Adaptation of retired older adult return migrants in their place of origin in the Yogyakarta Special Region, Indonesia

Migrants must adapt to the social life of their destination, including those who return to their place of origin. One such destination for older adult return migrants in Indonesia is the Yogyakarta Special Region (Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta DIY), located in the centre of Java island. The majority of residents in this province, which is under the jurisdiction of the Sultanate of Yogyakarta, are of Javanese ethnicity and continue to uphold traditional Javanese cultural values in their daily social interactions. This study examines the adaptation strategies employed by retired older adults who return to their place of origin, defined as either their place of birth or previous residence, as their primary DIY location. Using a qualitative method, data were collected through open-ended interviews with 27 retired older adult return migrants, selected through snowball sampling. The findings indicate that these return migrants primarily rely on Javanese cultural values to navigate social reintegration, regardless of the length of time they lived outside the DIY region. Embracing these values facilitates smoother adaptation to the local social environment, where such traditions remain strong. This strategy could apply to migrants of other ethnicities who internalize their cultural values, some of which may share similarities with Javanese values, when migrating to a new destination or returning to their place of origin.