‘I’m Singaporean, not Chinese’: TikTok video sparks debate over shunning of ‘roots’
- A user believed to be from China claims in the clip that some Chinese Singaporeans were offended at being called ‘compatriot’, suggesting they had forgotten their roots
- A researcher says the conversation – and confusion – about Singapore and its Chinese ties is a long-standing one, with the saga manifesting even on an international level
A widely shared TikTok clip by a user claiming to show some Singaporeans’ distaste at being labelled Chinese has sparked an online debate on whether residents of the city state have shunned their ancestral roots, while others warn against conflating the two identities.
The user, who implied he came from China, said in the 36-second video he was shocked to discover that Singaporeans were cold on being considered “compatriots” with mainlanders, suggesting that citizens of the Chinese-majority nation might have “forgotten their culture”.
In the clip, TikTok user “The Singaporean Son” recounts how a Singaporean Chinese individual had reacted when called a “compatriot”: “Little did I know, the Singaporean’s face turned black. ‘Since when are we compatriots? I’m Singaporean, not Chinese.’ I was stunned after that. Thereafter, I stopped saying such stuff.”
One online user pointed out: “Singaporean Chinese admit they are Chinese. They just hate [for] people to think they are from China.”
