“You Are What You Eat”: Stereotype – Based Judgments of Ethnics on the Cuisines Which People Consume in Indonesia

Abstract

AbstractThe increased risk of prejudice in ethnic stereotypes against individuals based on the cuisine Individuals consume in Indonesia. The stereotype-based judgment of ethnic could examine the character traits included in the racially prejudiced issues against the ethnicity and discrimination of ethnics in Indonesia. The research objective in this study related to stereotype-based judgment with the concept of ethnic identity, with focus of the research is in the form of individual stereotypes-based judgment against other individuals based on the food consumed. This study is qualitative method involving ten participants from various ethnic groups in Indonesia. Moreover, the research questions in this research how stereotypes can affect an individual's ethnic identity with bringing discrimination of ethnics and minorities in Indonesia. The results found that people give a judgments of ethnics which could related to discrimination of ethnics in Indonesia, such as Sumatran Ethnic groups, Javanese roots, and eastern ethnics group which is similar to Polynesian communities. Even thought, the discrimination and stereotype-based judgment of ethnics on various local cuisines, individuals more pretend to understand and predict the ethnics of people consuming certain food from local area which brings negative perception of its ethnics.