Singapore-Eurasians were some of Singapore’s earliest settlers in the 1800s and were one of the first locals to hold high government positions after independence.
These included George Orlers, chairman of the Legislative Assembly, Tommy Campbell, the first Chief of Staff of the Singapore Armed Forces, and John Le Cain, a police member.
Since then, more and more people have made their mark in society and the economy, contributing in a variety of fields, from business and government to sports and the arts.
And the Eurasian Society, founded in 1919, continues to support communities and their underprivileged people in collaboration with other communities and ethnic self-help groups, S. Transport Minister Iswaran said.
Mr. Iswaran, who is also the minister representing the Eurasians in the Cabinet, spoke at the time of the release of the book commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Eurasian Association (EA).
The book, entitled “Standing the Test Of Time,” records the story of the association, which celebrated its 100th anniversary three years ago. Written by former Straits Times journalists Melody Zaccheus and Janice Tai, this book was published by The Straits Times Press.
EA has 6,700 members as of April this year. According to Singapore’s 2020 census, about 18,000 Eurasians live here.
Eurasians in Singapore have a mixture of European and Asian pedigrees. Most of them can trace the European part of their ancestry to Portuguese, Dutch, or British, and the Asian constituents are usually Chinese, Malay, or Indian.
Iswaran also wrote a message in the book, stating that the story of the Eurasian community in Singapore is the story of Singapore.
He writes: “Our Eurasian community is typically Singaporeans, embodying the diverse heritage essential to the vibrant tapestries of our society. A small number of Eurasians live in Singapore. It leaves an indelible mark on many sides of the. “
Due to the mixed race of Europe and Asia, the Eurasians once occupy a privileged position in the racial politics of colonial Singapore. Some were allowed to do high-paying government jobs by the British.
However, this privilege soon disappeared, and with Singapore’s independence in 1965, many Eurasians faced the choice of staying in a new country with uncertain outlook or leveraging the wealth they had accumulated. ..
This excerpt from Standing The Test Of Time details that period of community history.
