The emerging visibility of Islam through the powerless: Indonesian Muslim domestic helpers in Hong Kong

Abstract

While much media and scholarly attention has been paid to the growing tension between Hong Kong people and Indonesian foreign domestic workers, the underlying reasons of cultural difference are largely ignored as an explanation for the challenges Indonesian domestic workers face in Hong Kong. Most often, Islam is one of the primary cultural differences that Hong Kong people overlook. This paper begins with an overview of the significance of Indonesian Muslim foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong society and the domestic sphere. Then, the paper suggests that the Indonesian Muslim domestic helpers have been politically weak, struggling and accommodating to the mainstream Chinese culture. Generally speaking, Indonesian Muslim domestic workers in Hong Kong have been powerless under the global labor market and the local socio-cultural forces of Chinese society. Nevertheless, there has been an emerging visibility of Islam through their re-assertion of Islamic piety in Hong Kong everyday life via, for example, veiling, practicing daily prayer, and seeking to follow a halal diet. Visibility, however, does not mean accommodation and understanding.

Keywords::

• Indonesian
• Muslim
• Islam
• Foreign Domestic Workers (FDWs)
• Hong Kong
• China

Acknowledgements

The author thanks the generous invitation of Chiara Formichi and Paul O'Connor for the opportunity to attend the workshop on “The Role of Southeast and South Asian Migrants' Religions in Hong Kong,” Southeast Asia Research Centre, City University of Hong Kong (27 April 2013) and present a paper in this special issue on “Overlooked Religion in Hong Kong.” The author thanks Fong Yun Ting Agnes, Ngai Po Shan Rosanne, Cheung Shuk Yee Sukie and Lam Kit Kate for their research assistance. Without the kindness and assistance of my friends, Eman Villanueva, Eni Lestari, Sring Atin, Ganika Diristiani, Mia Sumiati and other Indonesian sisters, this research would not be possible. I wholeheartedly respect their endeavor, and I am grateful for their kindness and recommendations throughout interviews and research work. All remaining errors and deficiencies in this paper are entirely my own. Some material for this paper is derived from my ongoing research projects. The author expresses his gratitude for the financial support for this research project received from a departmental research grant, Department of Social Sciences, Hong Kong Institute of Education and the General Research Fund, Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (GRF 2013/2014 HKIEd 842513)

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Wai-Yip Ho

Wai-Yip Ho is Associate Professor in the Department of Social Sciences at the Hong Kong Institute of Education.