The Singapore Eurasians

(adapated from a Talk given in 2007 at the Eurasian Community House by Dr Barry  P Pereira titled “The Eurasians in Singapore”)

Singapore is known for having a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic society. Our Asian ancestors come mainly from the Far East of Asia (the Chinese), the Malayan peninsula (Malays) and the Indian sub-continent (Indians). There exist several communities that are the result of a fusion between cultures and ethnics groups. These include the Baba-Nyonya – a fusion of Chinese and Malay cultures, the Chittys – a group of mixed Tamil and Malay origins, and the Eurasians.

Who is a Eurasian?

As the name suggests, we are descendants of a marital union between a European and an Asian. We are considered  living testimony and descendants of the Europeans who came to this part of the world between the 16th and 18th Century. These were during the colonial eras of the Portuguese, Dutch and the British. Yet we do have an Asian element to our heritage. For some it would be on the maternal side generations ago, for others it would be the fact that we were born on Asian soil. Nonetheless, we are recognized as one of the domiciled communities of Singapore.

Some useful definitions of a Eurasian include:

• “a person born of union between a European and an Asian” and the subsequent off-springs of that first ‘mixed-blood” (Braga-Blake)

• “In Singapore, a Eurasian is someone who is neither Chinese, Malay or Indian” (Anonymous)

• An Asian, with European ancestry and heritage (Barry P.Pereira)

Eurasians are one of Singapore’s earliest residents. Our origins are linked to various ports in the region, where Europeans had settled in, including Malacca, Goa, Ceylon, Bencoolen, Macao and Penang. Some of the earliest recorded Eurasians in Singapore, some as early as 1920s, came with Raffles from Beencolen, or from Penang or Malacca. These early Eurasian family names include Ferrao (1820), Dias (1821), D’Almeida (1825), Leicester (1826-27), Woodford (1836), McIntyre (1939), Sequeira (1837), Oliveiro (1844), Gomes (1949), De Rozario (1849) and Clarke (1850s) to name a few.

The term “Eurasian” was perhaps first used officially in the Straits Settlements records in 1849, in the population census encompassed several smaller ethnic groups. Prior to this, the population census included groups that came from various regions – Native Christians (which included the Luso-Malays, Serani or Kristiang communities from Peninsula Malaya),  Indo-Britons (which included the Anglo-Indians, Luso-Indians, Ceylon Burghers, Dutch Burghers and Portuguese Mechanics), Armenians and Jews.

Eurasians are rich heirs to a hybrid of traditions and customs from both the East and West. Most are of the Christian faith, with religious celebrations being an integral part of our lifestyle. Having passed several generations, with interesting family trees, we are mostly Asians yet with shades of European ancestry, heritage and upbringing, hence the term, “Eurasian”. Some may recognizably look more Asian, but our foremost link to our European ancestry is our family surnames.

The Eurasian Association

In 1918, while Europe was at war, the Colony was left to be defended by a garrison of only European Volunteers. Several Eurasians mooted an idea to offer their services towards the Colony’s defence. On 6 July 1918, for the first time Eurasians were sworn in to form their own Eurasian Company under the Singapore Volunteer Corps. Others also saw a need for a more collective representation in area of education and welfare, and this led to the formation of the Eurasian Association in June 1919. The Association since then focused on the advancement of all Eurasians.

The original blueprint for EA as stated in the first constitution were:

• To promote the economic, social, moral , physical and intellectual development of all Eurasian-British subjects.

• To promote among members an active interest in the affairs of Singapore

• Generally to look after the interests of all Eurasians in Singapore.

These objectives have not changed very much since, with clearer and broader areas.

During the war, the Association changed its name to become the Synan Eurasian Welfare Association. This was a dark period for the Eurasian Community, with many imprisoned in Changi given their links to the Singapore Volunteer Corps, the British Armies or families with British family names. Towards 1944, many Eurasian Families were interned in the Bahau Catholic Colony (Mukim VI) in the jungles of Bahau, Negri Sembilan.

The post-war era saw the Association slowly rebuilding community bonds. In the late 1950s, women were granted membership to the Eurasian Association, and Youth groups were formed to encourage community bonding through sports and cultural exchanges. The 1960s to 1980, saw an ebb in activities with the Association taking on a lower profile in engaging the community.

1991 for the Association became known as the year of the Eurasian Awakening, when a younger group of Eurasians decided to take the lead to uplift the community. This was a turning point, with membership increasing and new programmes and activities introduced. Most were driven to rekindle that sense of belonging to the community, especially among the younger generation. Since 1994, the Association was accorded by the Government Self-Help status to act on behalf of the Eurasian community in Singapore. Today, our Social Hub is the Eurasian Community House, and this is where the Eurasian Association operates from. The House was officially opened by H.E. President S.R. Nathan on 5 July 2003.

The Eurasian Association, having been awarded the IPC status and being a Community Self-Help Group working for the public benefit, has given emphasis on transparency and good governance. To this end, a number of Mandatory and Non-Mandatory Committees have been formed. The Mandatory Committees are the Audit Committee, the Fund-Raising Committee and our Selection Committee (Endowment Fund). The Non-Mandatory Committees are the Legal Advisory Panel, Finance Advisory Panel, Education Advisory Panel, Community Bonding Advisory Panel and the Corporate Communications Panel.