Three generations of a Chinese family, probably in Java, 1947 (John Florea/LIFE)
The Chinese have a long history in Indonesia. Its history spans thousands of years from the time of ancient kingdoms in the archipelago to the present. This long history has not always been smooth, there have been many obstacles and friction faced by Chinese groups in Indonesia.
The initial contact occurred when there were trade and diplomatic relations between the ancient kingdoms in the archipelago and China. Goods and people flew between the two regions, led to interaction between two cultures.
Like minority groups everywhere, Chinese groups in Indonesia also experienced discrimination and became a target of public anger, especially when things went wrong in economy and politics.
The presence of Europeans in Indonesia also influenced the dynamics of the Chinese and the native people. The racist politics of the Dutch, which divided the population into three castes, also fueled the hatred of the natives towards the Chinese. The highest caste was of course the Europeans, the second place was the Eastern foreigners and the lowest caste was the natives.
Chinese girls at their family shop, probably in Java, 1947 (John Florea/LIFE)
However, unlike the Dutch, after Indonesian independence in 1945 the Chinese continued to live in Indonesia. The archipelago is already their hometown. They have little ties to China mainland, and attached more to Indonesia.
The photos above show a Chinese family during the war for the Indonesian independence revolution. Posing in front of their grocery store. Due to different races, the Chineses tend to find it difficult to enter the formal sector, the only option for them was to open their own businesses. Just like the Chinese familiy in the photographs above.