Many Jawa Pesisir Lor view traditional Javanese culture as backward and are proud of what they consider to be their more modern world-view and stronger Islamic commitment. The vast majority of them are Sunni Muslims though there are also some Sufis among them.

A large influx of Javanese into Lampung province through transmigration has caused the Lampungese to hold even more tightly to their culture and especially their religion. The churches that exist in Lampung province are mostly Javanese. Many Christians in Lampung province are paralysed with fear and are unwilling to share the Good News because of possible persecution.

Around 1,000BC, there was a large wave of immigrants from South China: these immigrants were the forefathers of the Javanese, Madurese and Sundanese peoples. The first Sundanese kingdom (called “Taruma Negara”) was established about AD600. The Sundanese language, one of the more complex in Indonesia, has three levels.