Growing Up Mixed Race In Singapore

When you grow up with a mixed ethnic heritage, how does that affect your sense of identity, and how others see and treat you?
Mediacorp 987 DJ Joakim Gomez is of Korean, Indian and Eurasian descent, though his IC states 'Indian'. KZbinr Umehara Keiji (yes, that is his real name, contrary to some who've thought it fake) gets mistaken for Malay, but he is the product of his Japanese father who migrated here and his Singaporean Chinese mother.
Each shares with series host Haresh Tilani insights both funny and disturbing about their experiences over the years. For Joakim, for instance, the bullying and alienation he felt in a predominantly Chinese SAP primary school, which improved only after he moved to a more multicultural secondary school.
In Keiji's case, it's the awkwardness of strangers assuming he can speak fluent Japanese (he learnt Chinese in school); and of encountering the stories of the World War 2 Japanese Occupation of Singapore in history class.
Watch the On The Red Dot series 'Who We Are, What We Eat', where conversations about race are had over food:
Part 1 - Chowing Down With Singapore's Minorities: • Chowing Down With Sing...
Part 2 - Racial Matters With Malay Singaporeans: • Racial Matters With Ma...
Also watch:
Indian Catholic + Chinese Buddhist: • Indian Catholic + Chin...
Living As An Orthodox Jew In Singapore: • Living As An Orthodox ...
Becoming Singaporean: What It's Like To Grow Up In A Filipino Migrant Family: • Becoming Singaporean: ...
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[@pencil6965]

Being mixed is harder than people realize. Of course it depends on the individual and their upbringing and location, but generally speaking I have grown to find more stress from being mixed than benefits. Being monoracial is a privilege

[@riteshvijayakumar123]

Totally agree

[@The_Reality_Filter]

well it depends on your family, if they're wealthy you won't have any problems.

[@pencil6965]

@@The_Reality_Filter not necessarily, wealthy families can still have conflict. But at least the kids can afford to move out early or something

[@The_Reality_Filter]

@@pencil6965 sure wealthy families can have conflicts but life is so much sweeter when you go to a private school, private hospital, private mansions...bit different if you're living in a council flat and your parents can't afford new clothes, food, holidays etc etc etc. Money changes EVERYTHING.

[@meggtokyodelicious]

@@The_Reality_Filter no, money can't change multiculturalism. It's harder, because when I try to be amongst average people, they not only get very jealous of wealth, being multilingual, studying internationally makes harder to be accepted by commoners and live a normal life. I honestly have a miserable life back in Tokyo after all these years in North and South America. I think Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand are more open to multi cultural upbringings. USA, Canada, UK, most of Europe and South America are open people, they embrace mutts like me. Japan is Soo retarded, behind multi culturarism, people can't accept the differences and most often end up in bullying. Sad but true.

[@melwu4839]

We love u the way both of you are thank you for doing a excellent job

[@XAdaLgi]

I'm half malay and half hokkien. It's very hard being mixed, it's extremely difficult! 42 yrs on and Im still struggling..but I'm living in UK. U would think that it would be easier but no it is actually a lot harder. Being cut off from my place of birth, my language, my rightful upbringing is enough to give me an identity crisis. Currently trying to reconnect now.

[@XAdaLgi]

@@yusufkurniawan647 tksih shbtku. X pernah nonton crite ni...mmg best!👍

[@pk56403]

I'm sorry to hear that. I'm half asian half white. Would really love to opportunity to talk with you.

[@DavidHoughton17]

Nice one Haresh, yeah growing up in a local Sg school as a half Singaporean I had all the names called at me. Chap Cheng kia , Ang moh , Grago etc It was stressful if not for my acceptance within the local hardcore punk/skateboarding scene in Sg (LCHC) and playing sports too. In the end you learn to ignore the fuckery and just own it Having said that I do feel in Sg there are other monoracial i 3rd culture kids who are not mix from unique backgrounds such as a 2nd Gen HK- Chinese Australian but born in Sg who also may feel different due to his/her parents influence. With that said Sg is a great place to learn and get to be close with friends from other backgrounds. It is a melting pot of cultures. Nice inside into this CNA

[@jackjackyphantom8854]

Don't bother! Just live ur own life as long as u are comfortable!

[@bellybutton6138]

Children can be ignorant and hurtful with their words. It is important for the schools, parents and teachers to teach their children empathy particularly in a multi cultural society.

[@crystalcai6314]

Whatever we are on the outside, our blood is all red.

[@share_accidental]

to those that are confused, race is a social construct. the definition of race depends on each country. in singapore, since the majority of us are asian, we are labelled based on being indian, malay, chinese, eurasian…etc. hence, they are considered mixed race in the singapore context.

[@NazriB]

Lies again? Little Mix

[@MisterPanCakeYamaguchi]

as a half Japanese kid my mom is Japanese and my dad is Chinese so I learn Japanese from my mom and know how to speak in Singapore now and my father reached it so my story is kind of different but thanks for listening thanks

[@m.k.s.7417]

Thanks to: Singapore; for: Looking after: "My fellow_ -"Eurasian's""!!!! *May you be rewarded, for such!!* -M.K.S.

[@Erik_RG]

It's good to see everyone's comments are quite nice.

[@LALALA-tw8vt]

Believe it or not I have experienced racism from minorities, as young as primary 5. racism works both ways, albeit less common but still exists

[@SuccessforLifester]

I saw the mixed Japanese when he reviewed chatterbox chicken. Later I saw him again when he doing some kind of street race Vs MRT.

[@cherriemay528]

I have accepted myself for being a mixed race I didn't get judged but instead get looked at😅

[@lol-vn5ro]

9snt that the same?

[@cherriemay528]

@@lol-vn5ro no in a even creepier manner😑

[@GodOfMechas]

yea as a hybrid myself I never understood why we were even ostracised in the first place? just for being different, really? what did we ever do to you on a personal level?

[@ceelee5850]

Fact: everyday i received scam calls, mostly from indians.

[@Prometheus574]

Because they are Indian call center workers with China bosses. Remember the OCBC scams from PRC? They are also Chinese citizens pretending to be MOH, MFA, Police and Singapore Customs officers. It speak volumes.

[@SmilingBackgammon-tz3rb]

i have recieved alot of scam calls from china

[@cocaineminor4420]

I'm Singaporean Chinese mix Thai And people always assume I'm pure chinese so they speak to me in Chinese 😂

[@sharontham11116]

Stay positive and dont bother with racist people...

[@Prometheus574]

Stay positive, record racist people's actions using a shirt collar button spy camera and publish it on social media for condemnation from everyone.

[@eddted2876]

Hard to believe that Singapore race is related to India race being they had NO features like Chinese or Malaysian . Easy to see Singapore race are related to the Chinese southern region mainland.. India and Singapore foods are very different and clothes are different even music not the same as Asians..

[@WastedBananas]

I don't consider Indians true Singaporeans or Asians. they look very different

[@SmilingBackgammon-tz3rb]

i don't think you are a true Singaporean

[@locphucboizsfamily3066]

Keji

[@AlphGen]

Sad to think the promise of all equal on TV and govt campaigns but reality is different, like everywhere a racist culture

[@cj-fx2kj]

0:28

[@pisangmelinjoe34]

They are mixed ethnicity not race

[@user-vp7yg4tv9t]

exactly mixed race is completely diff than being mixed with diff ethnicities they're both still fully asian just not one ethnicity

[@jackjackyphantom8854]

@@user-vp7yg4tv9t Indian and Korean are racially different. Chinese and Japanese are just ethnically different. However there's still a genetic difference between Chinese, Korean and Japanese although they're all East Asians.

[@share_accidental]

race is a social construct. the definition of race depends on each country. in singapore, since the majority of us are asian, we are labelled based on being indian, malay, chinese, eurasian…etc. hence, they are considered mixed race in the singapore context.

[@Nick-dr4ec]

@@jackjackyphantom8854 there's a lot of genetic variance in Chinese itself so it's not surprising to hear Japanese and Korean have slightly different genetics

[@jackjackyphantom8854]

@@Nick-dr4ec Yes, u are not wrong. There are diverse variants in Chinese, Koreans and Japanese. But u need to also observes the frequencies. Some variants are more common in Japanese and less common in Chinese. Say Yamapi, for example, doesn't even look like Chinese. If I ever spot him on the street, I wouldn't think he's Chinese. Japanese and Chinese are not indistinguishable, but need keen observation.

[@randomkness5173]

what is meant by lah when they were talking

[@jeffreydelacruz5275]

this kind of idealism is sucks yes it really true we have our own dark history of the past.. just learned from it.. and leave it there.. we are present people who learned from past mistake of history.. we need to teach our future children not to hate other races...

[@user-vp7yg4tv9t]

mixed race means that your mixed with diff races these guys are still asian just mixed with diff ethnicities

[@jackjackyphantom8854]

To be honest, Joakim barely look Indian. I guess his East Asian (Korean) gene dominate.

[@share_accidental]

race is a social construct. the definition of race depends on each country. in singapore, since the majority of us are asian, we are labelled based on being indian, malay, chinese, eurasian…etc. hence, they are considered mixed race in the singapore context.

[@WastedBananas]

Indians are not Asians racially. they look completely different.

[@BigVtheVanity]

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[@Deepblue744]

?????😵‍💫

[@Fakeslimshady]

I like the part he said Thailand

[@Polarris_44]

I’m mixed race too and like- ughhhh the racial stereotypes I swear.