Filipino, Indonesian and Malaysian ethnicity indicates genetic origins in The Malay Peninsula and the thousands of small and large islands that comprise the Philippine and Indonesian archipelagos which form an ethnically variegated geographic region that is home to hundreds of distinct groups. The Philippines, for example, hosts 185 ethno-linguistic groups: the majority of Filipinos are Malayo-Polynesian, while other major ethnic groups include the Ivatan, Ilocano, Tagalog, and Cebuano. Indonesia, in turn, is home to no less than 633 recognized ethnic groups. Approximately 40% of Indonesians are ethnic Javanese, while other major groups include the Sundanese, Batak, Madurese, Mingkabau, and Buginese. The population of Malaysia, numbering approximately 28 million people, comprises mostly ethnic Malays, but includes large Chinese and Indian minorities. In recent history, people with Filipino, Indonesian, and Malay ethnic roots have migrated to Madagascar, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands, leaving their genetic mark on those areas as well.
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Filipino, Indonesian and Malaysian history
The ancient Negrito people migrated from mainland Asia to the Philippines and settled on the islands around 90,000 years ago. Other Asian groups which subsequently arrived in various waves of migration maintained little contact with each other. Chinese traders recorded their experiences in the Philippines in the tenth century C.E., while contact with the Indonesian Srivijaya and Majapahit empires introduced a Sanskrit-based writing system to the archipelago. Asian peoples who had arrived in Indonesia in the eighth century B.C.E. mastered wet-field rice cultivation, allowing them to establish small kingdoms by the first century B.C.E. A series of migrations and displacements took place in the Malay Peninsula between 8000 to 1000 B.C.E: the metal-using farmers who eventually settled the peninsula developed into highly advanced societies, which traded with India starting in the third century C.E., absorbing influences in law, script, and religion — Hinduism and Buddhism.
Between the seventh and fourteenth century C.E., Srivijaya — a naval Buddhist empire — ruled Indonesia from its base in Sumatra, being the first unified kingdom to dominate the archipelago. Srivijaya incorporated the Malay Peninsula as well, and held religious, cultural, and trade links with China, India, and the Islamic Caliphate in the Middle East. In the thirteenth century, the Java-based Hindu-Buddhist Majapahit Empire superseded Srivijaya as the dominant regional power, extending into parts of the Philippines and much of Southeast Asia. The Majapahit Empire, which lasted into the sixteenth century, was among the world’s last great Hindu empires, and is considered to be among the greatest empires in the history of Indonesia and Southeast Asia.
Starting in the sixteenth century, European maritime colonial empires fundamentally altered the course of the region’s history. The Spanish Empire conquered the Philippines (which they named after King Philip II) and established a city which would later be called Manila, the capital of the modern Philippines. In the early sixteenth century, the Portuguese arrived in Indonesia, eager to corner the lucrative spice trade, and in 1511 captured the Malaysian port of Melaka. Within a century, however, the Portuguese were ousted by the Dutch, who formed the Dutch East India Company to control Indonesia. During this period, the two Muslim Sultanates of Aceh (1496–1903) and Borneo (1368–1888), located on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo, maintained their independence. Both sultanates reached their peak in the seventeenth century, but later slipped into decline.
Despite a brief period of British control in Indonesia, the Dutch consolidated their position throughout the nineteenth century. Starting in the twentieth century, Indonesian intellectuals, educated in Dutch schools, began advancing the cause of Indonesian independence. These aspirations gained currency during World War II, when the Japanese — who had conquered the archipelago from the Dutch — realized they could not hold Indonesia. The Linggadjati Agreement signed in 1946 between the Indonesians and the Dutch — who had since retook the archipelago — recognized an independent republic in Java and Sumatra. In 1949, the Dutch recognized full Indonesian independence and withdrew from the region.
In 1824, when the British and the Dutch divided their sphere of influence, the British retained their possession of the Straits Settlements (Penang, Province Wellesley, Melaka, and Singapore) and later extended their influence into mainland Malaysia, forming British Malaya in the twenties century. Having temporarily lost Malaya to Japan during World War II, the British faced increasing Malaysian nationalist fervor, and in August of 1957, Malaysia gained its independence. The nineteenth century also saw the rise of Filipino nationalist sentiment, but in 1898 the United States defeated the Spanish in the Bay of Manila and conquered the archipelago. The subsequent Filipino-American War over Filipino independence ended in 1902 with a conclusive American victory. However, like in neighboring Indonesia and Malaysia, during the Second World War, the Japanese successfully wrested the Philippines from American hands. The United States recaptured the archipelago in 1945, and granted the Philippines independence in 1946.
Filipino, Indonesian and Malaysian culture
Owing to an elaborate assortment of ethnicities in the region, the cuisines of the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia are rich and diverse. Filipino cuisine combines native Austronesian elements with later Indian, Chinese, Spanish, and American influences, including curries, paellas, and cozidos (Spanish beef or pork stew). Popular Filipino dishes include adobo (chicken or pork marinated in soy sauce and vinegar), kare kare (oxtail stew), and kinilaw (raw fish salad).
The traditions of the Austronesian societies which preceded European colonialism lie at the heart of Philippine, Indonesian, and Malaysian cultures. Ancient Filipinos were gifted tattoo artists who decorated their bodies in colorful environment-inspired designs. The Indonesian literary legacy includes ancient palm, bamboo, and other fiber manuscripts, such as the fourteenth century Nagarakrtagama, a lengthy poem praising the Majapahit King Hayam Wuruk. The earliest works of Malaysian literature were transmitted orally, encompassing many genres ranging from folk tales, legends, and myths to poetry, history, proverbs, epics, and love stories.
European colonialism influenced contemporary arts and literature both in form and content. The literary works of José Rizal (1861–1896), Noli Me Tangere (“Touch Me Not”) and El Filibusterismo (“The Filibusterer”), were central to the formulation of Filipino nationalism. Indonesian nationalism underpinned the works of Pramoedya Ananta Toer, an Indonesian author who was banned by the Dutch, and whose four novels, known collectively as the Buru Quartet, were translated to English and won international acclaim. Today, Malaysian literature is written in Malay, English, Chinese, and Tamil. Perhaps the most famous among contemporary Malaysian poets is Usman Awang (1929–2001), who penned over 200 poems, and was awarded the National Laureate in 1983.
Indonesian culture
Indonesia has always been known for its spices. Indigenous tradition and Dutch colonial influences have led to a culinary variety including approximately 5,350 traditional recipes! Popular dishes include nasi goreng (a stir-fried rice dish with a variety of vegetables and either chicken, lamb, pork, or beef, spiced with a thick soy sauce called keycap), gudeg (young unripe jackfruit stewed for several hours with palm sugar and coconut milk), and satay (skewered meat cooked over coals).
Malaysian culture
The cuisine of Malaysia reflects the ethnic makeup of its population, including Malay, Chinese, and Indian elements, as well as external influences, such as Thai, Portuguese, Dutch, British, and Arab cuisine. The Indian influence is clear in dishes like roti canai: a twirled and grilled flatbread served with curry and dhal, and banana leaf rice: white rice served on a banana leaf with an assortment of vegetables, curried meat or fish, pickles, and papadum. Other popular dishes include nasi lemak (rice cooked with coconut milk, served with fried anchovies, boiled egg, and fried ground nuts) and bak kut teh (pork-rib soup with mushrooms, garlic, tofu, and herbs, served with noodles or rice).
Filipino, Indonesian and Malaysian languages
Reflective of the plethora of ethnicities in the region, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia host hundreds of distinct languages, most of which belong to the Austronesian language family. Filipino, a standardized form of the Tagalog language, is the official language in the Philippines, while English is commonly used for communication and instruction. The 700 Austronesian languages native to Indonesia are complemented by over 270 Papuan languages. The official language, Indonesian, is a standardized form of Malay used as a common language across the archipelago. Malaysian Malay, in turn, is the national language of Malaysia, while English, Mandarin, and Tamil are spoken widely across the 13 states and 3 federal territories of the country.
Explore more about ethnicity estimates
- MyHeritage DNA at MyHeritage
- Ethnicities around the world at MyHeritage
- What Is My Ethnicity? How MyHeritage Estimates Ethnicities at MyHeritage Knowledge Base
- Where's My Ethnicity?!: Why An Ethnicity Might Not Show Up In Your DNA (and How To Find Evidence Of It Anyway) at MyHeritage Knowledge Base