In Ratu Ratu Queens, Four Indonesian Immigrants Form a Sisterhood

September 22, 2025 • Read in 4 minutes

Dear Hyphenly Readers,

If you’re in the US, chances are Netflix keeps feeding you the same American shows and let’s be honest, sometimes they feel like recycled storylines. And if you do find a series you love, the next season takes years to drop, and by then… you’ve moved on.

With the success of Squid Game, Parasite, Dark, and the global rise of K- and C-dramas, maybe you’re ready to branch out and see what else is out there.

And guess what? We are too. After last week’s Emmys, where shows like Severance and The Pitt dominated, we were craving something fresh. So, we scrolled, we searched, and we found a hidden gem worth adding to your watchlist.

Maybe you’re looking to diversify your watchlist, or maybe you just finished The Summer I Turned Pretty and want a new drama. 

Ratu Ratu Queens

This Indonesian-language limited series premiered on Netflix on September 12 and follows four Indonesian women who immigrate to Queens, NY. Each has her own reason for coming to the US and each faces challenges with immigration, work, divorce, grief, and single motherhood.

The series is a prequel to the hit 2021 film Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens, both directed by Jakarta-based filmmaker Lucky Kuswandi. As Martha Lucas writes in Martin CID Magazine:

“The series examines universal themes of friendship, cultural adaptation, social pressure, and the search for identity, all filtered through the specific lens of the Indonesian diaspora experience. The story is grounded in the socio-economic realities of immigrant life in New York, avoiding idealized depictions in favor of a more authentic portrayal of the community and its financial challenges.”

The women, proudly speaking with Javanese accents, hustle to survive and stand by one another — their sisterhood ultimately crowning them as “Queens.”

Have you watched Ratu Ratu Queens yet? What’s your favorite foreign-language show right now? Hit reply and share and we might feature your recs in the next edition!

And before we go, don’t forget: this Wednesday (9/24) is our very first monthly quiz. Bigger stakes, bigger giveaways. Don’t miss it.

This newsletter was curated by Suhasini Patni.

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Hyphenly curates the latest news, art, and businesses from immigrants around the world. Have a tip or story we should feature? We’d love to hear from you.