M

y main passion in writing essays was the welfare of overseas Chinese across the Pacific Ocean. My first article for this newspaper eight years ago asked about the place of Chinese-Indonesians in the celebration of Youth Pledge Day of Oct. 28.

The political cause was simple. I still believe there are very few voices of overseas Chinese in the media. Particularly in Indonesia, the perspectives and existence of Chinese-Indonesians are still omitted in public discourse. To say that Chinese-Indonesians are '€œminorities'€ is a bit strange, considering that Indonesia is the home to the world'€™s largest overseas Chinese population at roughly 10 million people. There are more Chinese-Indonesians than ethnic Batak, Bugis or Minang. Of course, the real difference is that Chinese-Indonesians originally came from southern China instead of Southeast Asian islands that were part of the Dutch East Indies.

Wherever they are, overseas Chinese have difficulty being accepted in their new homeland. Chinese-Americans had built railways and settlements much earlier than Italian, Polish and Jewish migrants, and yet now it'€™s still more difficult for average Americans to accept them as fellow Americans (the same applies for other Asian-American groups). Residents of Perth or Calgary cross paths with Chinese-Australians and Chinese-Canadians every day, and yet it'€™s still difficult for them to become news anchors, board members or successful pop singers.

While Indonesia was seen as the hotspot of anti-Chinese sentiment in Southeast Asia 20 years ago, now naked hostility against ethnic Chinese is most clearly demonstrated by Malaysian politicians.

My inspiration in writing on overseas Chinese was the activism of African-American journalists, singers and orators. I read the essays of a black journalist from the UK named Gary Younge, watched the films of Spike Lee and listened to Kanye West. I really wish there were Chinese counterparts to these people. As for writers, United States has Amy Tan, Amy Chua (who wrote about the May 1998 riots before writing Tiger Mom) and Kevin Kwan.

There'€™s Justin Lin, the director of the Fast and Furious series. From sports, there is Jeremy Lin. Even China has Li Na, one of the funniest tennis players of all time.

In Indonesia, there is model and activist Olga Lydia, badminton player Lilyana Natsir, comedian Ernest Prakasa and action star Joe Taslim. I keep in touch with other Chinese-Indonesian contributors to this newspaper, such as Jennie M. Xue, Dewi Anggraeni and Calvin Sidjaya.

But somehow it does not feel like enough. Perhaps compared to Malaysia, we have less ethnic Chinese print journalists and bloggers. References of May 1998 are made now and then, but the references seldom mention what it is about '€” a planned program against Chinese-Indonesians and mass rape against women, with an emphasis on Chinese-Indonesian women.

Perhaps there is still a lack of Chinese-Indonesians willing to get into the conversation, despite the outspokenness of Jakarta Governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama and the increasing number of Chinese-Indonesian reporters and anchors on television. Politics, apart from well-formed opinions made in mainstream media, is still a kill-joy topic among Chinese-Indonesians.

Last year I followed online controversies surrounding video blogger Anita Sarkeesian, who received rape and death threats for releasing YouTube videos analyzing popular video games from a feminist perspective. Most of her detractors were white males, but I also identified ethnic Chinese males from various nationalities, perhaps including Indonesians.

The controversy led me to discover feminist blogs and websites in Indonesia, Australia and the United States. They introduced me to the fourth wave of feminism, which encourages cooperation and dialogue with males and the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) communities. The feminists welcomed my ideas and answered my questions. The communication took place smoothly, years after trying hard to engage with the larger Chinese-Indonesian and overseas Chinese communities.

I read Everyday Sexism, a book by journalist Laura Bates, on daily acts of sexism in Britain, which are experienced by women of all races and social backgrounds. Brave women and men fight back online and in the street. Sexism is a much bigger evil than racism.

I reread all my files and books on Chinese and East Asian culture. Of course Chinese culture, like other Asian cultures, is sexist. Maybe less so than Korean and Japanese cultures, but certainly there is minimal self-examination among ethnic Chinese everywhere on the sexist aspects of their culture.

As I was socializing with more Indonesian and Western feminists, it seemed obvious to me that we were lacking Chinese and other East Asian feminists. It is the same story whether in Indonesia or in the US. It is why many sexists believe there is no feminism in Japan or China.

I used to sarcastically call February '€œChinese Appreciation Month'€, given the Imlek New Year celebrations, the only month where Indonesian media acknowledges the existence of Chinese-Indonesians and publish articles on poor Chinese in Tangerang or on Chinese doctors and activists in poorer provinces '€” before rendering them invisible again for the rest of the year.

But no such article would appear this year. Not while we can see the Governor of Jakarta being livid in leading the war against floods and while malls across Indonesia deck their halls with red lanterns and tangerines.

No one back in 1995 would have expected that in 20 years, Valentine'€™s Day would attract more controversy than the then illegal Chinese New Year.

Changing lanes does not equate with a smoother ride. Many people don'€™t want to be seen as racists, but don'€™t have problems being seen as sexists. I used to find myself being the only Chinese person in the room, but now I might become the only Chinese and the only straight male in the room.

But after a long struggle for racial equality, it'€™s such a joy to find cheerful, smart and passionate women and men who work for gender emancipation.
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The writer is a columnist for feminist website Magdalene and a founding member of Ideapod miniblog.