918–2011), award winning author
  • Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema (Surabaya, Java, 1917–2007), decorated World War II hero
  • W. R. van Hoëvell (1812–1879), church minister of Batavia, political activist (1838–1848)
  • Xaviera Hollander (b. 1943), author
  • Rudy Kousbroek (1929–2010), author
  • Liesbeth List (b. 1941), singer
  • Multatuli (1820–1887), resident on Ambon and Java (1838–1858), iconic author
  • Willem Nijholt [nl], artist, singer
  • Willem Oltmans (1925–2004), journalist, author
  • Helga Ruebsamen (1934–2016), author
  • F. Springer (1932–2011), author
  • Bram van der Stok (Plaju, Sumatra, 1915–1993), decorated World War II hero
  • Madelon Szekely-Lulofs (Surabaya, 1899–1958) author of Rubber(1931)[8] and Koelie (1931)[9]
  • Peter Tazelaar (Bukittingi, Sumatra, 1922–1993), decorated World War II hero
  • Edgar Vos (Makassar, 1931-2010), fashion designer
  • Margaretha Geertruida Zelle (1876–1917), known as Mata Hari, exotic dancer, spy

See also

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b Ulbe Bosma & Remco Raben (2008). Being "Dutch" in the Indies: A History of Creolisation and Empire, 1500–1920 (11 April 1996 ed.). National University of Singapore Press. pp. 186–286. ISBN 978-0-89680-261-2.
  2. ^ Charles A. Coppel, "Diaspora and hybridity: Peranakan Chinese culture in Indonesia", in Routledge Handbook of the Chinese Diaspora, edited by Chee-Beng Tan, pp. 346-347
  3. ^ a b c Mobini-Kesheh, Natalie (1999). The Hadrami Awakening: Community and Identity in the Netherlands East Indies, 1900-1942. Singapore: SEAP Publications. ISBN 978-0-87727-727-9. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d Rush, James R. (2007). Opium to Java: Revenue Farming and Chinese Enterprise in Colonial Indonesia, 1860-1910. Sheffield: Equinox Publishing. ISBN 978-979-3780-49-8. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  5. ^ Willems, Wim "Tjalie Robinson; Biografie van een Indo-schrijver" Chapter: Een Totok als vader (Publisher: Bert Bakker, 2008) p. 45 ISBN 9789035133099.
  6. ^ Tan, Mely G. (2008) (in English and Indonesian), Etnis Tionghoa di Indonesia: Kumpulan Tulisan [Ethnic Chinese in Indonesia: Collected Writings] (Jakarta: Yayasan Obor Indonesia, 2008) ISBN 978-979-461-689-5 p. 1
  7. ^ Tran, Khanh (1997). "8 Ethnic Chinese in Vietnam and Their Identity". In Suryadinata, Leo (ed.). Ethnic Chinese as Southeast Asians. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. p. 272. ISBN 9813055502. Until 1829 their children were considered to be Chinese, but later they were regarded as Vietnamese and were ... to reside in Vietnam.10 The preferential treatment for Chinese immigrants and naturalization exercise under Nguyen rules ...
  8. ^ Rubber by Madelon Szekely-Lulofs on DBNL website.
  9. ^ Koelie by Madelon Szekely-Lulofs on DBNL website.

Bibliography

  • Bosman, Ulbe and Raben, Remco. De oude Indische wereld 1500–1920. (Bert Bakker, Amsterdam 2003) ISBN 90-351-2572-X (in Dutch)
  • Sastrowardoyo, Subagio Sastra Hindia Belanda dan kita (Publisher: PT Balai Pustaka, Jakarta, 1990) p. 21 ISBN 979-407-278-8 (in Indonesian)
  • Taylor, Jean Gelman. The Social World of Batavia: European and Eurasian in Dutch Asia (Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1983). ISBN 9780300097092
  • Taylor, Jean Gelman. Indonesia: Peoples and Histories (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003). ISBN 0300097093

External links

  • Totok Hall of Fame website. Retrieved 13 Mar 2012.
  • v
  • t
  • e
Indonesia Ethnic groups in Indonesia by region
Sumatra
Java
Kalimantan
Sulawesi
Papua
Lesser
Sunda Islands
Maluku Islands
Non-indigenous