Are We Really Indonesian?

The author chose this topic because there are many cultures in Indonesia
that can identify that we are Indonesian and not everyone knows. Even though it is
trivial and is usually ignored. These unique characteristics are interesting to discuss
whether we are truly Indonesian based on the culture in Indonesia.

Indonesia is the largest archipelagic country in the world. Indonesia itself

has an area of 1,904,569 km2 (based on July 2016 data) with a total of 17,508
islands. You can imagine how big Indonesia and the population in it is very much.
Based on 2017 data, Indonesia alone has as many as 2264 million residents. So from
that, Indonesia has a lot of people that also makes Indonesia have many cultures
that are not only good but unique. The population is not only from one region but
from various regions. As we know, one region with another has cultural differences.
Their cultural differences are also very different. For example, according to
Balinese the word "pipis" means money. But in the Indonesian meaning "pipis"
means to remove fluid from the genitals. Now from this example we can know that
Indonesia is a country that has many cultures that are totally diverse and different.

Why can we be called Indonesian?

There are so many characteristics of Indonesian people that are known to everyone.
But based on Law no. 12 of 2006 concerning Citizenship of the Republic of
Indonesia. According to this law, people who are Indonesian citizens are:

1. everyone who before the enactment of the Law has become an Indonesian
citizen
2. children born to legal marriages from Indonesian fathers and mothers
3. a child born from a legal marriage from an Indonesian citizen and a foreign
national (WNA), or vice versa
4. a child born of a legal marriage from an Indonesian citizen and a father who
does not have citizenship or the law of the country of origin the father does
not give citizenship to the child
5. child born within 300 days after his father passed away from a legal
marriage, and his father is an Indonesian citizen
 6. children born outside of the legal marriage of an Indonesian citizen
7. a legitimate child born outside the marriage of a foreign national who is
recognized by an Indonesian citizen as his child and that recognition is made
before the child is 18 years old or has not been married
8. children born in the territory of the Republic of Indonesia who at the time
of birth are unclear the citizenship status of their father and mother.
9. a newborn child found in the territory of the Republic of Indonesia as long
as his father and mother are unknown
10. children born in the territory of the Republic of Indonesia if their father and
mother do not have citizenship or where they are not known
11. children born outside the territory of the Republic of Indonesia from
Indonesian fathers and mothers, who because of the provisions of the
country where the child is born gives citizenship to the child concerned
12. the child of a father or mother who has been granted his citizenship
application, then his father or mother dies before making an oath or
declaring a pledge of loyalty.

This is a state written regulation. In short, if we are born in Indonesia and our
father's mother is Indonesian, we can be called Indonesians. However, these are all
written regulations. In contrast to culture, many cultures can make us referred to as
Indonesians.

Then, to state that we are 'truly Indonesian' how do we identify it? More
information will be discussed as follows.