Racism in Singapore

At the end of the day, there is only one group of people we should look to. Sure everyone has a hand in perceptions and illusions but in a place like this, where every thing is more or less organized and enforced by a select group of individuals, we, as the people have even less control of the bigger picture than we do of our ignorantly racist neighbor who thinks its a valid question when he/she asks “Why are Indians so smelly?” or “Why do Malays have so many kids?”

Im sure you intelligent folks are aware of the rather obscene but poignant phrase;

“Shit rolls downhill’

As citizens of this company….erm I mean country, we need to look to the top dogs and watch how they act. If they can get away with disparaging remarks and hide behind political acumen when they do something that if bereft of their status would be branded as racism, what hope do we, the little people have?

Cut off the head of the dragon and the rest of the body follows.

Although this might be construed, I am not suggesting anything violent. I am suggesting however that in order for us to combat this, we need to start from the top. Racism needs to be something that’s looked at all year round, not just once per year. That’s like rubbing salt in an open wound. It’s as if they’re saying, “We’re aware that racism is still active but seeing how there are other things more important (money), we’ll give you one day per year to work this shit out,”

And while we’re looking to the big folk up there, we need to turn to those secular minded individuals who insist on speaking in dialect or their own languages, who give every other race the evil eye and urgently usher their child away from the other as if they’re infected with H1n1.

I am of a mixed heritage. Indian and Chinese. I’ve had my shares of “What race are you?” People look at me quizzically, can’t decide if they want to be insulting or curious. Lately, most are curious and respectful although I suspect it’s got nothing to do with our nation’s handling of racism and more to do with the fact that I’m a guy who works out regularly in the gym and are generally bigger and more muscled than the average person. I haven’t encountered racism as badly as most people, probably because I don’t entertain it and if directed to me, I’d reduce the person to tears with words. But what I get are my other race friends telling me stories of how their friends or family members dislike certain races. For example, someone tells me her friend hates Indians and makes a remark about all of them being ugly. And in utter confusion, I said, “But I’m Indian and she said I was handsome,”. The response I received amused and confounded. I was told that, “You’re mixed, you’re different.” yeah I look different, I talk differently and I think differently. Doesn’t make me any less than you. Just that if you entertain secular and immature notions of racial superiority then obviously, you’re lesser than me but I digress.

I get that while legally, I’m Indian, practically, I’m of mixed heritage and thus appear as a sort of enigma to most people. Like they can’t wrap their heads around the idea that people of different color actually sleep together. Wow, all I can say that is, “Hi, welcome to Planet Earth,”

I’m different all around, I never felt in sync with my mixed race. Ironically, the only racial group that never looked at me like I was weird were the Malays. I grew up with Malay friends and I happen to think they’re a talented and passionate group of people who need more understanding than our prejudice. But here we are, fighting for the same thing, in a country where rallying against anything will land you in jail or worst.

The point I’m making is something most of you have covered, although I didn’t read everything. There’s just too much. Still, my point is yes, there are individuals who’d benefit in seeing the sharp edge of the sword or rather a clockwork orange scenario where their minds are molded until they become the perfect citizen. I jest by the way.

No, racism will end with us, the people, but it’s utter change of speed lies on the very aloof and currently ignorant shoulders of the people we were taught at a very young age we have to follow even though we never really saw a point in the first place.

I never really thought race was a big issue when choosing a girlfriend. Religion, on the other hand is. For instance, I’ve dated women from all walks of life, truly. I don’t care about the color of your skin or your language, as long as you speak English and you’re not immature.

The longest gf I’ve had was a Chinese girl and most of my ex-gfs were Chinese. I guess I must have been lucky to have found people who don’t care about race, or then again, it could just be me. I’ve dated some Malay girls and there was an American once.

But seeing how I am of catholic upbringing, it is impossible for me to consider or view a Muslim girl as a viable option for marriage or anything more than just dating. I am not willing to convert and I’m sure she isn’t either, and what’s more, her family wouldn’t take too kindly to it.

So yeah, mixing is fine. I’m mixed, ridiculously mixed that people don’t even consider me as one of the four races listed. Not that I care because I don’t look to race as an identity. The race on my IC does not determine who I am, nor does the color of my skin or the language I speak.

It is my religion, my faith and my believes that make me who I am. And before any one dares say, race and religion are NOT interconnected. I’ve seen Chinese Hindus, Malay Catholics and Indian Buddhists (then again seeing how Buddhism did originate from India, that’s not really a very good example).

But you get my point. By saying that race and religion is interconnected, you might as well say that white should marry white, black with black, yellow with yellow and brown with brown.

Whoa, which society was that you came from mate? I’d like to go there.

Lol fuck you too dude…for whatever reason

Seriously what is your malfunction

Same way they feel about any other race

*shrugs*

There’s a white fetish in this country, so go figure.

I tend to have to agree with Jasmine. Its the comfort factor we must eliminate. But Singapore is pro-efficient in making the word race such a big thing that when people see others on the street that ‘sports’ a different hue from them, they automatically relate racial matters with that person.

We need to move away from Indian, Chinese, Malay and whatever and focus on being Singaporean. Until we do that, we stand divided and Uniquely Singapore is a phrase coined to sound catchy but not true, because let’s face it, we’re not uniquely Singaporean. We’re individuals living in a tinder box that has the fuse kept cool and docile by nitrogen as a safety switch.

What happens when the safety switch really fails?

Fantastic points I must say. After a spiraling discussion that resulted in endless racial bashing, I’m happy to finally see some form of sense return to a valid topic.

I totally agree with your point regarding language. I myself, was prevented from taking up mandarin in primary school despite having done it in Kindergarten. My parents were told that my only options were either Tamil or Malay. And I find it weird, because categorically, I’m Indian as stated on the IC but officially, I’m Indian Chinese peranakan. And as we all know, peranakans tend to understand and speak Malay almost as well, if not better than English.

But the point here is, there is absolutely no way the school could have known I was peranakan or even mixed. Thanks to the world’s needs in categorizing peoples of different color under the race tag, the school identifies me as Indian. As such, the curious thing here is, why then would I be offered Malay as an option? if we’re going with race appropriate language, then shouldn’t I have been forced to adopt Tamil, even though it isn’t my mother tongue (my mother tongue and first language is English).

I feel by doing this, the school and by association, the government do not necessarily care so much about race. Rather, they would put all those of a similar color and spell out options meant for a distinct hue.

Which as we know, takes racism to a whole new level.

And while we’re on the topic of a mother tongue, I had always felt it was unnecessary. People should be given the option, like you said, to choose which language they’d prefer or choose not to have one. By focusing on a need to speak our mother tongues, you end up segregating people more.

We see it in public now. Chinese hang around Chinese, indians hang around indians and so on so forth. Those like me, with no real connection to any race, either remain alone or try desperately to fit into a group that isn’t racially conscious and what I mean by that is a group that cares not about one’s race or even judges a person by his color.

Also, I feel the need to point out our government’s reaction to America’s first black President. There was no need to come on stage and explain why we can’t expect to see a different race as Prime Minister. Doing so only cemented in my mind, just how racist they are.

And I agree that being called Singaporean followed by our race is a step in the right direction. Measures must be taken to instill a national identity and that cannot be done if we are at every turn reminded of what our race is and who our true people are.If we go this route, there might be a chance, a small chance to eradicate the perceived need of a race tag totally.

Do you remember CIMO (Chinese, Indian, Malay and others) dance? That was one of the worst initiatives, if you can even call it that that the government did. Instead of coming up with a truly unique Singaporean dance, it had to be a blatant fusion of ethnic dances with the races, once again, being its identity.

I don’t expect the older generation to think this feasible but when they pass on, it will be up to us, the new generation to enforce this state of mind but I fear that the government had been too strong and overbearing in its directives that the older generation would have already filled the minds of the young with notions of racial loyalty (I’m talking key majority here), that our ascension to a racially subconscious or ignorant society is a long time coming.

That’s why for the longest time, I have been sad and truly ashamed to call myself Singaporean because factually, there is nothing Singaporean about me save the words that are written on my IC.