Singapore is once again following the old approach of a migrant country, identity recognition.
The official media of Singapore, "Lianhe Zaobao," reported on the front page that the public in Singapore highly identifies with the "Singaporean identity."
This is probably just a superficial phenomenon; in reality, the ethnic integration in a migrant country is also a very difficult process.
Experts analyze that the main reasons for Singapore's identity issues as a migrant country stem from the challenges of integrating diverse ethnic groups and cultural differences, as well as the shaping of identity by government policies. Here are the specific reasons and core issues:
1. Coping with modernization challenges
Singapore strengthens national cohesion by building a "Singaporean" identity. For example, implementing crisis education (such as the "Survival Policy"), shaping common values, and adjusting policies through historical memories (such as reflecting on the "May 13 Incident" (ethnic riots)). This kind of identity retains the characteristics of multiculturalism while unifying national sovereignty awareness, providing a stable environment for economic development.
2. Diverse ethnic groups and cultural differences
Singapore is a multi-ethnic country where Chinese people are the majority, but the government emphasizes national identity rather than single-ethnic group cohesion through the "diverse yet unified" policy. This policy causes different ethnic groups to maintain differences in language and culture while jointly maintaining national unity. This model differs essentially from the "diverse yet unified" pattern of the Chinese nation, which centers around the Han ethnicity to gather strength, while Singapore relies on English as a common language and the coexistence of multiple cultures to maintain national identity. To maintain social stability, the government transforms racial, linguistic, and cultural differences into national identity through the "diverse yet unified" policy, avoiding ethnic conflicts.
3. Policy orientation and cultural dilution
The government dilutes ethnic labels and strengthens the singular "Singaporean" identity through legislation (such as the 1991 housing race ratio policy) and media shaping (such as "The Straits Times", "Lianhe Zaobao", "Asia News", local radio, social media, long-term negative reports about China). For example, the constitution clearly defines "Singaporean" as the only legal identity, the education system removes the concept of "Chinese ethnicity", and promotes a "unified national narrative". This policy leads the younger generation to weaken their sense of identification with Chinese culture and tend to accept Western values.
4. Changes in immigration structure and cultural disconnection
In recent years, the Indian immigrant population has grown rapidly (from 6% to 18% in 2023), while the proportion of Chinese civil servants has dropped from 78% to 63%, and Indians account for over 30% in fields such as finance and judiciary. This change in population structure has driven the social values toward "international talent priority", exacerbating cultural disconnection. For example, 62% of Chinese under 35 believe that Chinese culture represents isolation and conservatism, and 75% trust information from British and American media more.
5. Declining birth rate and population crisis
In 2023, Singapore's birth rate was only 1.05 (the lowest in the world), and the low fertility rate forces the government to rely on immigration policies to maintain population balance. However, the immigration policy tends to favor Indians (the English-speaking group), leading to a decrease in the proportion of the Chinese community in key positions, further weakening the driving force for cultural inheritance.
Original text: www.toutiao.com/article/1841021334944780/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.