Racial violence is rare in Singapore; so too is overt discrimination. Yet tensions have simmered for decades
Yet over the past few months several racist incidents have seized public attention. The rising tide of ugliness has provoked a reckoning over race—until recently a taboo subject—which has penetrated even the halls of power. After the episode involving Mr Parkash, a cabinet minister said he was “not so sure any more” that Singapore is “moving in the right direction on racial tolerance and harmony”.
On one level, the government’s assiduous management of race relations has worked. Racial violence is rare; so too is overt discrimination. Nine in ten Singaporeans surveyed in 2018 by the Institute of Policy Studies, a local think-tank, reported that the level of racial harmony in the city-state was moderate to very high.
For generations, Chinese Singaporeans have been told that they are special, says Mr Barr. “That element has been internalised by a lot of people,” including minorities. Sharvesh Leatchmanan, a 24-year-old student and co-founder of Minority Voices, a website, is ethnic Tamil but grew up wishing he were Chinese. “I changed the way I spoke, I changed the way I dressed, I never had Indian friends, I never spoke Tamil,” he says.
Deutschland Neuesten Nachrichten, Deutschland Schlagzeilen
Similar News:Sie können auch ähnliche Nachrichten wie diese lesen, die wir aus anderen Nachrichtenquellen gesammelt haben.
Why Joe Biden’s Racial Justice Agenda Is StalledSome of the biggest barriers to progress on racial justice are of the Democrats’ own making, writes zakcheneyrice
Weiterlesen »
Kamala Harris will visit Singapore and Vietnam as the White House continues to challenge ChinaThe vice president's second trip abroad comes as the Biden administration makes countering China's growing global influence a top priority.
Weiterlesen »
Why Joe Biden’s Racial Justice Agenda Is StalledSome of the biggest barriers to progress on racial justice are of the Democrats’ own making, writes zakcheneyrice
Weiterlesen »
Hollywood’s Sunset Studios Heading to U.K. With $1 Billion Facility InvestmentSunset Studios, the Hollywood studio facility that set the stage (literally) for hits such as “La La Land” and “When Harry Met Sally,” is headed to Hertfordshire in the U.K.…
Weiterlesen »