PROFILE /
THROUGH THE EYES OF A CHINESE MINORITY AZIMIN SAINI |
30.9.2011
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Tweets by @nusfp, NUS's self-proclaimed fashion police. Credit: Twitter
“When I saw that, my heart just broke,” 22-year-old Chinese national Zhang Shuai said. “It was a black map outline of Singapore and the words on it said ‘F**k off, we’re full’,” the first-year National University of Singapore student replied, when asked to describe the image.
For nearly one and a half hours, Zhang spoke of his experience of being a Chinese national in Singapore, in an interview during one cool rainy Tuesday afternoon at the University Town’s new Starbucks.
Much attention has been paid to the 1.39 million foreign residents out of 5.18 million people jammed in an island no bigger than 694 square kilometres. The sudden influx of foreigners has raised the ire of Singaporeans, and became a prominent issue in the May 2011 elections. More recently, Chinese citizens have been in the spotlight for racist YouTube videos as well as an incident where a Chinese family sought to get a Singaporean Indian family not to cook curry for its strong smell.
“Those people are an embarrassment,” Zhang said. “There are many, many more Chinese nationals here in Singapore and if we were all like that, Singapore would be in a bad state.”
Speaking in intonated but fluent English, he impressed as an average young adult over the interview, listing canoeing as one of his hobbies, Faye Wong and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice as some of the music and literature he enjoys, all while warming his hands on a green tea latte.
“I was born in Beijing […], we first relocated to Hong Kong in 1998 for a few years, then back to Beijing,” he said as the interview took off. “And then in 2005, my dad took up his company’s offer to base himself here.”
When asked about his family’s reason for the relocations, he replied, “My dad works for China Construction Bank, and they needed manpower at overseas branches.”
Relocation was not hard at a young age according to Zhang. But he spent the better part of his late teens trying to fit into Singapore society.
“I was in Hwa Chong and people were really nice,” he paused, “but something changed over the past year. I feel a very strong anti-China sentiment developing and I don’t feel good being here anymore.”
He nods in understanding when told that the purpose of the interview was to seek his views on this issue. “I guess Singaporeans tend to lump all Chinese nationals together. It’s unfair because we come from different parts of China. We’re from different socioeconomic backgrounds so we all have different upbringing,” he said.
“They laugh at our Mandarin accents, call us ah tiong.” He whipped out his iPhone and showed his Twitter timeline. One tweet by NUS’s self-proclaimed fashion police account read: “It’s true. Starbucks to open at our new UTown. Ah Tiongs please stay at Yakun at YIH.”
“So according to them, I’m not even allowed to be here, right?” he fumed. “If China was Africa and all of us Chinese nationals were ethnically black, it would be racism.”
Coming to terms with being an ironic minority has not always been easy. “It was much easier in Hwa Chong, but in NUS, I hear all sorts of comments. Sometimes people can’t tell I’m not Singaporean and just talk really loudly about us. Times like that, I just isolate myself and feel like leaving.”
When asked what stopped him from doing so, he said, “Those really are the rare moments. I have my family here and a degree to complete.”
Acknowledging the dilemma, his brother, Zhang Feng said, “He just has to learn to take things in his stride. He is young.”
Despite the adversity, Zhang Shuai said he will leave only if “things get really bad,” citing riots as an example.
He nodded poignantly, “But I doubt that will happen. Singapore is great that way. And I know that’s something China might never achieve.”
For nearly one and a half hours, Zhang spoke of his experience of being a Chinese national in Singapore, in an interview during one cool rainy Tuesday afternoon at the University Town’s new Starbucks.
Much attention has been paid to the 1.39 million foreign residents out of 5.18 million people jammed in an island no bigger than 694 square kilometres. The sudden influx of foreigners has raised the ire of Singaporeans, and became a prominent issue in the May 2011 elections. More recently, Chinese citizens have been in the spotlight for racist YouTube videos as well as an incident where a Chinese family sought to get a Singaporean Indian family not to cook curry for its strong smell.
“Those people are an embarrassment,” Zhang said. “There are many, many more Chinese nationals here in Singapore and if we were all like that, Singapore would be in a bad state.”
Speaking in intonated but fluent English, he impressed as an average young adult over the interview, listing canoeing as one of his hobbies, Faye Wong and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice as some of the music and literature he enjoys, all while warming his hands on a green tea latte.
“I was born in Beijing […], we first relocated to Hong Kong in 1998 for a few years, then back to Beijing,” he said as the interview took off. “And then in 2005, my dad took up his company’s offer to base himself here.”
When asked about his family’s reason for the relocations, he replied, “My dad works for China Construction Bank, and they needed manpower at overseas branches.”
Relocation was not hard at a young age according to Zhang. But he spent the better part of his late teens trying to fit into Singapore society.
“I was in Hwa Chong and people were really nice,” he paused, “but something changed over the past year. I feel a very strong anti-China sentiment developing and I don’t feel good being here anymore.”
He nods in understanding when told that the purpose of the interview was to seek his views on this issue. “I guess Singaporeans tend to lump all Chinese nationals together. It’s unfair because we come from different parts of China. We’re from different socioeconomic backgrounds so we all have different upbringing,” he said.
“They laugh at our Mandarin accents, call us ah tiong.” He whipped out his iPhone and showed his Twitter timeline. One tweet by NUS’s self-proclaimed fashion police account read: “It’s true. Starbucks to open at our new UTown. Ah Tiongs please stay at Yakun at YIH.”
“So according to them, I’m not even allowed to be here, right?” he fumed. “If China was Africa and all of us Chinese nationals were ethnically black, it would be racism.”
Coming to terms with being an ironic minority has not always been easy. “It was much easier in Hwa Chong, but in NUS, I hear all sorts of comments. Sometimes people can’t tell I’m not Singaporean and just talk really loudly about us. Times like that, I just isolate myself and feel like leaving.”
When asked what stopped him from doing so, he said, “Those really are the rare moments. I have my family here and a degree to complete.”
Acknowledging the dilemma, his brother, Zhang Feng said, “He just has to learn to take things in his stride. He is young.”
Despite the adversity, Zhang Shuai said he will leave only if “things get really bad,” citing riots as an example.
He nodded poignantly, “But I doubt that will happen. Singapore is great that way. And I know that’s something China might never achieve.”