There were times I thought it'd be easier if I were born Chinese,” he said. “When I looked in the mirror, I really didn't like how I looked. Mr Asyraf said that despite always reacting jovially to his friends’ banter, their remarks made him feel insecure about his physical appearance growing up. Those interviewed by TODAY stressed that such nasty wisecracks, even if uttered without malice, have no place in society. While the fact is that racism exists in Singapore, its manifestation in the form of jokes or casual remarks are especially rankling for the victims since they are often expected to take them in their stride. Such experiences and several other encounters of such forms of racism recounted to TODAY in the past week, are but a slice of what ethnic minorities in Singapore face in their everyday lives. She told the cashier that she could speak the language because she is Singaporean, to which the latter replied: “But… you look like… Bollywood.” "It’s always jokes and they’re always about my skin tone and my appearance,” he added.Īt a bakery in Kembangan buying some kueh last year, Ms Sherlin Pravin Giri elicited a confused look from the cashier when she began speaking in Malay. But now when I think about it, it’s f***** up,” said Mr Asyraf. The 28-year-old marketing professional, who is Malay and has some Indian heritage, declined to be identified by his full name. While he did not like such comments, he did not think much of them at first. A remark made by one of them - “If I turn off the lights, we won’t be able to see you.” - also remains firmly etched in his mind. SINGAPORE - After all these years, Mr Asyraf still remembers how some of his close friends who are Chinese called him a "black monkey" in his teens. Some interviewees also felt that, among other things, Singapore society needs to encourage more honest, ground-up, and minority-led conversations on racism. For starters, learn about why certain words or actions are offensive, why they inflict hurt and what to say or do instead.But in the first place, as those interviewed pointed out, why should the onus of stamping out racism - including its most basic form - fall on the people on the receiving end, instead of the perpetrators?.The topic of racism has become less of a taboo in Singapore society in recent years, with some of the public discussions focusing on how the minority groups can speak out against it.While the fact is that racism exists in Singapore, its manifestation in the form of jokes or casual remarks are especially rankling for the victims since they are often expected to take them in their stride.This is a shortened version of the full feature, which can be found here. This week, we examine the problem of everyday racism or microaggression and how to eradicate it. Join us in our Instagram Live webinar on 12pm, Wednesday (June 29) on the topic of getting to the root of racism.Įach week, TODAY’s long-running Big Read series delves into the trends and issues that matter. This article was written in partnership with the National Youth Council.
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