Bawean people
Bawean people, Boyanese, or Baweanese, also called Bawean Madurese, are an indigenous Madurese ethnic group native to the island of Bawean, located in the Java Sea off the coast of Java, Indonesia. They are considered a distinct ethnic group within the larger Javanese cultural sphere. The Bawean people have their own unique language, also called Bawean, which belongs to the Austronesian language family.
Historically the Bawean Island was a trading post and a hub for maritime activities, which brought influences from various cultures such as Javanese, Madurese, Banjarese, Makassarese, Chinese, and Arab. As a result, the Bawean people have a rich cultural heritage that blends elements from these diverse influences.
Most Bawean people are Muslims, and Islamic traditions and values play a significant role in their daily lives. They have a close-knit community structure and maintain strong cultural and social ties. Traditionally, the Bawean people have been involved in various occupations, including agriculture, fishing, and maritime trade.
Migration also plays a significant role in the history and present-day dynamics of the Bawean people. Due to various factors, including economic opportunities, trade networks, and colonial influences, the Bawean people have engaged in migration both within Indonesia and to other countries. They traveled to different parts of the Indonesian archipelago and even ventured further to neighboring countries like Malaysia and Singapore for trade and economic purposes. In the latter two countries, they are known as Boyan. These maritime connections allowed them to establish communities and settlements in different regions.
History
Although the Bawean people are originally belongs to the Madurese group in general, however, the Bawean people are also officially classified and recognized as a distinct ethnic group by the Indonesian Government due to their multiple inter-connected historical lineage backgrounds; for instance, common intermarriage phenomenon with the Javanese, an ethnic group originally from the Java Island located in southern Bawean Island. The official Indonesian dictionary defines the Baweans as "mixed people of Javanese, Madurese, Banjarese, Buginese, and Makassarese which occurred since hundreds of years ago".The Bawean people have a presence in the Malay Peninsula, but it is difficult to determine the exact time of the arrival of the Bawean people in Malacca, because there is no evidence and historical documentation regarding their arrival. Various opinions have been put forward, but they fail to pinpoint a precise date. The first opinion suggests that a man named Tok Ayar arrived in Malacca in 1819. The second opinion says that the Bawean people came in 1824, approximately during the British colonial period in Malacca, in the records of the Singapore Colonial Government in 1849, There are 763 Bawean people and the number continues to increase. Meanwhile, according to the records of the Malaysian Bawean Association in 1891, there were 3,161 Bawean people spread across Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Malacca, Seremban, and Ipoh. The third opinion says that the Bawean people were already in Malacca before 1900, and in that year, there were already many Bawean people in Malacca.
Bawean people generally live in cities or areas close to cities, such as in Kampung Mata Kuching, Klebang Besar, Limbongan, Tengkera, and areas around Malacca General Hospital. It is rare to find Bawean people living in areas far from the city, and the number of Bawean people in Malacca is estimated to not exceed 1,000 people. Apart from Malacca, Bawean people are also spread in Klang Valley, such as in the areas of Ampang, Gombak, Balakong, and also Shah Alam. They bought land and built houses in groups. In Gelugor, Penang, there are at least 2 large families of Bawean people. They use the Penang Malay dialect to speak with non-Bawean people.
Apart from Malaysia and Singapore, the Bawean people also migrated to Australia and Vietnam. In Vietnam, in 2015, their population was around 400 people, with the younger generation among them no longer speaking Bawean language but speaking Vietnamese language, Only the elderly can still speak Bawean language. They are generally known as the Vietnamese Baweanese. The Bawean people entered Australia around 1887, via Singapore and settled on Christmas Island. Most of them are spread across Western Australia. It is estimated that there are no less than 500 descendants of Bawean people, including those from mixed marriages with Malays, Cocos, Javanese, Indian, Arabs, European, and others. Meanwhile, the Bawean people in Vietnam are spread across Ho Chi Minh City. Their arrival in Vietnam is estimated to have been around 1885.
Their children born in Malaysia have become Malaysian citizens. Some migrants who arrived in the 1990s have received permanent resident status. The Bawean people are renowned for their building and house-building skills. There are also those who become small entrepreneurs such as building cleaning sub-contractors and traders. Meanwhile, among their descendants who were born in Singapore, Vietnam, and Christmas Island, some can no longer speak Bawean, even those born on the Australian mainland cannot speak Malay language, even if they understand it. The Bawean people who live in the country except those who live in Vietnam still maintain relations with their relatives on Bawean Island.