Bule

I am starting to take issue to the term bule. At first I was like many other westerners who took no real notice of the term. But now that I've been living and working in a context where I am labelled bule day-in-day-out, it has struck me recently just how fundamentally racist the term is.

It's not that those who use it necessarily mean anything racist by it. 90% of the time in my particular context it is used quite innocently or naively (in the positive sense of the word). Fellow teachers and students use it in my presence. It's not their fault that they have been conditioned by society to use such a term. Nor am I necessarily offended when they use it. But that doesn't excuse the fact that when one examines it and similar labels closely, it is a label based on the colour of my skin and used to identify me or my child in situations where our race does not need identifying.


Bule itu lagi tersesat kayaknya... (That white guy looks lost)

Why the label? What's wrong with 'Orang itu... (That person)?

Wah..ada bayi bule...ada bayi bule!!! (There's a whitey baby...a whitey baby...)

Indonesia, like many countries, has a serious race-relations problem. One major factor, I believe, is the labelling that is so common. When we label someone, we lump them into a group and we then apply all sorts of preconceptions to them, often false preconceptions.

So when I am labelled a bule a whole lot of baggage is implied with it; baggage that often is no more than mud which sticks.

The Indonesian Chinese are victims of such labelling. When these people are referred to as cina (cino in Java), or cokin, there are certain negative preconceptions that often go with it.

When non-Chinese (even this is an example of labelling) are labelled things such as pribumi, jowo, tiko or whatever, again, certain negative preconceptions often go with it.

Add a third factor into the equation (westerners) and there is no innocent party.

Those who actively label, may or may not actively apply the preconceptions. But the important issue is how the label is received. We may mean no offence, but offence may be taken.

It's a difficult subject because it then raises the question as to what we can and cannot refer to people as. Some may ask, well if we can't use bule what can we use? Orang Barat? (Westerner)?

Well, that would be preferable. But it certainly doesn't automatically erase the preconceptions.

I think in 90% of general everyday situations, race simply does not need identifying. Just as in the writing of an academic essay there are ways to avoid using the 1st person 'I' even though personal reference is implied, I think there are ways to avoid labelling on the basis of race if we think about it. Orang (person) should be quite sufficient in most cases.

Of course, preconceptions will always be applied, regardless of labels. But at least taking issue with something which has come to be accepted so widely may help people to think more about the consequences of such actions.