Transnational citizenship: a study of citizenship identity among the Dayak Bidayuh in the Indonesia-Malaysia border region

Abstract

Following Dutch and British colonial rule, Indigenous communities along the West Kalimantan border experienced a profound transformation, shifting from statelessness to incorporation into national frameworks through the assignment of formal citizenship. This transition, however, generated enduring challenges, as the emergence of the nation-state divided Dayak communities across arbitrarily drawn borders and reshaped citizenship through cross-border kinship and national affiliations. This study investigates the informal dimensions of citizenship, focusing on kinship networks, social interactions, and cultural exchanges among the Dayak Bidayuh communities in Sontas and Entubuh. Based on our findings, we argue that the forms of citizenship practiced by the communities in Sontas and Entubuh reflect a complex understanding of transnational citizenship – one that goes beyond the implementation of conventional citizenship. This is evident in their social lifeworlds, cross-border mobility, and shared cultural rituals, all of which are not confined by territorial boundaries. This paper advocates for a postcolonial reconstruction of citizenship identity, emphasizing a more inclusive framework that acknowledges the rights and lived experiences of Indigenous communities affected by colonial legacies. This study also broadens transnational citizenship literature by exploring indigenous cross-border mobility, rooted in kinship, ancestral landscapes, and colonial memory, often overlooked in migrant and diaspora-focused research.

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