Peranakan

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Baba House Museum in Malacca, Malaysia, an area where many "Peranakan" Straits-Chinese
lived.

Peranakan and Baba-Nyonya (Chinese: 峇峇娘惹; pinyin: Bābā Niángrě; Hokkien: Bā-bā
Niû-liá) are terms used for the descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants
to the Nusantara region during the Colonial era. Members of this community in Melaka
address themselves as "Nyonya Baba" instead of "Baba-Nyonya". Nyonya is the term for the
ladies and Baba for the gentlemen. It applies especially to the ethnic Chinese populations of
the British Straits Settlements of Malaya and the Dutch-controlled island of Java and other
locations, who have adopted partially or in full Nusantara customs to be somewhat
assimilated into the local communities. They are the elites of Singapore, more loyal to the
British than to China. Most have lived for generations along the straits of Malacca and not all
intermarried with the local Malays. They are usually traders, the middleman of the British and
the Chinese, or the Chinese and Malays, or vice versa. They almost always have the ability to
speak two or more languages. In later generations, some lost the ability to speak Chinese as
they became assimilated to the Malay Peninsula's culture and started to speak Malay fluently
as a first or second language.

While the term Peranakan is most commonly used among the ethnic Chinese for those of
Chinese descent also known as Straits Chinese (土生華人; named after the Straits
Settlements), there are also other, comparatively small Peranakan communities, such as
Indian Hindu Peranakans (Chitty), Indian Muslim Peranakans (Jawi Pekan) (Jawi being the
Javanised Arabic script,[1] Pekan a colloquial contraction of Peranakan[1]) and Eurasian
Peranakans (Kristang[1]) (Kristang = Christians).[1][2] The group has parallels to the Cambodian
Hokkien, who are descendents of Hoklo Chinese. They maintained their culture partially
despite their native language gradually disappearing a few generations after settlement.[3]

Contents
[hide]
  1 Terminology
 2 Ancestry
 3 Language
 4 History
 5 Culture
o 5.1 Clothing
o 5.2 Religion
o 5.3 Food
o 5.4 Marriage
o 5.5 Museums
o 5.6 Political affinity
 6 Current status
 7 Current associations
 8 Notable Peranakans
o 8.1 Malaysia
o 8.2 Singapore
o 8.3 Thailand
 9 See also
 10 Notes
 11 Further reading
 12 External links

[edit] Terminology
Both Malay and Indonesian use the word Peranakan to mean "descendant" - with no
connotation of the ethnicity of descent unless followed by a subsequent qualifying noun, such
as for example Cina (Chinese), Belanda (Dutch) or Jepang/Jepun (Japanese)[4]. Peranakan has
the implied connotation of referring to the ancestry of great-grandparents or more distant
ancestors.[1]

Baba is a Persian loan-word borrowed by Malaysian as an honorific solely for grandparents; it

was used to refer to the Straits-Chinese males. The term originated with Hindustani speakers,
such as vendors and traders, and became part of common vernacular.[5] Female Straits-
Chinese descendants were either called or styled themselves Nyonyas. The word nyonya (also
commonly misspelled nonya) is a Javanese loan honorific word from Italian Nona (grandma)
meaning: foreign married Madam. Or more likely from the word Dona, from the Portuguese
word for lady. Because Javanese at the time had a tendency to address all foreign women (and
perhaps those who appeared foreign) as nyonya, they used that term for Straits-Chinese
women, too, and it was gradually associated more exclusively with them. nona in javanese
means lady[6]

Straits-Chinese were defined[by whom?] as those born or living in the Straits Settlements: a British
colonial construct of Penang, Malacca and Singapore constituted in 1826. Straits-Chinese
were not considered Baba Nyonya unless they displayed certain Sino-Malay syncretic
physical attributes.[7]
[edit] Ancestry
Most Peranakans are of Hoklo (Hokkien) ancestry, although a sizable number are of Teochew
or Cantonese descent. Originally, the Peranakan were mixed-race descendents, part Chinese,
part Malay/Indonesian.

Baba Nyonya are a subgroup within Chinese communities, are the descendants of Sino-
indigenous unions in Melaka, Penang, and Indonesia. It was not uncommon for early Chinese
traders to take Malay/Indonesian women of Peninsular Malay/Sumatera/Javanese as wives or
concubines[7] Consequently the Baba Nyonya possessed a mix of cultural traits.[7][7]

Written records from the 19th and early 20th centuries show that Peranakan men usually took
brides from within the local Peranakan community. Peranakan families occasionally imported
brides from China and sent their daughters to China to find husbands.

Some sources claim that the early Peranakan inter-married with the local Malay/Indonesian
population; this might derive from the fact that some of the servants who settled in Bukit Cina
who traveled to Malacca with the Admiral from Yunnan were Muslim Chinese. Other experts,
however, see a general lack of physical resemblance, leading them to believe that the
Peranakan Chinese ethnicity has hardly been diluted. One notable case to back the claim is of
the Peranakan community in Tangerang, Indonesia, known as Cina Benteng. Their physical
look is indigenous, yet they dutifully adhere to the Peranakan customs, and most of them are
Buddhist. Some Peranakan distinguish between Peranakan-Baba (those Peranakan with part
Malay ancestry) from Peranakan (those without any Malay ancestry).

[edit] Language
The language of the Peranakans, Baba Malay (Bahasa Melayu Baba), is a creole dialect of the
Malay language (Bahasa Melayu), which contains many Hokkien words. It is a dying
language, and its contemporary use is mainly limited to members of the older generation.
English has now replaced this as the main language spoken amongst the younger generation.

In Indonesia, young Peranakans can still speak this creole language, although its use is limited
to informal occasions. As is the case with many languages, young Peranakans have created
new words (and lost others), so there is normally a difference in vocabulary between the older
and younger generations.

[edit] History
In the 15th century, some small city-states of the Malay Peninsula often paid tribute to various
kingdoms such as those of China and Siam. Close relations with China were established in the
early 15th century during the reign of Parameswara when Admiral Zheng He (Cheng Ho), a
Muslim Chinese, visited Malacca and Java. According to a legend in 1459 CE, the Emperor
of China sent a princess, Hang Li Po, to the Sultan of Malacca as a token of appreciation for
his tribute. The nobles (500 sons of ministers) and servants who accompanied the princess
initially settled in Bukit Cina and eventually grew into a class of Straits-born Chinese known
as the Peranakans.
Due to economic hardships at mainland China, waves of immigrants from China settled in
Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. Some of them embraced the local customs, while still
retaining some degree of their ancestral culture; they are known as the Peranakans.
Peranakans normally have a certain degree of indigenous blood, which can be attributed to the
fact that during imperial China, most immigrants were men who married local women.
Peranakans at Tangerang, Indonesia, held such a high degree of indigenous blood that they
are almost physically indistinguishable from the local population. Peranakans at Indonesia can
vary between very fair to copper tan in color.

Peranakans themselves later on migrated between Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, which
resulted in a high degree of cultural similarity between Peranakans in those countries.
Economic / educational reasons normally propel the migration between of Peranakans
between the Nusantara region (Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore), their creole language is
very close to the indigenous languages of those countries, which makes adaptations a lot
easier.

For political reasons Peranakans and other Nusantara Chinese are grouped as a one racial
group, Chinese, with Chinese in Singapore and Malaysia becoming more adoptive of
mainland Chinese culture, and Chinese in Indonesia becoming more diluted in their Chinese
culture. Such things can be attributed to the policies of Bumiputera (Malaysia), mother tongue
policy (Singapore) and the ban of Chinese culture during the Soeharto era in Indonesia.

[edit] Culture
[edit] Clothing

The Peranakan retained most of their ethnic and religious origins (such as ancestor worship),
but assimilated the language and culture of the Malays. The Nyonya's clothing, Baju Panjang
(Long Dress) was adapted from the native Malay's Baju Kurung. It is worn with a batik
sarong (batik wrap-around skirt) and 3 kerosang (brooches). Beaded slippers called Kasot
Manek were a hand-made made with much skill and patience: strung, beaded and sewn onto
canvas with tiny faceted glass beads from Bohemia (present-day Czech Republic). In modern
times, glass beads from Japan are preferred. Traditional kasot manek design often have
European floral subjects, with colors influenced by Peranakan porcelain and batik sarongs.
They were made onto flats or bedroom slippers. But from the 1930s, modern shapes became
popular and heels were added.

In Indonesia, the Peranakans develop their own Kebaya, most notably 'kebaya encim', and
developed their own batik patterns, which incorporate symbols from China.

[edit] Religion

Baba Nyonya subscribed to Chinese beliefs: Taoism, Confucianism and Chinese Buddhism,
celebrated the Lunar New Year and the Lantern Festival, while adopting the customs of the
land they settled in, as well as those of their colonial rulers. There are traces of Portuguese,
Dutch, British, Malay and Indonesian influences in Baba culture.[7] A certain number of Baba
Nonya families were and still are, Catholic.

[edit] Food
Ayam buah keluak, a traditional Peranakan dish

From the Malay influence a unique "Nyonya" cuisine has developed using typical Malay
spices. Examples are Chicken Kapitan, a dry chicken curry, and Inchi Kabin, a Nyonya
version of fried chicken. Pindang bandeng is a common fish soup served in Indonesia during
the Chinese new year and so is a white round mooncake from Tangerang which is normally
used during the Autumn Festival. Swikee Purwodadi is a peranakan dish from Purwodadi, it is
a frog soup dish.

[edit] Marriage

It was not uncommon for early Chinese traders to take Malay women of Peninsular Malay or
Sumatera as wives or concubines[7]

Consequently the Baba Nyonya possessed a synergistic mix of Sino-Malay cultural traits.[7][7]

Written records from the 19th and early 20th centuries show that Peranakan men usually took
brides from within the local Peranakan community. Peranakan families occasionally imported
brides from China and sent their daughters to China to find husbands.

Marriages within the community and of similar stature were the norm. Wealthy men
prefigured to marry a chin choay: or matrilocal marriage where husband moved in with wife's
family.[7]

Proposals of marriage were made by a gift of a pinangan, a 2-tiered lacquered basket, to the
intended bride's parents brought by a go-between who speaks on behalf of the suitor. Most
Peranakans are not Muslim, and have retained the traditions of ancestor worship of the
Chinese, though some converted to Christianity.

The wedding ceremony of the Peranakan is largely based on Chinese tradition, and is one of
the most colorful wedding ceremonies in Malaysia and Singapore. At weddings, the Dondang
Sayang, a form of extempore rhyming song in Malay sung and danced by guests at the
wedding party, was a highlight. Someone would begin a romantic theme which was carried on
by others, each taking the floor in turn, dancing in slow gyrations as they sang. It required
quick wit and repartee and often gave rise to laughter and applause when a particularly clever
phrase was sung. The melodic accents of the Baba-Nonya and their particular turns of phrase
lend to the charm of this performance.
Multichrome enamel porcelain tea tray with a traditional Peranakan "fenghuang"

[edit] Museums

Historical and cultural items from the Baba culture are displayed in cultural establishments on
Heeren Street, Jonker Street and other streets in the same neighborhood in Malacca and in
Penang in Malaysia, and at the Peranakan Museum in Singapore. There one can find
museums displaying furniture, food stuff, and even traditional clothes of the Baba and Nonya.
There are also a small number of "Nyonya" restaurants in Singapore, Penang, Malacca,
Jakarta, Semarang, Surabaya, and the West. Free weekly street shows featuring Baba
performances, and traditional and pop Chinese cultural performances are found in Jonker
Street in Malacca (Melaka). The shows are part of the night market (pasar malam) scene, and
are usually crowded with shoppers, both local and foreign.

In Indonesia a large population of Peranakans can be found in Tangerang, West Java.

[edit] Political affinity

Baba Nyonya were financially better off than China born Chinese. Their family wealth and
connections enabled them to form a Straits-Chinese elite, whose loyalty was strictly to Britain
or the Netherlands.[7]. Due to their strict loyalty they did not support Malaysian nor Indonesian
Independence.[7]

By the middle of the twentieth century, most Peranakan were English or Dutch-educated, as a
result of the Western colonization of Malaya and Indonesia, Peranakans readily embraced
English culture and education as a means to advance economically thus administrative and
civil service posts were often filled by prominent Straits Chinese. Many in the community
chose to convert to Christianity due to its perceived prestige and proximity to the preferred
company of British and Dutch.[7] The Peranakan community thereby became very influential
in Malacca and Singapore and were known also as the King's Chinese due to their loyalty to
the British Crown. Because of their interaction with different cultures and languages, most
Peranakans were (and still are) trilingual, being able to converse in Chinese, Malay, and
English. Common vocations were as merchants, traders, and general intermediaries between
China, Malaya and the West; the latter were especially valued by the British and Dutch.
Things started to change in the first half of the 20th century, with some Peranakans starting to
support Malaysian and Indonesian independence. In Indonesia three Chinese communities
started to merge and become active in the political scene.

They were also among the pioneers of Indonesian newspapers. In their fledgling publishing
companies, they published their own political ideas along with contributions from other
Indonesian writers. In November 1928, the Chinese weekly Sin Po (traditional Chinese: 新報;
pinyin: xīn bào) was the first paper to openly publish the text of the national anthem Indonesia
Raya. On occasion, those involved in such activities ran a concrete risk of imprisonment or
even of their lives, as the Dutch colonial authorities banned nationalistic publications and
activities.

Chinese Indonesians were active in supporting the independence movement during the 1940s
Japanese occupation, when the all but the so-called "Overseas Chinese Association", or
residents of Chinese ancestry (traditional Chinese: 華僑中會; pinyin: Huáqiáo Zhōnghuì)
were banned by the Japanese military authorities. Some notable pro-independence activists
were Siauw Giok Tjhan and Liem Koen Hian, and Yap Tjwan Bing, a member of Panitia
Persiapan Kemerdekaan Indonesia, who in 1960's became a citizen of the United States.

[edit] Current status

Peranakan culture is disappearing in Malaysia and Singapore. Without colonial British
support for their perceived racial neutrality, government policies in both countries following
independence from the British have resulted in the assimilation of Peranakans back into
mainstream Chinese culture. In Singapore, the Peranakans are classified as ethnically
Chinese, so they receive formal instruction in Mandarin Chinese as a second language (in
accordance with the "Mother Tongue Policy") instead of Malay. In Malaysia, the
standardization of Malay as Bahasa Melayu — required for all ethnic groups — has led to a
disappearance of the unique characteristics of Baba Malay.

In Indonesia, the Peranakan culture is losing popularity to modern Western culture, but to
some degree Peranakans try to retain their language, cuisines and customs. Young Peranakans
still speak their creole language, although many young women don't wear the kebaya, and
marriages normally follow western culture.

The migration of some Peranakan families, particularly the well-to-do, has led to a small
Peranakan diaspora to neighbouring countries, from Vietnam[8] to Australia[9]. However, these
communities are very small, and with the increasing use of the various languages in their
respective countries, the use of Peranakan Malay or Baba Malay has been diluted.

[edit] Current associations

Associations of Chinese Peranakan include the Peranakan Association of Singapore and the
Gunung Sayang Association, a performing arts group. The Peranakan Association has about
1700 members, and the Gunung Sayang has about 200 members. Although the Peranakan
Association consists of a mix of young and old, the Gunung Sayang Association has primarily
elderly or retired members. In Malacca, there is an Indian Peranakan Association known as
the Chitty Melaka. This is a tightly knit community of [10]. Chitty Peranakans display
considerable similarity to Chinese Peranakans in terms of dressing, songs and folk
dances.Eg.pantuns

[edit] Notable Peranakans

[edit] Malaysia

 Tun Dato Sri Tan Cheng Lock - Founder and first President of Malaysian Chinese
Association (MCA)
 Tun Tan Siew Sin - Third President of Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA)
 Andrew Hwang - Malaysian Secretary of the Malayan Volunteers Group
 Nyonya Tan Abdullah
 Khoo Salma Nasution
 QuaChee
 Kenny Chan

[edit] Singapore

 Teri Yeo - Contestant of Campus Superstar Season 2

 Goh Keng Swee - First Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore
 Dick Lee - Celebrity pop singer, composer and playwright
 Lee Kuan Yew - First Prime Minister and Father of Modern Singapore
 Pierre Png - Mediacorp artiste
 Louis Law - Hollywood screenwriter

[edit] Thailand

[edit] See also

 Chinese Indonesian
 Chitty
 Malaysian Chinese
 Overseas Chinese
 Sangley
 The Little Nyonya
 Cambodian Hokkien

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peranakan