PEMBAURAN ETNIS CINA DAN KAUM BUMIPUTRA DI KOTA GARUT (TINJAUAN HISTORIS)

Abstract

Artikel ini membincangkan pembauran antara kaum bumiputra, terutama masyarakat Sunda dan etnis Cina di Kota Garut, Jawa Barat sejak zaman kolonial Belanda hingga post kemerdekaan Republik Indonesia (RI) 1945. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode sejarah yang terdiri empat tahap, yakni heuristik, kritik, interpretasi, dan historiografi. Untuk membantu eksplanasi tentang pembauran itu, penulis menggunakan pendekatan sosiologi, antropologi, psikologi, dan ilmu politik. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa ada dua faktor yang menyulitkan terjadinya pembauran antara kaum bumiputra dan kelompok etnis Cina. Faktor pertama, yaitu akar sejarah yakni status kelompok etnis Cina lebih tinggi daripada golongan bumiputra. Faktor kedua, perasaan Chinese Culturalism yang masih tertanam kuat di kalangan  kelompok etnis Cina. Akibatnya, perasaan itu mengarahkan mereka kepada sikap untuk senantiasa berorientasi kepada budaya leluhurnya yang memang sudah tua. Kedua faktor tersebut menyebabkan eksistensi masyarakat etnis Cina di Kota Garut, baik sebelum dan sesudah kemerdekaan Indonesia.

This article discusses integration between indigenous, especially Sundanese people and group of Chinese ethnic in Garut City, West Java since the Dutch colonial era until the post independence of the Republic of Indonesia (RI) 1945. Method used in this research is  historical method consisting of four steps, namely heuristics, criticism, interpretation, and historiography. To assist the explanation of the assimilation, the author uses social sciences, especially sociology, anthropology, psychology, and political science. The conclusion of this research  appears to be two factors causing the difficulty of asimilation between Sundanese people and ethnic Chinese group. The first factor, the historical roots in which the Dutch Colonial Government classified Chinese ethnic group into higher position of legal and social than Sundanese people. The second factor, a strong sense of Chinese Culturalism that is still embedded in Chinese ethnic groups, namely a sense that always glorifies the culture of its ancestors. As a result, that a sense leads them to the attitude of always being oriented to the ancient culture of their ancestors. Both factors led to the existence of Chinese ethnic communities in Garut City, increasing prominently, both before and after Indonesian independence.