Linguistic and cultural identity of Indonesian Americans in The United States

Abstract

This article examines the second-generation immigrants in California and focuses on their language use and cultural identity as Indonesian-Americans. This study investigated to what extent home language use and community involvement influenced mastery of Indonesian heritage language and what factors affected the forming of cultural identity. Data were drawn from self-assessed Indonesian Oral Proficiency Questionnaire and in-depth interviews of sixteen Indonesian-Americans aged fifteen to early twenties. Their parents were also interviewed as triangulation. Results show that parents' insistence in using Indonesian as home language and the youths' investment in support community have enhanced the mastery of Indonesian heritage language. Furthermore, exposure to the language and culture, investment, and community factors have affected the transformation of cultural identity.

Home, school, and community’s effects on Indonesian secondary students’ self-identity changes

“…The replacement can occur as their adoration of English language is boosted widely through internet-based communication channels. The dominant use of English has, in some ways, affected young people's performances, ways of thinking, and expressing ways of preference (Lie, 2017;Lie, 2018;Lie, Wijaya, & Kuntjara, 2018).…”

“…Home affects the language spoken by the family members and reflects individual and group self-identity (Lie et al, 2018). Positive home factors like parents' educational level, parents' native language, language environment (through television programs, books, and overseas trips), and language spoken at home, influence students' English learning and acquisition (Rahman, 2015;Dixon et al, 2012;Li, 2007;Norton, 1997) which may inevitably be argued to form self-identity changes (Khatib & Rezaei, 2013).…”

The Preference for English in Digital Media among Indonesian Millennials

“…It is understood that identity formation can be realized through the use of native language or foreign language. Lie, Wijaya, & Kuntjara (2018) found that language played a central role in the development and expression of identity. They argued that language is the identity markers that can construct speakers' social identity.…”