Indonesian | Swedish

Photo credit: provided by subject

I am half Swedish and half Indonesian. My Mom is Indonesian, and my Dad is Swedish. They met in Indonesia during my Dad's business trip. I’ve been raised with two different cultures, the best thing I know with having two homes is that I get to experience two different cultures. There are many things I love about Indonesia, and there are many things I love about Sweden.

Indonesia is such a warm country and has a rich culture. I love how humble Indonesians are and how close they are to their family. I also love the beautiful nature in Sweden and how organized the country is. Sweden is a cosy country and I like the weather. I love Swedish winter with a lot of snow!

Indonesian food is very delicious, and we love it. We communicate in Swedish, English and Bahasa Indonesia.

Being mixed-race I have never felt the need to hide my identity. Sweden is a multicultural country and the people are very open minded. I myself have been raised to not judge people by their backgrounds. It doesn’t matter what background we come from. We are all in this world together. That’s the beauty of diversity. As much as I love Sweden, I miss Indonesia a lot. I miss the people, the culture, the food, the humility and the lifestyle there. I miss Bali and Jakarta's hustle and bustle. We visit our family in Indonesia time to time. Sometimes it can be challenging to grow up with different cultures that are very contrasted with each other, but that's what makes me unique. If people ask me how I define my identity, my answer is ‘IndonesianSwedish’.