Eurasian Singaporean
Encyclopedia
The community of Eurasians in Singapore is descended from Europe
ans who intermarried with local Asian
s. Their ancestry can be traced to emigrants of countries that span the length and breadth of Europe
, although Eurasian
migrants
to Singapore
in the 19th century came largely from other colonies
in Asia
, such as British Malaya
in particular Malacca
and Penang
; Chittagong
and Goa
in India
; the Dutch East Indies
and French Indochina
. They form a distinct group from more recent immigrants and expatriates of European descent.
The family names in the community come from Armenian (the Galistan, the Dragon and the Avakian families), British
(the Batchelor, the Branson, the Caine, the College, the Edwards, the Goodenough, the Hogan, the Philips, the Reeves, the Hale and the Smith families), Danish (the Lange, the Olsen, the Rasmussen and the Jensen families), Dutch
(the Marbeck, the Ess (formerly, "van Es"), the Hoeden (or "van Hoeden"), the Van Cuylenberg, the De Bakker, the Westenra, the Ten Haken, the Feenstra, the Gronloh and the Vanderstraaten families), French
(the Longue, the Poulier and the Cherbonnier families), German (the Hochstadt, the Oehlers, the Keller, the Kaiser and the Roelcke families), Italian
(the Marini, the De Luca, the Esposito, the Angelucci and the Scarpa families), Portuguese
(the Aeria, the Coelho, the Carvalho, the Conceicao, the de Almeida, the de Rosa, the de Silva, the de Souza (or d'Souza), the de Cruz (or D'Cruz), the de Cotta, the Nonis (or "Nunis"), the Gomez (or "Gomes"), the Lazaroo, the Monteiro, the Oliveiro, the Palmer, the Pereira, the Pestana, the Rodrigues and the Theseira families), Spanish
(the Castellano, the Fernandez, the Lopez, the Zuniga, the Ferdinands and the Hernandez families) and Swedish (the Holmberg, the Johansson and the Lindblom families) backgrounds.
priests to South-east Asia via Goa in India. Governor of Goa Afonso de Albuquerque conquered Malacca (today just a few hours' drive from Singapore) in 1511 while Jesuit Francis Xavier arrived in Malacca in 1545. Descendants of Portuguese colonialists who lived in Malacca and are of mixed Portuguese and largely Malay, but also Indian or Chinese descent, are collectively known as the Gente Kristang
. This group is characterised by having its own distinctive Portuguese creole, the Kristang language
, although it is now only spoken by a few, older members of the community. Many are descended from individuals who lived in Malacca or other parts of Malaysia. Others have ancestors who lived in Java or other parts of Indonesia as a result of being expelled from Malacca after the Portuguese were forcibly ejected from Malacca by the Johore-Dutch alliance in 1641. A few Macanese people of Chinese-Portuguese ancestry from Macau
are also living in Singapore.
trading company called the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie or VOC (literally "United East Indies
Company" but better known in English as the Dutch East India Company
) was created to conduct trade in the area east of the Cape of Good Hope
and west of the Straits of Magellan. In establishing their numerous trade stations spanning across Asia, the Dutch created independent settler societies in each of their colonies
, where Batavia (now Jakarta
, 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 almost a million Europeans to the Far East
. Almost 70 percent of the one million of the passengers never actually returned to Europe, making Asia their new home. These early seafarers were not only made up of Dutch, but also included British
, Germans
, French Huguenots
, Italians
, Scandinavia
ns and other Europeans
who were employed by the VOC. In time, many were assimilated
into Dutch colonies
situated throughout Asia (though primarily in modern Indonesia) where they were stationed and became part of the respective communities.
Intermarriage
s between VOC employees and locals were encouraged, which lead to the creation of communities of Dutch descendants. Today, there are only four surviving coherent and large communities who are descended from those early intermarriages. They are the Coloureds from South Africa
, Dutch Burghers
from Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka
), Dutch Indos from Indonesia
, Anglo-Burmese
and Dutch Eurasians from Malacca
, Malaysia. The Dutch Eurasians of Malacca are of Dutch and largely Malay but also Indian or Chinese descent. The Dutch transferred Malacca to the British in 1825 in exchange for territory in Sumatra. The British sought to depopulate 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 Dutch Eurasians originating from Malacca, Ceylon Dutch Burghers originating from Sri Lanka, as well as early Dutch settlers originating from Indonesia and India.
or other parts of the Commonwealth
. Singapore's second President
, Benjamin Sheares, was a Eurasian of English lineage. His daughter Constance is an art historian. Cheryl Fox is a news presenter for Singapore-based regional television news station Channel NewsAsia
.
.
is generally spoken as a first language by Eurasians, whilst amongst the elder generation who are of Portuguese or Portuguese-speaking descent, the Portuguese
creole
known as Cristão or Papia Kristang – the Kristang language
– is still spoken by some people. A number of Eurasians speak Asian languages like Malay, Chinese or Tamil as their second languages.
, most being Roman Catholics
of distant Portuguese descent who celebrate Christian feast days
such as Christmas
, Easter
and Corpus Christi
. Many have been educated in Catholic mission schools like St Joseph's Institution. Protestant Eurasians in Singapore include Anglicans (Episcopals), Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans and Evangelicals. Many have been educated in Anglican and Methodist mission schools like St Andrew's School, Anglo-Chinese School and Methodist Girls School.
(curry debal in Kristang), curry feng, Eurasian smore (a beef stew), mulligatawny
soup (mulligatani in Kristang), shepherd's pie
and vindaloo
(vin d'arlo in Kristang). Sugee cake made with semolina is also associated with the Eurasians, but also with the Peranakan Chinese.
in 1819, people from other trading centres in Asia including Eurasians came to Singapore. Wealthy Eurasians set up home along Waterloo Street
and Queen Street
, not far from today's Singapore Management University
. The types of houses that they lived in included shophouses, two-storey houses, terrace houses and bungalows. 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-Eurasian coolies. 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. A number of buildings and churches of the period in the vicinity still stand today. Today, few Eurasians can be found residing on Waterloo Street and Queen Street. Eurasians can be found spread thinly across the island in both private and public housing. Although Katong on Singapore's east side is 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 a Peranakan
Chinese enclave. The Singapore Recreation Club
facing the Padang, Singapore
near City Hall, founded by several Eurasian men, is considered to a social and sports club that is popular amongst the Eurasians in Singapore.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans who intermarried with local Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
s. Their ancestry can be traced to emigrants of countries that span the length and breadth of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, although Eurasian
Eurasian (mixed ancestry)
The word Eurasian refers to people of mixed Asian and European ancestry. It was originally coined in 19th-century British India to refer to Anglo-Indians of mixed British and Indian descent....
migrants
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
in the 19th century came largely from other colonies
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, such as British Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
in particular Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
and Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
; Chittagong
Chittagong
Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
and Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
; the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
and French Indochina
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
. They form a distinct group from more recent immigrants and expatriates of European descent.
The family names in the community come from Armenian (the Galistan, the Dragon and the Avakian families), British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
(the Batchelor, the Branson, the Caine, the College, the Edwards, the Goodenough, the Hogan, the Philips, the Reeves, the Hale and the Smith families), Danish (the Lange, the Olsen, the Rasmussen and the Jensen families), Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
(the Marbeck, the Ess (formerly, "van Es"), the Hoeden (or "van Hoeden"), the Van Cuylenberg, the De Bakker, the Westenra, the Ten Haken, the Feenstra, the Gronloh and the Vanderstraaten families), French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
(the Longue, the Poulier and the Cherbonnier families), German (the Hochstadt, the Oehlers, the Keller, the Kaiser and the Roelcke families), Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
(the Marini, the De Luca, the Esposito, the Angelucci and the Scarpa families), Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
(the Aeria, the Coelho, the Carvalho, the Conceicao, the de Almeida, the de Rosa, the de Silva, the de Souza (or d'Souza), the de Cruz (or D'Cruz), the de Cotta, the Nonis (or "Nunis"), the Gomez (or "Gomes"), the Lazaroo, the Monteiro, the Oliveiro, the Palmer, the Pereira, the Pestana, the Rodrigues and the Theseira families), Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
(the Castellano, the Fernandez, the Lopez, the Zuniga, the Ferdinands and the Hernandez families) and Swedish (the Holmberg, the Johansson and the Lindblom families) backgrounds.
Of Portuguese and Lusitanian Descent
The first Europeans to land and seize territory in Asia were the Portuguese, followed by the Spanish who claimed the Philippines. The Portuguese explorers and conquerors were accompanied by the first JesuitSociety of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
priests to South-east Asia via Goa in India. Governor of Goa Afonso de Albuquerque conquered Malacca (today just a few hours' drive from Singapore) in 1511 while Jesuit Francis Xavier arrived in Malacca in 1545. Descendants of Portuguese colonialists who lived in Malacca and are of mixed Portuguese and largely Malay, but also Indian or Chinese descent, are collectively known as the Gente Kristang
Kristang people
The Kristang are a creole ethnic group of people of mixed Portuguese and Malaccan descent based in Malaysia and Singapore. People of this ethnicity have strong Dutch heritage, some British as well as Chinese and Indian heritage due to intermarriage, which was common among the Kristang...
. This group is characterised by having its own distinctive Portuguese creole, the Kristang language
Kristang language
Papiá Kristang , or just Kristang, is a creole language. It is spoken by the Kristang, a community of people of mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry, chiefly in Malacca and Singapore....
, although it is now only spoken by a few, older members of the community. Many are descended from individuals who lived in Malacca or other parts of Malaysia. Others have ancestors who lived in Java or other parts of Indonesia as a result of being expelled from Malacca after the Portuguese were forcibly ejected from Malacca by the Johore-Dutch alliance in 1641. A few Macanese people of Chinese-Portuguese ancestry from Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
are also living in Singapore.
Of Dutch Descent
In 1602, a DutchNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
trading company called the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie or VOC (literally "United East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
Company" but better known in English as the Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
) was created to conduct trade in the area east of the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
and west of the Straits of Magellan. In establishing their numerous trade stations spanning across Asia, the Dutch created independent settler societies in each of their colonies
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
, where Batavia (now Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
) 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 almost a million Europeans to the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
. Almost 70 percent of the one million of the passengers never actually returned to Europe, making Asia their new home. These early seafarers were not only made up of Dutch, but also included British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
, Germans
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, French Huguenots
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
, Italians
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
ns and other Europeans
Demographics of Europe
Figures for the population of Europe vary according to which definition of European boundaries is used. The population within the standard physical geographical boundaries was 731 million in 2005 according to the United Nations. In 2010 the population is 857 million, using a definition which...
who were employed by the VOC. In time, many were assimilated
Cultural assimilation
Cultural assimilation is a socio-political response to demographic multi-ethnicity that supports or promotes the assimilation of ethnic minorities into the dominant culture. The term assimilation is often used with regard to immigrants and various ethnic groups who have settled in a new land. New...
into Dutch colonies
Dutch Empire
The Dutch Empire consisted of the overseas territories controlled by the Dutch Republic and later, the modern Netherlands from the 17th to the 20th century. The Dutch followed Portugal and Spain in establishing an overseas colonial empire, but based on military conquest of already-existing...
situated throughout Asia (though primarily in modern Indonesia) where they were stationed and became part of the respective communities.
Intermarriage
Interracial marriage
Interracial marriage occurs when two people of differing racial groups marry. This is a form of exogamy and can be seen in the broader context of miscegenation .-Legality of interracial marriage:In the Western world certain jurisdictions have had regulations...
s between VOC employees and locals were encouraged, which lead to the creation of communities of Dutch descendants. Today, there are only four surviving coherent and large communities who are descended from those early intermarriages. They are the Coloureds from South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Dutch Burghers
Burgher people
The Burghers are a Eurasian ethnic group, historically from Sri Lanka, consisting for the most part of male-line descendants of European colonists from the 16th to 20th centuries and local women, with some minorities of Swedish, Norwegian, French and Irish.Today the mother tongue of the Burghers...
from Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
), Dutch Indos from Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Anglo-Burmese
Anglo-Burmese
The Anglo-Burmese, also known as the Anglo-Burmans, are a community of Eurasians of Burmese and European descent, and emerged as a distinct community through mixed relations between the British and other European settlers and the indigenous peoples of Burma from 1826 until 1948 when Burma gained...
and Dutch Eurasians from Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
, Malaysia. The Dutch Eurasians of Malacca are of Dutch and largely Malay but also Indian or Chinese descent. The Dutch transferred Malacca to the British in 1825 in exchange for territory in Sumatra. The British sought to depopulate 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 Dutch Eurasians originating from Malacca, Ceylon Dutch Burghers originating from Sri Lanka, as well as early Dutch settlers originating from Indonesia and India.
Of British and Irish Descent
The British were the most important Europeans in colonial Singapore, as they were the colonizers and settlers in the island. A great number of British settlers after it became a British political territory in 1867. A number of British took Asian partners and their offspring would be Eurasian. Some who had British nationality preferred to settle in BritainUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
or other parts of the Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
. Singapore's second President
President of Singapore
The President of the Republic of Singapore is Singapore's head of state. In a Westminster parliamentary system, as which Singapore governs itself, the prime minister is the head of the government while the position of president is largely ceremonial. Before 1993, the President of Singapore was...
, Benjamin Sheares, was a Eurasian of English lineage. His daughter Constance is an art historian. Cheryl Fox is a news presenter for Singapore-based regional television news station Channel NewsAsia
Channel NewsAsia
Channel NewsAsia is an English language pan-Asian news network based in Singapore and owned by MediaCorp. Started on 1 March 1999 based in Singapore by Television Corporation of Singapore, it was launched internationally on 12 February 2001 as the international broadcasting arm of Channel...
.
Of Other European, American and Australian Descent
Other Eurasians in Singapore have parents or are descended from individuals who originated from Europe, the Americas, Australia or New Zealand.Of Chinese and East Asian Descent
Model Sarah Tan is of mixed ancestry. Her surname 'Tan' is a very common Chinese surname in Singapore and Malaysia. It should not be pronounced like "sun tan". Instead it should be pronounced "tahn" or "tarn". The Chinese character is pronounced as 'Chen' in Mandarin. Dubai radio host Simone Heng's father was from Singapore. Simone Heng grew up in Australia, a popular migration destination for Singaporeans of all races. 'Heng' is a less common Chinese surname. Ethnobotanist James Wong is the son of a Chinese Malaysian. He was raised in both Singapore and Malaysia. 'Wong' is a very common Chinese surname worldwide. Patrick Andrew Fok is a news presenter for Singapore-based regional television news station Channel NewsAsiaChannel NewsAsia
Channel NewsAsia is an English language pan-Asian news network based in Singapore and owned by MediaCorp. Started on 1 March 1999 based in Singapore by Television Corporation of Singapore, it was launched internationally on 12 February 2001 as the international broadcasting arm of Channel...
.
Of Japanese, Korean, Filipino, and Thai Descent
Other Eurasians in Singapore have parents or are descended from individuals who originated from Japan, South Korea, Philippines, and Thailand.Language
EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
is generally spoken as a first language by Eurasians, whilst amongst the elder generation who are of Portuguese or Portuguese-speaking descent, the Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
creole
Portuguese Creole
Portuguese creoles are creole languages which have been significantly influenced by Portuguese.- Origins :Portuguese overseas exploration in the 15th and 16th century's led to the establishment of a Portuguese Empire with trading posts, forts and colonies in the Americas, Asia and Africa...
known as Cristão or Papia Kristang – the Kristang language
Kristang language
Papiá Kristang , or just Kristang, is a creole language. It is spoken by the Kristang, a community of people of mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry, chiefly in Malacca and Singapore....
– is still spoken by some people. A number of Eurasians speak Asian languages like Malay, Chinese or Tamil as their second languages.
Religion and Education
The Eurasian community in Singapore is overwhelmingly ChristianChristianity in Singapore
Christians in Singapore constitute approximately 17.5% of the population. In the 2000 Census, 4.8% of residents aged 15 years and older, identified as Catholic and 9.8% as 'Other Christians'.-History:...
, most being Roman Catholics
Roman Catholicism in Singapore
Roman Catholicism is practiced by about 4.6% of Singapore's populace, or about 210,000 people. Roman Catholicism is practiced by people of Chinese and Eurasian descent, along with a Filipino, Indian and European minority.- History :...
of distant Portuguese descent who celebrate Christian feast days
Calendar of saints
The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the feast day of said saint...
such as Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
, Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
and Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi (feast)
Corpus Christi is a Latin Rite solemnity, now designated the solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ . It is also celebrated in some Anglican, Lutheran and Old Catholic Churches. Like Trinity Sunday and the Solemnity of Christ the King, it does not commemorate a particular event in...
. Many have been educated in Catholic mission schools like St Joseph's Institution. Protestant Eurasians in Singapore include Anglicans (Episcopals), Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans and Evangelicals. Many have been educated in Anglican and Methodist mission schools like St Andrew's School, Anglo-Chinese School and Methodist Girls School.
Cuisine
Foods commonly associated with Eurasian culinary traditions include devil's curryDevil's curry
Devil's curry is a very spicy curry flavoured with candlenuts, galangal and vinegar from the Eurasian Kristang culinary tradition in Singapore and Malacca, Malaysia...
(curry debal in Kristang), curry feng, Eurasian smore (a beef stew), mulligatawny
Mulligatawny
Mulligatawny is a curry-flavoured soup of Anglo-Indian origin.Translated literally from Tamil, "Mulligatawny" or "Milagu Thanni" means "pepper water" . The dish the Anglo-Indians call "pepper water" is actually closer to Tamilian ரசம்-Rasam than "mulligatawny".There are many variations on the...
soup (mulligatani in Kristang), shepherd's pie
Shepherd's pie
Cottage pie or shepherd's pie is a meat pie with a crust of mashed potato.The term cottage pie is known to have been in use in 1791, when the potato was being introduced as an edible crop affordable for the poor Cottage pie or shepherd's pie is a meat pie with a crust of mashed potato.The term...
and vindaloo
Vindaloo
Vindaloo is an Indian curry dish from the region of Goa. It is popular globally in its Anglo-Indian form as a staple of curry house menus, often renowned as a particularly spicy dish, though it is not necessarily always the hottest available. The name Vindaloo is derived from the Portuguese dish...
(vin d'arlo in Kristang). Sugee cake made with semolina is also associated with the Eurasians, but also with the Peranakan Chinese.
Prominence in the media, entertainment and fashion industries
Eurasians are prominent in the media, entertainment and fashion industry. Eurasian models are sometimes called 'Pan-Asians' for their mixed appearance but this term is a misnomer. 'Pan-Asian' in this context does not mean 'across Asia' but is synonymous with 'Eurasian'. A common belief amongst those in the advertising industry in Singapore and Malaysia is that Eurasian models who appear in advertisements can represent different ethnicities both European and Asian and so there would be no need to create two separate sets of advertisements one targeting consumers of European origin and another targeting consumers of Asian origin. Eurasian actors who appear in television series and movies can also represent roles of different ethnicities both European and Asian.Popular places for Eurasians
Soon after the founding of Singapore by Stamford RafflesStamford Raffles
Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles, FRS was a British statesman, best known for his founding of the city of Singapore . He is often described as the "Father of Singapore"...
in 1819, people from other trading centres in Asia including Eurasians came to Singapore. Wealthy Eurasians set up home along Waterloo Street
Waterloo Street
Waterloo Street is a two-way street in downtown Singapore stretching from Rochor Road to Bras Basah Road. It passes through the planning areas of Rochor and Museum Planning Area....
and Queen Street
Queen Street
Queen Street is a popular street name in English-speaking countries . Examples include:-Asia:* Queen Street, Hong Kong in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong* Queen Street, Singapore in Singapore...
, not far from today's Singapore Management University
Singapore Management University
The Singapore Management University was officially incorporated on January 12, 2000, and was Singapore's first private university funded by the government...
. The types of houses that they lived in included shophouses, two-storey houses, terrace houses and bungalows. 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-Eurasian coolies. 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. A number of buildings and churches of the period in the vicinity still stand today. Today, few Eurasians can be found residing on Waterloo Street and Queen Street. Eurasians can be found spread thinly across the island in both private and public housing. Although Katong on Singapore's east side is 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 a Peranakan
Peranakan
Peranakan Chinese and Baba-Nyonya are terms used for the descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants to the Indonesian archipelago of Nusantara during the Colonial era....
Chinese enclave. The Singapore Recreation Club
Singapore Recreation Club
The Singapore Recreation Club is one of Singapore's oldest social clubs with a strong sporting tradition, located at the Padang in heart of Singapore's Civic District.-History:...
facing the Padang, Singapore
Padang, Singapore
The Padang is an open field located within the Downtown Core of the Central Area in Singapore, at the heart of Singapore's central business district. It was formerly known as the Padang Cricket Ground...
near City Hall, founded by several Eurasian men, is considered to a social and sports club that is popular amongst the Eurasians in Singapore.
Prominent Eurasians in Singapore
- Edmund W. BarkerEdmund W. BarkerEdmund William Barker was a Singaporean politician of Eurasian descent.Educated at Cambridge University, Barker first practised law in Braddell Brothers and later in Lee & Lee...
, former People's Action PartyPeople's Action PartyThe People's Action Party is the leading political party in Singapore. It has been the city-state's ruling political party since 1959....
cabinet ministerCabinet of SingaporeThe Cabinet of Singapore forms the Government of Singapore together with the President of Singapore. It is led by the Prime Minister of Singapore who is the head of government...
, Parliament of SingaporeParliament of SingaporeThe Parliament of the Republic of Singapore and the President jointly make up the legislature of Singapore. Parliament is unicameral and is made up of Members of Parliament who are elected, as well as Non-constituency Members of Parliament and Nominated Members of Parliament who are appointed... - Leslie CharterisLeslie CharterisLeslie Charteris , born Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin, was a half-Chinese, half English author of primarily mystery fiction, as well as a screenwriter. He was best known for his many books chronicling the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint."-Early life:Charteris was born to a Chinese father...
, creator and author of novels and teleplays based on Simon TemplarSimon TemplarSimon Templar is a British fictional character known as The Saint featured in a long-running series of books by Leslie Charteris published between 1928 and 1963. After that date, other authors collaborated with Charteris on books until 1983; two additional works produced without Charteris’s...
aka The Saint - Joe Conceicao, retired Member of Parliament for KatongKatongKatong is a residential area in the east of Singapore near the seafront. Formerly located by the sea, land was reclaimed all the way to East Coast Park to provide more land for housing and recreational purposes due to shortage of land in the late 1960s after Singapore gained independence.Katong was...
, Parliament of SingaporeParliament of SingaporeThe Parliament of the Republic of Singapore and the President jointly make up the legislature of Singapore. Parliament is unicameral and is made up of Members of Parliament who are elected, as well as Non-constituency Members of Parliament and Nominated Members of Parliament who are appointed...
; and AmbassadorAmbassadorAn ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
- Cheryl Marie CordeiroCheryl Marie CordeiroCheryl Marie Cordeiro was Singapore's delegate to the international Miss Universe pageant in 1999. In 1999 she held the title of Miss Singapore Universeand also won the subsidiary title of "Body Beautiful" in the local contest...
, Miss Singapore UniverseMiss UniverseMiss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
1999 - Vernon Cornelius, singer
- Jean DankerJean DankerJean Oliver Danker, born is a DJ at MediaCorp's Class 95FM, a Singapore English radio station, hosting the evening show Cartunes on weekdays from 5–9 pm.She is a Voiceover talent and also involves in TV production...
, radioRadio programmingRadio programming is the Broadcast programming of a Radio format or content that is organized for Commercial broadcasting and Public broadcasting radio stations....
personality - Andrea De Cruz, TV actressActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
- Barry DeskerBarry DeskerAmbassador Barry Desker is the Dean of the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies. Mr Desker is also the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Jurong Port Pte Ltd and Singapore Technologies Marine Ltd. He is a Trustee of Singapore's Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.He was Singapore’s...
, Dean of the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies and former AmbassadorAmbassadorAn ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an... - Patrick Andrew Fok, news presenter
- Cheryl Fox, news presenter
- Denise KellerDenise KellerDenise Lorraine Keller is a Singaporean model and former VJ for MTV Asia and currently hosts "Passage to Malaysia" on TLC, part of the Discovery Channel network. She is of Eurasian ancestry, her father is German and her mother Chinese...
, modelModel (person)A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
and MTV Asia host - John KlassJohn KlassJohn Klass is a Triple-platinum award-winning singer/producer/songwriter/radio presenter.- Biography :John Klass has been in the entertainment scene from 1991 to present....
award winning, chart-topping, triple platinum international recording artiste/music producer/singer-songwriter - Farah Lange, Miss Singapore UniverseMiss UniverseMiss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
1986 - Vernetta LopezVernetta LopezVernetta Lopez is a Singaporean actress and a radio DJ for Class 95FM. She is remembered for her television role as Denise, in the Singapore TV production sitcom Under One Roof. Lopez is of Portuguese and Thai ancestry from her father as well as Peranakan from her mother.-Personal life:In 1997,...
, TV actressActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and radioRadio programmingRadio programming is the Broadcast programming of a Radio format or content that is organized for Commercial broadcasting and Public broadcasting radio stations....
personality - Cheryl Miles, member of Cherry Chocolate Candy Grand Champions of Talentime 2001 (Singer, Actress, TV Presenter)
- Jeremy MonteiroJeremy MonteiroJeremy Monteiro Jeremy Monteiro Jeremy Monteiro (born June 20, 1960, Singapore, is a Jazz Pianist, Singer, Composer and Music Educator. He has performed and won critical acclaim in many parts of the world, in addition to numerous occasions in Singapore, where he has been dubbed "Singapore's King...
, jazz musicianJazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and radioRadio programmingRadio programming is the Broadcast programming of a Radio format or content that is organized for Commercial broadcasting and Public broadcasting radio stations....
personality - Shanice Elizabeth Nathan, child actressChild actorThe term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor...
, danceDanceDance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
r, singer and TV presenter - Eunice OlsenEunice OlsenEunice Olsen is known for having been the winner of the Miss Singapore Universe pageant in 2000.In November 2004, Olsen was appointed as a Nominated Member of Parliament in Singapore by President SR Nathan, making her the youngest ever at the age of 27...
, Nominated Member of ParliamentNominated Member of ParliamentA Nominated Member of Parliament is a Member of the Parliament of Singapore who is appointed instead of being elected into office by the people, and who does not belong to any political party or represent any constituency. There are currently nine NMPs in Parliament...
, Parliament of SingaporeParliament of SingaporeThe Parliament of the Republic of Singapore and the President jointly make up the legislature of Singapore. Parliament is unicameral and is made up of Members of Parliament who are elected, as well as Non-constituency Members of Parliament and Nominated Members of Parliament who are appointed... - Judith Prakash, Judge, Supreme Court of Singapore
- Benjamin Henry ShearesBenjamin Henry ShearesBenjamin Henry Sheares, GCB , was the second President of Singapore.-Early life:Sheares was born the second of six children in Singapore to a Eurasian family with an English lineage. His father Edwin H. Sheares, a technical supervisor of the Public Works Department, was born in England and raised...
, former President of SingaporePresident of SingaporeThe President of the Republic of Singapore is Singapore's head of state. In a Westminster parliamentary system, as which Singapore governs itself, the prime minister is the head of the government while the position of president is largely ceremonial. Before 1993, the President of Singapore was... - Rex ShelleyRex ShelleyRex Anthony Shelley was a Eurasian Singaporean author. A graduate of the University of Malaya in Singapore and Cambridge trained in engineering and economics, Shelley managed his own business and also worked as member of the Public Service Commission for over 30 years...
, authorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:... - Desiree Ann Siahaan, modelModel (person)A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
and actress - Sarah TanSarah TanSarah Tan is a Channel V VJ and a 987FM DJ. Sarah Tan is a Singapore resident. Her father is Chinese and her mother is English. She has 2 younger sisters, Kathryn and Laura. She attended an all-girls boarding school in Shropshire, England, when she was 13...
, modelModel (person)A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
and Channel VChannel VChannel [V] is the brand name for multiple international music television networks owned by STAR TV and Fox International Channels, fully owned subsidiaries of News Corporation.-Channel [V] International:...
International VJ - Mark Van CuylenbergMark Van CuylenbergMark Van Cuylenberg, also known as The Flying Dutchman, is a disc jockey.-References:...
, radioRadio programmingRadio programming is the Broadcast programming of a Radio format or content that is organized for Commercial broadcasting and Public broadcasting radio stations....
personality - Brian Richmond, radio personality
- Mark Richmond, stage actor
- Don Richmond, composer, musician
General
- The Eurasian Association, Singapore
- Joshua Project link for Eurasians in Singapore
- Malaysian Dutch Descendants Project
- The Original Eurasians by Simone Heng
- Asia Sentinel article on Pan-Asian models in Singapore and Malaysia
- Portuguese-influenced dance by the Eurasian Association in Singapore
- Portuguese-influenced Eurasian wedding dance in Singapore
- Chingay Parade rehearsal Eurasian Association contingent in Portuguese-influenced costume
- Clip of Eurasian Daniel Le playing minor role on Singapore television Channel 5 and Suria.
- Three Eurasian brothers seek to give up Singapore citizenship