Third‐generation South Moluccans in the Netherlands: The nature of ethnic identity

Abstract

Frederic Barth recommended taking what people themselves think and believe as the starting point for an analysis of ethnicity. As the concept of thinking used by Barth was rather underdeveloped and limited, his central idea of boundary construction and maintenance being problematic is interpreted here as the need to focus on a broader, more argumentative notion of ordinary thinking. This results in a notion that keeps Barth's emphasis on everyday interaction but focuses on what people actually say, how they say it, and that examines ideological effects. Ethnic minority identity among third‐generation South Moluccans living in the Netherlands is examined in terms of the diversity of comparisons and distinctions which are made and the way they are accounted for. An outline is presented of how the interviewees define ‘real’ Moluccans, differentiate themselves from the Dutch and define themselves in opposition to other ethnic minority groups.