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Javanese beliefs and culture, hence, they can accommodate their husband’s wishes without losing their
identity as a Javanese woman.

Overall, the Javanese Macak values may be used in French society, since the beauty of both
Javanese and French women were highlighted by their natural and light makeup skin (Morris and Nichols,
2013). As a result, JWs had no trouble in applying the Macak values from Java. In fact, they continue to
improve their appearance in accordance with the fashion and styles of French women, which is quite
fashionable and trendy. This is also consistent with the desires of French spouses who want their wives to
be fashionable while remaining committed to Javanese values. Although they were married to French
locals, they retained their roots in Javanese culture, which defined their essential identity, and continues
to connect them with their origins (Yinger, 1986).
Migrating can cause uprooting from one’s culture of origin, as well as anxiety because of
separation from something that has become an important identity. However, cultural uprooting, if it works,
can be a blessing of freedom and survival (Bradatan, 2014). JWs did not feel inferior despite being a
minority of immigrants, they can truly adapt to French society, particularly in terms of improving their
appearance while retaining their identity. The JWs were happy to be Javanese, and they do not want to
become French women. According to Raden Ngabehi Ranggawarsito's conception of Javanese women,
which can be found in Serat Candrarini, written on behalf of Sri Susuhunan Pakubuwono IX in the form of
a tembang macapat to Raden Ngabehi Ranggawarsito (Suryadi, 2019; Munir 2002), Javanese women
should be good at dressing and taking care of her beauty. Furthermore, Darwin (2001) asserted that
Javanese women are expected to be polite, to keep their health and beauty by consuming traditional jamu
to satisfy their husband's needs. In terms of Macak values, the Javanese beauty concept also considers
ngadibusono and ngadisaliro, who are empan papan, as reflected in the Javanese Palace’s ten
commandments (Nursalim, 2016). As in previous discussion, when it comes to beauty, JWs prefer to have
natural look with light makeup. This is congruent with the husband's desire for the wife to appear natural
without the use of excessive makeup, of French or Indonesian cosmetic products. It is also consistent with
the natural makeup techniques of French women (Morris and Nichols, 2013). As a result, the value of
Macak in daily life is correlated with French cosmetology methods with its natural and light makeup
(Ollivier, 2003).

A study of intercultural marriages as mentioned by Dodd (1998) will reveal a theme surrounding
the intervention of intercultural married couples in an effort to adjust to one another in dealing with
marital problems in general and adaptation when facing problems related to culture. However, there were
several cultural similarities as well as compromised cultures adopted among intercultural marriage couples
(Puspowardhani, 2008). However, people around the world were highly creative in altering their physical
appearance as a non-verbal symbol (Peoples and Bailey, 2014).

As Adler, Rodman, and Du Pré (2016) stated that clothing can be used to convey economic status,
education, social status, moral standards, athletic ability and/or interests, belief. An important component of
appearance was the perception of attractiveness and judgments regarding beauty, both of which are
influenced by culture (Samovar, Porter, McDaniel, and Roy, 2017). JWs interacted and communicated
about Macak values with their French spouses and French community using nonverbal symbols,
languages, and perspectives (Charon, 1979). Then JWs decoded by selecting the right word or nonverbal
gesture to express their intention (Ting-Toomey and Dorjee, 2018). Furthermore, French locals encoded
every word, nonverbal gestures, or cues into the understandable meaning of the message, which is

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