Eurasian Singaporeans

Eurasian Singaporeansis a term that refers toSingaporeansof mixedEuropean–Asiandescent.
The term, which includes – but is not limited to – thecreoleandindigenousKristang people, who form a distinct sub-group within the Eurasian community with their own separatelanguage, culture and identity. The Asian ancestry of Eurasians traces toBritish Malaya,British India,Portuguese India, theDutch East IndiesandFrench Indochinato other colonies while their European ancestry trace back primarily toWestern Europe, particularly theBritish Isles, although Eurasian settlers to Singapore in the 19th century also came from other European colonies. When the European maritime powers colonised Asian countries from the 16th to 20th centuries, they brought into being a new group of commingled ethnicities known historically as Eurasians.
Early Europeans were primarily male and often had children with local women, as they were usually not accompanied by their womenfolk on their journey to Asia. Initially, the offspring of such a union were brought up as an appendage of European culture, enjoying further advantages not generally accorded to the rest of the local Asian people.In time, as colonial attitudes hardened, Eurasians were largely cast aside by the European authorities and treated much like the rest of the local population, with many of them eventually supportinghome ruleandindependencemovements.
The first documented Europeans to visit Southeast Asia were the Romans and Italians. In 166 AD, a Roman mission travelled to China via modern day Vietnam, bringing presents of elephant tusk, rhinoceros horn, and tortoise shell from Southern Asia. Archaeological evidence supports the claim in theWeilüeandBook of Liangthat Roman merchants were active in northern Vietnam.Between 1275 and 1292, Marco Polo spent 17 years as an emissary of Kublai Khan, visiting tributary kingdoms in modern day Indonesia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.In the 1320s,Odoric of Pordenonevisited Borneo, Champa, and Java.In the 1420s, the Venetian merchant and explorerNiccolo de' Contimarried an Indian woman, and travelled extensively in modern day Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
Before the arrival of the Dutch, English and French in Asia, the first Europeans to land and seize territory in Asia were thePortuguese. Portuguese spice-traders first sailed to Malacca in 1509, having already established settlements in Goa and other parts of India.  Portuguese explorers and conquerors were accompanied by the firstJesuitpriests to Southeast Asia via Goa inPortuguese India.Afonso de Albuquerque, the viceroy of India,conquered Malacca(today just a few hours' drive from Singapore) in 1511, while JesuitFrancis Xavier, (aBasqueSpaniard serving the Portuguese Crown) arrived inMalaccain 1545. The creole/indigenous descendants of mixed marriages between Portuguese colonisers and local Malay residents are today called theJenti Kristang, with their own distinctive language, theKristang language. Many are descended from individuals who lived in Malacca or other parts of Malaya. Others have ancestors who lived inJavaor other parts ofIndonesiaas a result of being expelled from Malacca after the Portuguese were forcibly ejected from Malacca by the Johore-Dutch alliance in 1641. A fewMacanese peopleof Cantonese-Portuguese ancestry fromMacauare also living in Singapore.
KristangEurasians have their own fully separate and naturalcreoleandindigenousculture, identity andlanguagefrom all other Eurasians and are especially distinct from those who are the offspring of more recent immigrants and expatriates of European and Asian origin (who are also commonly called "Eurasians" in Singapore).  The same or similar distinction exists between on the one hand those first- or second-generation Eurasians who typically would share the ethnic identity of one parent more closely, that parent typically not being of Kristang or Portuguese-origin and on the other hand multi-generation(i.e. typically third-generation, fourth-generation and fifth-generation, etc) Eurasians who typically might have at least some distant Kristang-speaking or Iberian-origin ancestry, and many of whom would associate with some Kristang or Portuguese-origin cultural practices (e.g. Kristang songs and Portuguese-origin dances likeJinkli Nona) and dine on Kristang Eurasian dishes likeDevil's curryorcurry debalin Kristang. As a general rule, first or second-generation Eurasians typically do not have any Kristang-speaking ancestry, do not speak Kristang, generally do not adopt Kristang or Portuguese-origin cultural practices and cues and are less familiar with Kristang Eurasian cuisine, language and history. Simply put, first-generation Eurasians are people whose parents are not Eurasians. Multi-generation (typically third-generation, fourth-generation and fifth-generation, etc) Eurasians are people whose parents or forefathers are themselves Eurasians.Before the twenty-first century, the Kristang were generally disdained and demeaned by other Eurasian groups, being often seen as illiterate, coarse, primitive, backward, unrefined and hypersexual.
In 1602, a Dutch trading company called theVereenigde Oostindische Compagnieor VOC (literally "UnitedEast IndiesCompany" but better known in English as theDutch East India Company) was created to conduct trade in the area east of theCape of Good Hopeand west of theStraits of Magellan. In establishing their numerous trade stations spanning acrossAsia, the Dutch created independent settler societies in each of their colonies, whereBatavia(nowJakarta,Indonesia) became the administrative centre and rendezvous point for the company's Asian shipping traffic.
Between 1602 and 1795, the VOC fitted out some 4,700 ships which carried more than a million Europeans to Singapore. More than 70 percent of the one million passengers never actually returned to Europe, making Asia their new home.These early seafarers were not only made up of Dutch, but also includedEnglish,Germans,French Huguenots,Italians,Scandinaviansand otherEuropeanswho were employed by the VOC. In time, many wereassimilatedintoDutch coloniessituated throughout Asia (though primarily in modern Indonesia) where they were stationed and became part of the respective communities.
Intermarriagesbetween VOC employees and locals were encouraged, which led to the creation of communities of Dutch descendants.Today, there are only five surviving coherent and large communities who are descended from those early intermarriages. They are theCape Coloureds(South Africa),BastersandOorlam(Namibia),Burghers(Sri Lanka), andIndos(Indonesia). Other Dutch groups have persisted as astrainamong theAnglo-BurmeseandKristang. The Dutch transferred Malacca to the British in 1825 in exchange for territory in Sumatra. The British colonial administration encouraged migration away from Malacca and as a result many Eurasians and other people moved north to thriving Penang (where other Eurasians fleeing Phuket or moving from Kedah also settled) and later south to Singapore as it grew in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  Dutch descendants in Malaysia and Singapore are primarily made up of Eurasians originating from Malacca, as well as others who emigrated from the East Indies, India and Sri Lanka.  Leo and Hilda Campbell were Dutch Burghers who arrived in Singapore from Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) in 1910.  The couple planned to migrate to Australia like many Eurasians but due to Hilda suffering a stroke, they remained in Singapore.
The British were the most important Europeans in colonial Singapore, as they were the colonial rulers of the island. A number of British settlers arrived after its colonial status changed in 1867.  Interracial marriage was very common in colonial days.  Even men who had European wives sometimes had local paramours. European women who moved to Southeast Asia tended to die young.  British men took Asian partners and their offspring would be Eurasian. Some who hadBritish nationalitypreferred to settle in Britain or other parts of theCommonwealth, especially Australia.  Many British and other European men of retirement age, instead of going back to cold Europe, would settle in Australia with Asian women, with fewer staying on in Singapore.  Apart from being warmer than Europe, Australia was less judgemental than Europe or colonial Singapore to mixed marriages and mixed offspring.Independent Singapore's secondPresident,Benjamin Sheares, was a Eurasian of English lineage.E. W. Barker, the former Law Minister, was of mixed- Portuguese, Irish, Japanese, Scottish, Malay and German descent. AuthorRex Shelleywas of mixed English, Portuguese, Malay and Buginese ancestry. National swimmerJoseph Schoolingis a third-generation Singaporean, and is of Eurasian ethnicity.  His parents are Colin and May Schooling. May is a Chinese Malaysian and a Singapore permanent resident; while Colin, a businessman, was born in Singapore. Colin's grandfather was a British military officer who married a local Portuguese-Eurasian in Singapore. The last name Schooling is believed to be an anglicised surname that originated in Germany.
Other Eurasians in Singapore have parents or are descended from individuals who originated from various parts of Western Europe and its former colonies such as in the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa or elsewhere.  There are also some Filipino people of partial Spanish descent. Former Nominated Member of Parliament Eunice Olsen's father is of Swedish and Portuguese descent. His grandfather married aChinesewoman inShanghaiand brought her to Singapore. Geraldene Lowe's mother’s family was called Luth and came fromSchleswig-Holstein, then part ofDenmark. DuringBismarck’s unification ofGermany, they headed to Asia and Australia and married people from various nationalities.
Olympic gold medallist swimmerJoseph Schoolingis a Eurasian, as is his father Colin Schooling. His mother May Schooling is aChinese-Malaysianwhile his father is of British, Swedish, Kristang and Portuguese descent.
AuthorRex Shelleywas of mixed English, Portuguese, Malay andBugineseancestry.
Other Eurasians in Singapore have parents or are descended from individuals who originated fromJapan,Koreaor other parts ofEast Asia. An example is TV personality and presenter Stephanie Carrington, who is halfWhite Americanand half Korean.
Since January 2010, the Government in Singapore has allowed the double-barrelling of race classification by parents of different races when they register their children. A child may be registered, for instance, as Malay-Caucasian or Caucasian-Chinese. Before 2010, the government required children to register as a single race, which was required to be the father's. The added flexibility is in response to increasing demographic diversity driven by immigration and more multi-cultural marriages.
English is generally spoken as a first language by almost all Eurasians in Singapore. A number of Eurasians speak Asian languages like Malay, Chinese (Mandarin or other Sinitic Languages) or Tamil as a second or third language.  Like many Singaporeans, Eurasians will commonly speakSinglish. Some of the elder generation of Kristang Eurasians, typically those who have a Portuguese surname or are ofKristang-speaking descent, speak thePortuguese creoleknown asCristãoorPapia Kristang(Speaking Kristang) – theKristang languageat home and within their small community.  Kristang is a dyingpatoisand is only spoken by a small minority of Eurasians.
The Eurasian community in Singapore includes people that belong to different religions and to no religion, but most of them areChristians, mostlyCatholic, with religious celebrations likeChristmastypically being an integral part of their lifestyle.  Many Eurasians in Singapore have been educated in Catholic mission schools like St Joseph's Institution. Protestant Eurasians in Singapore includeAnglicans(Episcopals),Presbyterians,Methodists,LutheransandEvangelicals. Eurasians looked upon an English education as a passport to a better life in colonial Singapore and so their children were among the first to enrol in the earliest English language schools when they were set up. They attained the highest literacy rate among the local groups here. This enabled them to secure comfortable employment, in both public and private sectors, following in the footsteps of their fathers and as a family tradition for the future generations.
Eurasian culinary traditions includeEurasian smore(a beef stew),mulligatawnysoup (mulligataniin Kristang),shepherd's pie,vindaloo(vin d'arloin Kristang) and curry devil (aka "kari debal", "curry debal" or "devil's curry").  Desserts includeputugalandsugee cakemade with semolina, a dessert that is also associated with the Eurasians, but also with the Peranakan Chinese.Pineapple tartsare also a much-loved dessert, often served at Christmas in Eurasian homes. While the pineapple tart origins are elusive, its fascinating history can be traced back to the Eurasian community, as it combines a unique blend of culinary influences - the pineapple, which was introduced to Asia in the 16th century by the Spanish and Portuguese, made into a jam that is blended with Southeast Asian spices like the star anise, cloves and cinnamon, and baked in a pastry form that applies baking techniques introduced by the Portuguese.
Eurasians are prominent in the media, entertainment and fashion industry and are sought after because of their mixed look. In Singapore, Eurasian models are sometimes called 'Pan-Asians' for their mixed appearance. Apart from displaying certain Singaporean beauty standards, a common belief among those in the advertising industries of both Singapore and Malaysia is that a Eurasian model can appeal to different ethnic groups of Asian origin and thus there would be no need to create different advertisements to target different groups. For example, an advertisement featuring a Malaysian-Eurasian face could be used in places like Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand or Singapore because non-Eurasian Malaysians with their diverse origins could pass off as a Sri Lankan, Nepalese, Thai or Singaporean.
In media and entertainment, father and son Brian and Mark Richmond, Vernetta Lopez and Jean Danker are well-known radio personalities.
Eurasians in Singapore have also made their mark in the artistic and cultural domains. Jeremy Monteiro is a renowned jazz musician and Cultural Medallion winner. Rex Shelly was an award-winning writer known for his novels that feature the Eurasian community in Singapore and Malaysia.
In June 2009, 'Eurasiana - A Musical Tribute' marking the 90th anniversary of the Eurasian Association was performed at the Esplanade Concert Hall.  It was a showcase of Eurasian music, dance and culture in Singapore.Also performing was the 50-piece Singapore Pop Orchestra led by Maestro Iskandar Ismail.
Soon after the founding ofSingaporebyStamford Rafflesin 1819, people from other trading centres in Asia including Eurasians came to Singapore.  Wealthy Eurasians set up home alongWaterloo StreetandQueen Streetin the area between Bras Basah Road and Middle Road, not far from today'sSingapore Management University. The types of houses that they lived in included shophouses, two-storey houses, terrace houses andbungalows. These were typically owned by well-to-do merchants and traders. The houses on Queen Street also consisted of shophouses that were occupied by non-Eurasiancoolies. The living conditions in these shophouses were poor but at least the coolies could live close to where they worked. These houses on Queen Street were owned by the more well-to-do Eurasians.  Nearby were Catholic schools likeSt Joseph's Institutionand theConvent of the Holy Infant Jesusas well as other well-known schools that used to be located in the vicinity.  A number of buildings and churches of the period in the vicinity still stand today.  Today, few Eurasians can be found residing in the Waterloo Street and Queen Street area.
Eurasian families moved out from the enclaves to other locations such as the government quarters inBukit Timah, the countryside areas inSerangoonand Upper Serangoon, and the then coastal region of Tanjong Katong. There were even kampongs (Malay for “villages”) along Haig Road and Siglap Road that had a concentration of Eurasian families. Another Eurasian enclave known as Little England was located in the area bounded byFarrer Park, Norfolk Road and Rangoon Road. The roads in the area were all named after English counties and towns.  Eurasians today can now be found spread thinly across the island in both private and public housing. In past times, many Eurasians lived in theKatongarea, as did prominent tour guide Geraldene Lowe in her youth.Katongis commonly considered Singapore's main Eurasian enclave because of some history, modern Eurasian literature and the present location of the Eurasian Association, it is more of aPeranakanChinese enclave.
The leading association for Eurasians in Singapore is the Eurasian Association at 139 Ceylon Road in Katong.  The Eurasian Association has played a major role in uniting the community and developing a stronger shared identity.  It also a self-help group which serves the Eurasian community in Singapore. It has expanded the definition of Eurasian to include any person of mixed European and Asian parentage. Previously, only persons whose fathers were of European origin or who had European surnames were considered Eurasian.As of the end of 2013, there were 2,128 members of the Eurasian Association of Singapore.
TheSingapore Recreation Clubfacing thePadang, Singaporenear City Hall, founded by several Eurasian men, is considered to a social and sports club that is popular amongst the Eurasians in Singapore.  E.W. Barker played sports like cricket and hockey for the Singapore Recreation Club (SRC) between 1934 and 1941, when the SRC was almost the strongest team in Singapore.
During theJapanese occupation of Singapore, Europeans and Eurasian Singaporeans were generally spared the harsher treatments by the Japanese than other racial groups; however, many of them became an increasing nuisance for their activist efforts, in particular the Catholic societies, who fostered strong community bonds with the local Chinese. From December 1943 to April 1944, a combination of a collapsing currency, rising food and continued social activism culminated in the reactionary and punitive land acquisition strategy which relocated about 400 Roman Catholic Chinese and 300 European/Eurasian families (of which most were land-owners and many Chinese households also ran small businesses or shop-keeps from their homes) that forcibly acquired land and fixed property from homeowners in exchange for an equal area of dry land two miles from the town ofBahauinNegeri Sembilanstate in Malaya. Propagandised in the ironic manner of sending them off to live happier, better lives as a purely Catholic community where they could run their own affairs despite the reality that it was meant as a punishment. The responsibility for administering the affairs of the settlement was mockingly bestowed to prominent activist for Chinese welfare under occupationRoman CatholicbishopMonseigneur Adrian Devals. On his own accord, DrCharles Joseph Pemberton Paglar, President of the Eurasian Welfare Association visited the settlement frequently to bring much needed medical and other supplies as well as give the populace moral strength. Although many of the settlers were educated through missionary schools, and many of the landowners had practised limited subsistence farming on their properties in Singapore, the soil at theBahausettlement was intentionally apportioned by the Japanese as it consisted of non-arable land where there was insufficient water for irrigation. While the Japanese kept to their policy of restraint against the Europeans and Catholics (mindful of their German and Italian allies), the measure was deliberately intended to result in hardship for the settlers. The entire process which resulted in the deaths of about 500 settlers was extensively concealed under propaganda which sought to portray the departure of Catholic families from Singapore as a willing venture. As many who were relocated were generally of higher social and economic status, the propaganda which depicted better lives, created a resentment in the local populace and misplaced sense of betrayal against those that had initially defended them against the Japanese. The perverse nature of the Japanese propaganda was highly effective and would have lasting ramifications of distrust between the local races and their former colonial protectors.Many suffered from malnutrition, as their subsistence farming attempts could not provide self-sufficiency. In addition, they were plagued by malaria and other diseases. An estimated 500 settlers lost their lives, including Bishop Devals who helped many others to survive the ordeal. After the Japanese surrendered to the British in August 1945, the survivors were allowed to return to Singapore however were not compensated for their land or property.