Hello. Selamat Pagi/Siang/Sore/Malam. Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening.
My name is Zahra Maharani Wijaya. And I am Indonesian.
On Wattpad, the majority of Asian characters I see, are either East Asian, or Southern Asian. Indonesia doesn't apply to those two groups. Indonesia is actually a huge country. In terms of population, we're the fourth highest, and we're pretty large. Kalimantan, or as you may know as Borneo, is as big as France.
So let's clear up some misunderstandings, and if you don't understand, you always have a handy tool named Google to help you out.
Cultures
Indonesia, like I said earlier, is very, very, very large. And as I said earlier, very, very, very, populated. Our motto is "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika," or "Unity, in Diversity." It means, that although we come from different places and races, we are all one, as Indonesia.
That brings us to our traditions, physical appearances, and personalities, cultures, etc.
Let's clear things up.
I was born as Zahra Maharani Wijaya. Daughter to a Javanese mother, and Sumatran father. Right now, I currently reside in Jogjakarta, a small province in Indonesia. We have a sultan for a governor. For more information, look up "Jogjakarta."
I am part of the majority of the population in Indonesia. I am Muslim. I try to pray five times a day, I fast during Ramadann and before Idul Adha. But to be honest, I am do not wear a hijab.
I was born in Central Java. When I was two, me and my family moved to Australia, because my mom was pursuing her Master's degree in Flinders University. We lived there for two years. Then we came back to Indonesia for a year. When I was five, we moved to America, as my mom pursued her Ph.d IN English Education in the University of Oklahoma.
I was born to a Javanese mother and a Sumatran father. That means, every Idul Fitri, our table is packed from edge to edge with Rendang, Terik, Pempek, lemper, lontong, and lots of other foods. We greet our relatived by saying "Sugeng Rawuh", and we greatly value respect and kindness.
Yes, I can speak a little bit of Javanese.
When I moved to America, I was five. I was young, and I was dumb. When I was asked where I was from, I replied, "Indonesia," innocently. I didn't understand the dirty looks some people gave at my mother, who wore a hijab.
But Indonesia is virtually accepting. My granmother's sister, who was born a muslim, converted to Christianity at twenty. Do we leave her out at family gatherings during Ramadhan and other holidays?
No. She comes to our ancestral house during Lebaran and she gives money to all the little kids. We also come to her house during Christmas and Easter, our bags filled with food for her.
At school, I have fun with my friends, who are all very different. There's a boy, he si the son of a Javanese mother and a Korean father. Do we exclude him from our disscussions and basketball games?
NO!
There is a Muslim girl who has autism. Does that prevent her from getting outstanding grades and being awesome?
NO!
We all love each other.
Physical Appearance
Again, Indonesia is diverse. Look up its history. We are a yound country, only having earned our independence from the Netherlands and Japan in 1945.
Skin: Indonesian skin colour ranges from yellow (Chinese Indonesians), white (Indonesians descended from the Dutch), brown, dark brown, to black.
You get the point.
Eyes : The majority of Indonesians have brown eyes. To be honest, I don't know any natives who don't have brown eyes.
Height : We are small. I won't lie. We are small people. When my mom was shopping for clothes in the States, she couldn't wear the "Adult size" . She usually used "Teen/Tween size," because the adult pants wouldn't fit her, and kept coming down.
Hair colour : Majority, black to dark brown. Again, do not know any natives who do not have black to dark brown hair.
Names: This is tricky.
If you go to Sumatra, you might find a person with the surname Wijaya, like me. Or, if you go to Bali, perhaps you might fins, a person named "Wayan," or, "Ketut."
Like surnames. Most Indonesians don't really have surnames. Like, for the surname thing, I'm an exception. My surname, Wijaya, accroding to my father, goes back years and years. Perhaps I'm a descendant of Hadi WIjaya, a sultan back in the old days.
But most surnames only go from parent to child, they won't usually go back to thousands of years. And most brides here don't change their names.
If you're confused what to name your character, a Muslim name should usually do the trick. Or if, your character is Christian or Catholic, some really common names are like, Maria, Yuli/Yuliana (Indonesian Variant of Julie), Apriliana, etc.
Religion
The majority of us are Muslim. I won't lie. You can't go for more that one/two blocks here without seeing at least one mosque.
But there are Catholics and Christians sprinkled around Indonesia. But depends where you are.
For example, if your story is set in NAD or Aceh, it will be very, very, hard to find non-muslims.
But if your story takes place in Bali, then you will see, that in front of every house, there is a Pura, the place of worship for Hindus.
And If your story setting is in Papua, then the majority of the populations will be Christian or Cathollic.
Any Asian stereotypes?
Okay, let's list them all
Slanted eyes : To be honest, I have what's considered "Mata Sipit" (thin eyes) here. If I go back to the US, they'll think my eyes are normal.
Good at math : Well... Most of my friends HATE math...
But I love math, and I am good at it. On our final test for primary school, out of forty questions, I only got one wrong. And let me tell you, Indonesian tests are not like the ones in the west. Already in fifth grade and the teachers be like : "All right, list the three ways of how to make a magnet."
English accent : It depends on where you're from. If a native Javanese spoke english, like I did the first time I learned English, it will be very imperfect. The most noticable flaw is that it will be very.... Javanese people call it "Medhok." (Pronunciation: Mèdhwok)
That means you stress all the, b, d, p, and the consonants that require you to put your lips together consonants.
I think that's it. Have a nice day and remember to always be kind to one another!!