We are NOT Chinese....We are Peranakan
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Peranakan, Baba-Nyonya (›²›²–ºŽä) and Straits Chinese (after the Straits of Malacca) (“y�¶‰Ø�l) are terms used for the descendants of the early Chinese immigrants to the Nusantara region, including both the British Straits Settlements of Singapore, Malacca and Penang and the Dutch-controlled island of Java among other places.
Baba house museum in Malacca, Malaysia, which was a place for many Peranakan Straits ChineseThe word Peranakan is also used to describe Indonesian Chinese. In both Malay and Bahasa Indonesia 'Peranakan' means 'descendants'. Babas refer to the male descendants and the Nyonyas the female.
Most Peranakan are of Hokkien ancestry, although a fair denomination of them are of the Teochew or Cantonese descent. Written records from the 19th and early 20th centuries show that Peranakan men usually took brides from within the local Peranakan community. Peranakan families also commonly imported brides from China and sent their daughters to China to find husbands. A small group of Indian Peranakans, known as the Chitty, do exist as well.
Contents [showhide]
1 Language
2 History
3 Culture
4 See Also
5 Books
6 External Links
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Language
Their language, Baba Malay [Bahasa Melayu Baba] , is a dialect of the Malay language [Bahasa Melayu], which contains many Hokkien words. It is a dying language and contemporary use is mainly limited to members of the older generation; this is indicative also of the Peranakan culture at large.
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History
In the 15th century, the city states of the Malay Peninsula often paid tribute to various kingdoms such as the kingdoms of China and Siam. In return for such tribute, a princess of China was presented as a gift to the Sultan of Malacca at that time. The royalty and servants who accompanied the princess eventually grew into a class of straits-born Chinese known as the Peranakan. The Peranakan retained most of their ethnic and religious origins (ancestor worship), but assimilated the language and culture of the Malays. They developed a unique culture and distinct foods. A lot of sources claim that the early Peranakan inter-married with the local Malay population. However, the lack of physical resemblances have also led many experts to believe that the Peranakan Chinese ethnicity has hardly diluted. The Peranakan often sent their sons and daughters to China to look for spouses. Also, the religion of the local Malay population was Islam which forbids inter-marriage with other religions without conversion first. In the early 1800s, new Chinese immigrants to the Straits Settlements bolstered the Peranakan population.
By the middle of the Twentieth century, most Peranakan were English educated, as a result of the British colonisation of Malaya, and the natural propensity of these people who were able to easily embrace new cultures. Because the Peranakans readily embraced English culture and education, administrative and civil service posts were often filled by prominent Straits Chinese. The interaction with the British also caused many in the community to convert to Christianity. The Peranakan community thereby became very influential in Malacca and Singapore and were known also as the King's Chinese due to their perceived loyality to the British Crown. Because of the interaction of the different cultures and languages that Peranakans had, up to the mid-1900s, most Peranakans were trilingual, able to converse with Chinese, Malays and the British. Common vocations were as merchants, traders, and general intermediaries between China, Malaya and the West; the latter was especially valued by the British, since the Babas also enjoyed good relations with the Malay community and served as advisors to the royal Malay courts. In fact the term "Baba" is a honorific term in Malay; probably derived from Hindi/Sanskrit [Baba: literally means grandfather or father, and is used as a term of reverence and affection for an elderly gentleman].
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Culture
Historical and cultural items from the Baba culture are displayed in cultural establishments on Heereen Street and Jonker Street in Malacca and in Penang in Malaysia, and at the Peranakan Museum in Singapore. There one can find museums displaying furnitures, foodwares, and even traditional clothes of the Baba and Nonya. There are also a small number of "Nyonya" restaurants in Singapore, Penang, Malacca, and the West.
The Peranakans were partially assimilated into the Malay culture (especially in food, dress, and language), while retaining some Chinese traditions (religion, name, and ethnic identitity), thereby creating a fusion culture of their own. For instance, from their Malay influence, a unique "Nyonya" cuisine has developed using the spices of Malay cuisine (examples are Chicken Kapitan, a dry chicken curry, and Inchi Kabin, a Nyonya version of fried chicken). The women (Nyonyas) have taken to wearing the baju kebaya (a Malay dress, seen most notably as the uniform of Malaysia and Singapore Airlines' female flight attendants). However, most of the Peranakans are not Muslim, and have retained the ancestral worship tradition of the Chinese; though some converted to Christianity. The wedding ceremony of the Peranakan is largely based on Chinese tradition, and is one of the most fascinating wedding ceremonies in Malaysia and Singapore.
The cause for their cultural extinction is largely due to racial politics and economics brought about by nationalism in Singapore and Malaysia. Without colonial British support for their perceived racial neutrality, Peranakans feel pressured to assimilate back into the mainstream Chinese culture in both countries following independence from the British. In Singapore, the Peranakans are classified as ethnically Chinese by government policies, and because second language instruction (so-called "Mother Tongue") is decided based on ethnicity, this requires them to learn Mandarin Chinese instead of Malay in formal education. While in Malaysia, the standardisation of Malay [Bahasa Melayu Malaysia] -required for all ethnic groups- has led to a disappearance of the unique characteristics of Baba Malay. -
Whatever it is, im proud of my heritage as an OVERSEAS chinese and my nationality .
With rgds to what those communists are doing...eewww...they are just making the average chinese worser... -
I have a BLOOD type of B, my mother was originally from Shenyang, she had a BLOOD type of AB, my father was born here, he don't have an O type. Also this genetifc qualities are no longer used for Chinese, a Chinese labelled as an ABC are even worst than a mixed Chinese or Manchus that trying to pass off as Chinese.Originally posted by curio t:i am a trueblue singaporean but hey Mrwho i have to correct u. I am quite sure i am pure Chinese and have no mixed heritage. My father was not even born here, but in Shanghai outlying area. My mother spent her childhood in Taiwan, so i consider myself a 1st generation Singaporean Chinese. But again in China, you also never know how pure is pure there already!
But i think i can tell how a Perankan look. It is very subtle but u can tell, esp if u r born and bred here for 1/4 of yr life already. This is very rough estimate so it is nv a rule of thumb. Perankan pple looks Chinese but again they also have its differences, mainly in skin tone, facial features, eyes, skull shape and body shape. I notice many Sporean Chinese have deep eye socket, while Chinese from other region have rather flat eyes and face. Their nose not very pointed but narrow and small or porpotionate. Here, i often see pple with broad and meaty nose. Are they Perankan or Chinese Sporean? U wont know unless u ask them. I also notice Chinese people here have not very flat face, kinda sloping and the jawline is more obvious or slight jutting out. Many Chinese Sporean have medium sized eye, socket is not shallow and many are double eye lid. I went to Hanoi last yr and found that actually, Vietnamese and some Sporean Chinese look not much different, other than clothes. posture and body language. Scientists would label them as Southern Chinese stock perhaps, sharing similair genetic qualities.
I read that Blood group can tell a thing or two. Many Sporean Chinese are 0 blood type. Let's take a poll. I am a B. -
So having single eyelids, broad nose, brown eyes and blood type A..what is that supposed to mean?Originally posted by curio t:i am a trueblue singaporean but hey Mrwho i have to correct u. I am quite sure i am pure Chinese and have no mixed heritage. My father was not even born here, but in Shanghai outlying area. My mother spent her childhood in Taiwan, so i consider myself a 1st generation Singaporean Chinese. But again in China, you also never know how pure is pure there already!
But i think i can tell how a Perankan look. It is very subtle but u can tell, esp if u r born and bred here for 1/4 of yr life already. This is very rough estimate so it is nv a rule of thumb. Perankan pple looks Chinese but again they also have its differences, mainly in skin tone, facial features, eyes, skull shape and body shape. I notice many Sporean Chinese have deep eye socket, while Chinese from other region have rather flat eyes and face. Their nose not very pointed but narrow and small or porpotionate. Here, i often see pple with broad and meaty nose. Are they Perankan or Chinese Sporean? U wont know unless u ask them. I also notice Chinese people here have not very flat face, kinda sloping and the jawline is more obvious or slight jutting out. Many Chinese Sporean have medium sized eye, socket is not shallow and many are double eye lid. I went to Hanoi last yr and found that actually, Vietnamese and some Sporean Chinese look not much different, other than clothes. posture and body language. Scientists would label them as Southern Chinese stock perhaps, sharing similair genetic qualities.
I read that Blood group can tell a thing or two. Many Sporean Chinese are 0 blood type. Let's take a poll. I am a B. -
MrWho is trying to incite the chinese community against each other...
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Just ignore him. He's so confusing that nobody knows what is he trying to say.Originally posted by SMAPLionHeart:MrWho is trying to incite the chinese community against each other... -
mutt?Originally posted by LazerLordz:So having single eyelids, broad nose, brown eyes and blood type A..what is that supposed to mean?
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My nick is SupaFatty.
My ancestors came from the Straits as from China.
I have Baba blood as with Chinese blood running through me.
and I don't give a flying f uck.
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My nick is SupaFatty.
I was born, bred and I live in Singapore.
Singapore will always be my home and my heritage.
I am proud to be Singaporean.
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My nick is SupaFatty. and I am Singaporean.
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We are NOT Chinese.. we are NOT Peranakan.. we are SINGAPOREAN.
d icks. -
W00T!Originally posted by supafatty:My nick is SupaFatty.
My ancestors came from the Straits as from China.
I have Baba blood as with Chinese blood running through me.
and I don't give a flying f uck.
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My nick is SupaFatty.
I was born, bred and I live in Singapore.
Singapore will always be my home and my heritage.
I am proud to be Singaporean.
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My nick is SupaFatty. and I am Singaporean.
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We are NOT Chinese.. we are NOT Peranakan.. we are SINGAPOREAN.
d icks. -
Are you that guy Yang shao-Yun I brought up in taiwan-china Issue? That's the guy I know, I'm sure he had a Shanghaiese father, though is not even sure his father was actually born and rised there, his mother was a Hainanese, he's getting married this year. Well, he's kind of an old boy in real-life.Originally posted by curio t:i am a trueblue singaporean but hey Mrwho i have to correct u. I am quite sure i am pure Chinese and have no mixed heritage. My father was not even born here, but in Shanghai outlying area. My mother spent her childhood in Taiwan, so i consider myself a 1st generation Singaporean Chinese. -
Singaporean is not a race. It is a nationality.Originally posted by supafatty:My nick is SupaFatty.
My ancestors came from the Straits as from China.
I have Baba blood as with Chinese blood running through me.
and I don't give a flying f uck.
--
My nick is SupaFatty.
I was born, bred and I live in Singapore.
Singapore will always be my home and my heritage.
I am proud to be Singaporean.
--
My nick is SupaFatty. and I am Singaporean.
--
We are NOT Chinese.. we are NOT Peranakan.. we are SINGAPOREAN.
d icks.
Nationality = Singaporean
Race = Chinese
I am proud to be a Singaporean Chinese. -
i only admit i am singaporean chinese ........
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well........the baba genes should be diluted and gone from 1950-2005 so most of us are chinese...Originally posted by Dr Who:In the eyes of the chinese from China, singapore chinese are barbarians trying to pass off as Chinese.
Maybe they are right. We are not Chinese. We are Peranakan-a mix of Chinese and Malay.........remember that when our ancestor came, they married local women.....the children grew up to be Baba/ Nonya......
Studies show that more than 30% of Chinese in Singapore had Baba genes 40 years ago.......today maybe 70% are already of mixed blood. Even Lee Kuan Yew is of mixed blood........ so don't call ourselves Chinese......We are not pure Chinese...... we are Peranakan .........Let's be proud of this mixed heiritage.
i dont think racists will like this comment made by Dr.Who
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I wasn't implying in anyway that I'm stupid.
Didn't you read my words that I do have "racial", so as to speak, blood flowing in me.
I just don't feel why people kick such a big fuss about it.
So what if your father's shanghainese, lebanese, pekinese whatever, if you're born in Singapore, you're Singaporean. My friends from International Schools are probably more Singaporean than me. My French friend whom I attended matriculation @ uni with sounds more Phua Chu Kang than I do!
Put it this way, you buy a mobile phone, it's assembled in Germany (
), but all the parts come from China or Thailand. Is this a German phone, or a MONGREL phone??
Let's view this objectively, who honestly gives 2 sh its about where the parts come from, it's a German phone - Not that all german products are quality, I'm just being your typical SINGAPOREAN who views everything from China as so third world that anything from anywhere else would just be better, even CHINESE; SINGAPOREAN CHINESE.
Who honestly gives a flying f uck about what blood flows through you, you're blessed to be born and raised in one of the best nations in the world. If you're so insistent that you are some Mongrel or some Purebreed, go take part in a dog competition and let the panel decide.
Whoever started this pointless topic should join a PAP-INDEPENDENT political party, because just like them, this topic will get no where, and the people behind them, are just nobodies trying to pick a groundless fight, and at this stage if you don't know which oh so very famous "POLITICIAN", or so he claims, I speak off, then you don't deserve to be Singaporean, and are a Mongrel. Case Closed. -
That should shut those chauvinists who insist that we owe some thanks to some land that we've never been to.Originally posted by supafatty:I wasn't implying in anyway that I'm stupid.
Didn't you read my words that I do have "racial", so as to speak, blood flowing in me.
I just don't feel why people kick such a big fuss about it.
So what if your father's shanghainese, lebanese, pekinese whatever, if you're born in Singapore, you're Singaporean. My friends from International Schools are probably more Singaporean than me. My French friend whom I attended matriculation @ uni with sounds more Phua Chu Kang than I do!
Put it this way, you buy a mobile phone, it's assembled in Germany ( ), but all the parts come from China or Thailand. Is this a German phone, or a MONGREL phone??
Let's view this objectively, who honestly gives 2 sh its about where the parts come from, it's a German phone - Not that all german products are quality, I'm just being your typical SINGAPOREAN who views everything from China as so third world that anything from anywhere else would just be better, even CHINESE; SINGAPOREAN CHINESE.
Who honestly gives a flying f uck about what blood flows through you, you're blessed to be born and raised in one of the best nations in the world. If you're so insistent that you are some Mongrel or some Purebreed, go take part in a dog competition and let the panel decide.
Whoever started this pointless topic should join a PAP-INDEPENDENT political party, because just like them, this topic will get no where, and the people behind them, are just nobodies trying to pick a groundless fight, and at this stage if you don't know which oh so very famous "POLITICIAN", or so he claims, I speak off, then you don't deserve to be Singaporean, and are a Mongrel. Case Closed. -
i think coz of admixture, Chinese Singapore dont look good or proportionate. To me, they look a bit weird in the face. But that is life, isnt it.
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i've been to china many timesOriginally posted by LazerLordz:That should shut those chauvinists who insist that we owe some thanks to some land that we've never been to.
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I'm sure that I'm not admixture. Or maybe its you, beacuse your mother wasn't from china.Originally posted by curio t:i think coz of admixture, Chinese Singapore dont look good or proportionate. To me, they look a bit weird in the face. But that is life, isnt it.
The question is would you even bother to post your photo showing part of your cu*t face?
At least something for the rest of us to determinate what you're trying to said. I can straightly tell a person whether or not he/she from mainland or here just from the look (something gotta do with the accent they spoken daily as well), or maybe what language they use for daily. -
she is from taiwan but of subei heritage. u heard before?Originally posted by k190106:I'm sure that I'm not admixture. Or maybe its you, beacuse your mother wasn't from china.
The question is would you even bother to post your photo showing part of your cu*t face?
At least something for the rest of us to determinate what you're trying to said. I can straightly tell a person whether or not he/she from mainland or here just from the look (something gotta do with the accent they spoken daily as well), or maybe what language they use for daily.
i think it is the genes all mixed up so it shows in the face, slopping forehead, or jutting jaws, big eyes, sunken socket and thick lips, narrow neck. plus tanned skin, all very hideous to me. every morning, i hv to see so many hideous-ness on public transport. -
Or maybe you should had shown your own photo, to point out that if it is hideous to you.Originally posted by curio t:she is from taiwan but of subei heritage. u heard before?
i think it is the genes all mixed up so it shows in the face, slopping forehead, or jutting jaws, big eyes, sunken socket and thick lips, narrow neck. plus tanned skin, all very hideous to me. every morning, i hv to see so many hideous-ness on public transport. -
I'm sure he's the guy I was talking about but it can wrong. I don't recall he had a mother from taiwan or anything to do with subei heritage. -
You sound like one of them Beer Hall Putsch acolytes of Hitler.Originally posted by curio t:she is from taiwan but of subei heritage. u heard before?
i think it is the genes all mixed up so it shows in the face, slopping forehead, or jutting jaws, big eyes, sunken socket and thick lips, narrow neck. plus tanned skin, all very hideous to me. every morning, i hv to see so many hideous-ness on public transport. -
and just FYI, hitler was jewish also.Originally posted by LazerLordz:You sound like one of them Beer Hall Putsch acolytes of Hitler. -
bump
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This guy don't look better either..Originally posted by curio t:i think coz of admixture, Chinese Singapore dont look good or proportionate. To me, they look a bit weird in the face. But that is life, isnt it.