what race is my wife?

[justhecta]

I am surprised at you all! Don't any of you use google or Wikipedia? As we all know, Indonesia consists of a very large number of islands, so naturally, spread amongst those islands are 300 races. For instance, my partner was born in Medan and her race is Batak. lol to contributors suggesting Asian.

[gwenog_wick]

It might be Minahasan, just google it 'Minahasan people/Minahasa people'

[Happyman]

Did you ever find out what race she was? If all else fails, ya can have a look in the instruction manual for VIN location. Actually lost the manual that came with mine, but I'm pretty sure it just said RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN on every page (love ya honey).

[kjeldoran]

just write "asian" that'll suffice..

[LinkH]

I don't know if when the Spanish had Manado whether the ethnicity of all the sailors for Spain happened to be Portuguese or not. I have just read that they occupied it for a while.

[macvert]

what a load of palavra .....

[atlantis]

Secondly, their presence there did not even last 30 years (as of 1622).

My post wasn't mean to argue about history. Just to correct the statement [COLOR=#333333]"there is no Spanish in Indonesia" which was obviously erroneous.
If we deny their presence we could perhaps also deny the one of the Portuguese who stayed, as per your words, "only 50 years". Spaniards, along with the Portuguese and the Dutch, were present in Indonesia and tried to extend their influence. At the end, only the dutch remained.

A short history of the Minahasa and their presence: [/COLOR]http://www.theminahasa.net/history/timeline/index05id.html
For the record, the Spaniards settled in what was then called Wenang, with the help of a tribe which was originating from the islands of Bunaken, and were the first to name Manado (it was named Manados under the spanish rulers).

And yes, the Spanish did occupy Ternate for one year, armed forces from the Philippines.

I was mentioning Tidore which is not exactly Ternate, jstar. Tidore and Ternate are two different islands, two different suku, two different sultanates at the time and which were not exactly in good terms and which were sharing what is now called Maluku. One was supported by the dutch (Ternate) while the other was allied to... the Spaniards.
I think they stayed a bit longer than a year in Tidore. I have visited several time the Maluku and still often visit. From what I remember we are talking about "a few decades" of presence and influence in Tidore. Denying it, if its the intent, is grotesque. It's well documented and there are a few vestiges. They had time to build several forts all around Pulau Tidore.
A pretty interesting link about the Spanish presence and influence in the Eastern islands: http://www.colonialvoyage.com/spanis...ernate-tidore/

But anyway, we can argue for hours, it won't change the fact that Spanish were in Indonesia and that it isn't really the topic of the thread nor it is useful for the OP.

[jstar]

That is a big misunderstanding; Portugal was part of Spain that period till they revolted in 1640! Secondly, their presence there did not even last 30 years (as of 1622). They stayed longer in Flores etc.

And yes, the Spanish did occupy Ternate for one year, armed forces from the Philippines.

[atlantis]

And no, there is no Spanish in Indonesia, only Portugese during 50 years before the Dutch came.

Come again?
The Spaniards were established in the Minahasa around the same time than the Portuguese and have even kicked them out by taking over their fort in Amurang to end up controlling totally the Minahasa and installing the first King of the Minahasa who was a descendant of a Spaniard and a Minahasan.

The first coffee seeds planted in the Minahasa and Bolmong/Kotamobagu area were planted by the spaniards who introduced seeds from their colonies in South America. This is the Spanish and not the Portuguese who first established the Minahasa as a commercial hub.

Finally the Spaniards gave up their possessions in the Minahasa to the Portuguese in a treaty, but the Minahasan weren't keen about that and thought that the dutch would be fairer to them. By the middle of the 17th century the Portuguese were out and the dutch were the rulers of the Minahasa.

I believe that the Spaniards were also involved in the Maluku against the dutch and the Sultanat of Ternate, controlling Tidore in the south for some time, albeit a short period, being quickly overpowered by the Dutch and their local allies. If you visit one day Tidore you will see some (badly preserved) remains of the Spanish presence such as the Tohula fort or the Tole fort. Both were Spanish fortresses (hard to imagine though considering what is left though).

[jstar]

He doesn't want to be honest, he wants to get her permanent residency.

Of course Manadonese and Chinese have nothing to do with each other. And no, there is no Spanish in Indonesia, only Portugese during 50 years before the Dutch came. (That's why there is quite a large group of Catholics.)

[LinkH]

If she's Manado person, I wouldn't say she's 'Chinese'. That wouldn't be honest would it? If she's pure Indonesian Chinese, her parents identified as Chinese, and the family has been intermarrying with Chinese for generations, I'd put Chinese. If she's mixed, I'd put Indonesian, Malay or whatever category Indonesians fit in. As far as I know, Manadonese don't consider themselves to be Chinese, unless they are Chinese or live in Manado. They have some Chinese blood in them, but whatever local stock was there, maybe Spanish, possibly Dutch or whatever else mixed there way back when. Some of them do look Chinese, and they might have some Chinese blood. But I think for Chinese, if one parents is Chinese and the other is Indonesian, you are Indonesian. It's kind of like the opposite of being black in the US back in the slavery or Jim Crow days. Part black was black. For Chinese in Indonesia, part Chinese is not considered Chinese anymore. At least that was my impression. That may be why there was not complete assimilation.

[jstar]

Ah, the plot thickens. If it is to apply for PR status in Singapore, officially it would be Malayu. (Options are Chinese, Malayu, Indian, Caucasian.)

And honestly, I know all the horror stories that non Chinese are being discriminated, but it is not so bad as some present it. And even in the housing allocation, there is no difference between these two groups. And some elite Chinese schools don't mean there is seggregated education.

They don't recognize mixed races btw, so it's always the background of the father that counts. And yes, coming from Manado it would be very easy to make the case her father is from a Chinese background, if you feel the chance of acceptance is higher then.

I do think you should look at something like http://forum.singaporeexpats.com

There your question has probably been asked a thousand times.

[fastpitch17]

In the US, University still ask for race on the applications. I asked what you put if a mixed race couple and was told to follow the Mothers side. We did but only needed to put Asian. Mother is Indian/Indonesian. The administrator said, "good choice." Seems by listing as Asian a whole bunch of money became available towards tuition. Especially for the daughter since she was also female.

[kenzon11]

Here's the thing, in Singapore many things are determined by your race. Kids at school are required to study their "mother tongue". So if they fill in Chinese they'll get lessons in Chinese (Cantonese or Mandarin I'm not sure), and the kids who filled in Malay won't have to take those, but they'll have to take Malay instead.And I heard public housing has a race ratio that needs to be kept to ensure diversity, I guess that's one way to avoid gentrification as defined by white hipsters moving in (not just rich hipsters of all races). So you can only sell (or even rent) your public housing apartment to someone of the same race.Things like that happens in Singapore, what else, I don't know. THose are the examples I've heard of.

precisely, that is why I wanted to declare my wife as chinese but worry that the authority may find out. so I must be very careful, I have check the akte lahir aka birth certificate / KTP / KK all not mentioning race. only WNI is mentioned. my wife looks like chinese though. even my indo chinese friend's ktp with names like anton/joni/johan and etc without chinese names. and for the pr application , chinese a higher chance getting approve.

[rabbit_39]

Here's the thing, in Singapore many things are determined by your race. Kids at school are required to study their "mother tongue". So if they fill in Chinese they'll get lessons in Chinese (Cantonese or Mandarin I'm not sure), and the kids who filled in Malay won't have to take those, but they'll have to take Malay instead.

And I heard public housing has a race ratio that needs to be kept to ensure diversity, I guess that's one way to avoid gentrification as defined by white hipsters moving in (not just rich hipsters of all races). So you can only sell (or even rent) your public housing apartment to someone of the same race.

Things like that happens in Singapore, what else, I don't know. THose are the examples I've heard of.