The Indonesian Melting Pot

Melting Pot

Melting pot in Indonesian language is a tungku pelebur
Melting pot is a way of live or the character that built by the country parliamentary.

Melting pot is a foundation that characterized the citizen inside it. Whatever its created by the country or from the citizen it self.

Melting pot comes from the theater that write by Israel Zangwill. The play was portrayal by David the man who declare a statement about an American republic vision. His word also repeated by president of America Theodore Roosevelt.

This is a modern theater that appear in American on early of 1908. The play is about an aspire from America to be an uniformity and unity with harmonious living. America is the place that people should adapt the rule, Americans rule by the congress. America like a pot where coming people should strip off their identity (Culture, belief, custom, racial, and tradition). They are melted into a pot called America.

This vision emerge during a resurgence (resurrection) of united state of America and retained along time until the citizen felt a stinted.

But recently its not fair with the basic need of human right. Human also have their identity or character further more an aspire. This is that make differ from people to the other. Now by the time that reformism (modernity) which marked by appering an Political party and myriad NGO, the melting pot finally just an obsolete theater which have no sense.

How about Indonesia the pluralism archipelago country. Indonesia is not a place like a melting pot. Using Roosevelt word pluribus unum (berbeda-beda tetapi tetap satu). At glance, Indonesia resembled with America. In the light of historical journey. We have same a colonist country. But the different is an Indonesia have an indigenous people. It’s a n unique abundance that many country doesn’t have. Such as America. America is a colonist country that the citizen derived from many country (Mexican, brazillian, European, and asian). Thus, after America getting their independence. It declare to be an unity country (united state of America)

Indonesian with indigenous people it mean have a lot off culture and local language. After declare an independenc e Indonesia has melted by an unity language called Bahasa Indonesia. Citizen have a bind language that should be repected as basic foundation to be Indonesian. They shouldn’t strip of their identity. They still have a right, local character, local language, local custom, tradition, and their homeland (village) that ensure by a highest law of pancasila. Indonesa also have a perspective “bhinkea tunggal ika” Pluribus unum that assured citizent from racial (race, belief, and right) crime.

References: Hairus Salim. HS, GONG culture and art magize (Edition: 116/Oct/2010) (with additional thought)