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Abstract
This article investigates multiculturalism and ethnicity in Singapore. The study conducted a qualitative content analysis of articles appearing in the Straits Times newspaper over a three month period in 2010. It was found that multicultural harmony tended to be represented as unnatural, fragile, and requiring government intervention. There also tended to be a focus on distinct and fixed ethnic identities, reflecting an essentialist understanding of ethnicity. These beliefs about the nature of multiculturalism and ethnic identity were reflected in the coverage of three major social issues. These were the perceived needs to maintain the ethnic composition of Singapore’s population, efforts to prevent cultural corruption or neglect, and concerns about the impact of immigration on multicultural harmony.
Notes
1. Chua, “Culture, Multiracialism and National Identity in Singapore.”
2. Hussin, “Textual Construction of a Nation.”
3. Clammer, Race, and State in Independent Singapore; Yeoh & Huang, “‘Foreign Talent’ In Our Midst.”
4. Goh, “From Colonial Pluralism to Postcolonial Multiculturalism.”
5. Fozdar, “Wilding and Hawkins, Race and Ethnic Relations.”
6. Chua, “Multiculturalism in Singapore.”
7. Statistics Singapore, Population Trends 2014.
8. Wei, “Mixed Race But No Mixed Feelings.”
9. Clammer, Race and State in Independent Singapore; Gopinathan, Ho & Saravanan, “Ethnicity Management and Language Education Policy”; Velayutham, Responding to Globalization.
10. Chua, “Multiculturalism in Singapore.”
11. Ibid.
12. Chua, “The Cost of Membership in Ascribed Community.”
13. Chua, “Being Chinese Under Official Multiculturalism in Singapore.”
14. Parekh, “What is Multiculturalism?”
15. Vasu and Ramakrishna, “Countering Terrorism.”
16. Ibid.
17. Moore, “Multiracialism and Meritocracy.”
18. Vasu and Ramakrishna, “Countering Terrorism.”
19. Chua, “Multiculturalism in Singapore”; Hill and Fee, “The Politics of Nation Building and Citizenship in Singapore.”
20. Turnbull, “A History of Modern Singapore.”
21. Ibid.; Rahim, Singapore in the Malay World.
22. Ibid., 25.
23. Hong, Singapore and Its Tensed Pasts.
24. Turnbull, “A History of Modern Singapore.”
25. Ibid.
26. Goh, “From Colonial Pluralism to Postcolonial Multiculturalism.”
27. Narayanan, “The Political History of Ethnic Relations in Singapore.”
28. Ibid.
29. Bokhorst-Heng, “Newspapers in Singapore”; Chua, “Multiculturalism in Singapore.”
30. Chua, “Multiculturalism in Singapore.”
31. Ibid.
32. Ibid.
33. Baker, Crossroads.
34. Hussin, “Textual Construction of a Nation.”
35. Ibid.
36. Cenite et al., “Perpetual Development Journalism?.”
37. Shafer, “Comparing Development Journalism and Public Journalism.”
38. Romano, “Asian Journalism”; George, The Air-Conditioned Nation; Bokhorst-Heng, “Newspapers in Singapore.”
39. Tey, “Confining the Freedom of the Press in Singapore.”
40. Rodan, “Singapore.”
41. Tey, “Confining the Freedom of the Press in Singapore.”
42. Ibid.; George, The Air-Conditioned Nation; Leong, “The ‘Straight’ Times.”
43. Reporters Without Borders, Press Freedom Index 2014.
44. Tan, “Ethnic Representations On Singapore Film and Television.”
45. Cenite et al., “Perpetual Development Journalism?.”
46. Massey & Chang, “Locating Asian Values in Asian Journalism.”
47. Bokhorst-Heng, “Newspapers in Singapore.”
48. Straits Times, “About Us.”
49. Teo, “Respecting Cultural Space is Key.”
50. Tatt, “Why He’s Sending His Best Wishes to MM Lee.”
51. Brooks, “Vital to keep S’pore Colour-Blind.”
52. Shiraishi, Across the Causeway.
53. Durai, “Nicely Packaged to Tell the S’pore Story.”
54. Wan, “Malayalees Celebrate Festival with Boat Race.”
55. Chua, “Culture, Multiracialism and National Identity in Singapore.”
56. Devan, “Still My Country, At Home and Abroad.”
57. Yen, “Integration a Work-In-Progress.”
58. Brooks, “Foreigners are Not Why We Don’t Do Well.”
59. Tan, “Fitting Finale to a Celebration of Differences.”
60. Straits Times, “View Among Young That S’pore Can be Put On Auto-Pilot Still Concerns MM.”
61. Yen, “Integration a Work-In-Progress.”
62. Kok, “Wanted: More Malay-Muslim Social Workers.”
63. Yong & Lin, “Radical Ideology.”
64. Toh, “Reaching Out Cuts Both Ways.”
65. Lin, “Racial Quotas Not a Key Price Factor”; Lai, “Why License Fees are Levied Despite Pay-TV”; Hussain, “Getting Malays Back to Using Their Mother Tongue”; Hussain, “Awards for Volunteers Who Counsel Detailed Terrorists”; Durai, “Nicely Packaged to Tell the S’pore Story”; Tan, “Fitting Finale to a Celebration of Differences.”
66. Lin, “Ethnic Mix Here Will be Preserved”; Ming, “PM Lee Spells Out the “Foreigner” Conundrum”; Lee, “Rally Quotes”; Suhaimi, “The Singapore Spirit, Five Years On”; Hussain, “Malay Leaders Worry About Numbers”; Heng, “S’pore’s Unique Identity Sets It Apart from China.”
67. Teo, “Respecting Cultural Space is Key”; Straits Times, “View Among Young That S’pore Can be Put On Auto-Pilot Still Concerns MM”; Tatt, “Why He’s Sending His Best Wishes to MM Lee.”
68. Teo, “Respecting Cultural Space is Key.”
69. Wee, “Linguistic Instrumentalism in Singapore.”
70. Chua, “Culture, Multiracialism and National Identity in Singapore.”
71. Hussain, “Getting Malays Back to Using Their Mother Tongue.”
72. Ibid.
73. Ibid.
74. Toh, “Engaging In a Bit of Fun with Mandarin.”
75. Straits Times, “View Among Young That S’pore Can be Put On Auto-Pilot Still Concerns MM.”
76. Toh, “Over 3,000 Sworn In As New Citizens”; Heng, “S’pore’s Unique Identity Sets It Apart from China.”
77. Yen, “Integration a Work-In-Progress.”
78. Ibid.
79. Sadali, “Proud to Stand On Our Own Feet.”
80. Heng, “S’pore’s Unique Identity Sets It Apart from China.”
81. Leong, “It’s Chinatown Again.”
82. Wei, “Mixed Race But No Mixed Feelings.”
83. Pflug, “Growing Up with Asian Family Values”; Tan, “It’s Nationality Before Race for Her.”
84. Hashimoto, “Living Two Different Lives and Loving It”; Tan, “It’s Nationality Before Race for Her”; Lopez, “It’s Like I’m Part of Every Race.”
85. Carecci, “He Speaks Hokkien to His Grandmother”; Lopez, “It’s Like I’m Part of Every Race.”
86. Hashimoto, “Living Two Different Lives and Loving It.”
87. Hussain, “Malay Leaders Worry About Numbers.”
88. Teo, “Respecting Cultural Space is Key.”
89. Hussain, “Malay Leaders Worry About Numbers.”
90. Ibid.
91. Sim and Kok, “Attracting Ethnic Malay Talent to S’pore.”
92. Ibid.
93. Hussain, “Malay Leaders Worry About Numbers.”
94. Rahim, Singapore in the Malay World.
95. Teo, “Respecting Cultural Space is Key.”
96. Straits Times, “Falling Birth Rates a Worry.”
97. Toh, “PR Numbers Almost Double In 10 Years.”
98. Toh, “Immigrants Can Spur Us to Do Better”; Kam, “Bearers of Great Riches”; Sim & Kok, “Attracting Ethnic Malay Talent to S’pore.”
99. Basu, R. “Counter Anti-Foreigner Talk”; Loh, “More Tangible Efforts Must be Made to Address Real Fears.”
100. Tan, “Foreign Barriers are Language and Culture, Not Race and Religion.”
101. Leong, “It’s Chinatown Again.”
102. Heng, “S’pore’s Unique Identity Sets It Apart from China.”
103. Quek and Spykerman, “Brothers from Different Shores”; Toh, “Over 3,000 Sworn In As New Citizens”; Toh, “Immigrant’s Advice: Learn English to Fit In.”
104. Toh, “PR Numbers Almost Double In 10 Years.”
105. Tan, “What the Country Needs is Not Just Talent But Also Commitment and Loyalty.”
106. Basu, “Counter Anti-Foreigner Talk.”
107. Leong, “It’s Chinatown Again.”
108. Ortiga, “Multiculturalism On Its Head.”
109. Chua, “Multiculturalism in Singapore.”
110. Vasu, “Governance through Difference in Singapore.”
111. Koh, “Imagining the Singapore “Nation” and “Identity”.”
112. Tarulevicz, “Hidden In Plain View.”; Wee, “Linguistic Instrumentalism in Singapore.”; Kwan-Terry, “Language Shift, Mother Tongue, and Identity in Singapore.”
113. Chua, “Multiculturalism in Singapore.”; Wong and Yeoh, “Fertility and the Family.”
114. Jayaraman, “Inclusion and Exclusion.”
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Joanna Holman
Joanna Holman completed her BA (Hons) at Monash University and her research focuses on multiculturalism and identity.
Dharmalingam Arunachalam
Dr Dharma Arunachalam is associate professor of Sociology at the School of Social Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. His major areas of research include migration, identity, social demography, and health. He is currently working on a monograph on Indians in Australia.