Friday, August 22, 2008

There's this cool forum going on tomorrow at the National Library about what we dream Singapore would be, ideally. Quite bummed that I can't go, it would be fun you know! Its not often that people celebrate idealism nowadays, it just gets no respect - as if being cynical and realistic is the better stance. Anyway!

Anyway, what do I dream Singapore would be?

I would like it to not be racist. Seriously you all, just stop.

Apart from institutional racism in terms of unspoken barriers in the military, what I'm more uncomfortable with is casual racism which by its nature, is so much more insidious. I've come to a point that I find times when people mimic the accents of minorities really very abrasive. And let's not kid ourselves, it happens A LOT here in Singapore.

It gets to me, it really does. Especially so because it's so hard to speak up against it because the perpetrators (who are your friends) of course, think they are doing it out of humour. There is no direct malice save for the tinge of mockery that they themselves are not conscious of. How does one call them out on it without:
a) making too big a fuss of it
b) appearing self-victimizing
c) sounding over-sensitive?

And mmhm, if you're so convinced that there is nothing overtly offensive about it, then why do you giggle in embarrassment when a stranger of a minority race catches you doing it? Geez, I dunno, but it might be your conscience and bit of social sensitivity flickering.

Okay Chinese friends, the first few times you talk in a Malay mat accent, yeah funny. Every other day, several times a day? When I start losing the novelty of hearing you speak in the stereotype of my ethnic race, it starts getting a bit annoying, and when its just not funny anymore, then all I see left is the tiny core of mockery stemming from your perception of us minorities as funny, strange Others. C'mon, at this rate, let's get a bunch of tribal Africans for an exhibit in our zoo!

And no, I don't think speaking in an Indian/Philippine accent is funny. What's so funny? That their English sounds different? Please lor. Just the other day in class, I was exposed the many ways that Singaporean-Chinese people speak and its pretty idiosyncratic too. But if I were to mimic that out of *cough* humour, no, that would just be mean. I would be, sorry, looking down on more cheena people.

Maybe I'm too serious.

But maybe! I'm just getting pretty uncomfortable realizing the degree of how narrow-minded, insensitive or unaware my peers can be.

Or maybe! They just need to get a better sense of humour.

Ah shit, if the persons I am ranting about ever finds this post, I am screwed. Twenty years old is pretty late to finally start feeling the weight of peer pressure but well, here it is.

Although its times like these when my repressed resentment builds up that I really wish I could pack up the scores of socially insensitive people and send them off to a community of crazy white supremacist people. Like, here you go! This is how we feel as a minority.

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