This is a great post (and one of our longer submissions) from suchda. It gives a lot of insight into the thought processes of Asians that have today become more like “bananas” and “twinkies” than embracing their culture. Enjoy!
What do you think of when a banana is mentioned? There is more to it than being a yellow elongated fruit. Let me explain. The fruit is native to the tropics, and so is the subject of this entry. for the bananas I refer to are not edible, but are Singaporean Chinese. In case Singapore does not ring a bell, here are the facts: an island nation 1 degree north of the equator in south east asia, which became a first world country within 40 years. I have to say, through these 4 decades, not only have the HDI risen, but also the ‘illiteracy’ in Mandarin. I believe they are directly proportional. Why do I call my fellow 3rd generation Singaporean Chinese bananas? We are yellow on the outside, but white internally. Banana.
It is strange that the standard of Chinese is so low when the population is dominated by chinese: 70%.
After independance our British eduacted leader decided that all citizens must be literate in English, having less emphasis on the native tongues of the three races. This has resulted in a generation of kids who regard anything Western or English to be cool, anything orient or traditional, not.
Recently, Kelly Poon (潘嘉丽), a Singaporean singer, was invited as a special guest on a Taiwanese reality show. There was a acrobatic performance and each special guest was asked to describe the performance with a 成语(idiom). when it was Kelly’s turn, she said非常厉害.Oh the embarassment. She made news and was branded a disgracement to Singapore. Forums from China belittled, derided, hooted, jeered, lampooned and mocked Singapore, the atoll of bananas.
Even more atrocious is the fact that our founding father Lee Kwan Yew does not speak Chinese fluently. An example of the few 1st generations who are so.
I witness the effect of Lee’s mistake in this day where my classmates classify exchange students from the Motherland ‘China Bastards’. It shames me to be a Singaporean.
In light of rising China, the use of the language is now advocated, free tickets to 相声performances are given out to students, and the words ‘华语cool’ can be sighted on bill boards, buses, propoganda adverts and, basically every where. It is as silly as injecting yellow dye into a banana, hopeing that it will turn out to be a lemon-yellow inside out. All these efforts are in vain. The textbooks must be revamped; they are not. Enough said.
I find solace in the fact that there are still a fraction of us who are not bananas. There is still recognition of our culture. Lunar New Year is celbrated where some travel hundreds of kilometers home, Mooncake is served during the observance of the Mid Autumn Festival. We are still essentially, Chinese. English speaking Chinese.
Disclaimer: I do not pretend that I am not a banana as well.
Thanks Suchda!
Last 5 posts by Peter
- Asian Flush ("Blame it on the Ah-Ah-Ah-Alcohol") - March 12th, 2010
- Open Dialogue: Northern vs. Southern Asians - February 20th, 2010
- Happy Lunar New Years 2010! - February 13th, 2010
- Year of the Tiger 2010 Community Reception - Presented by Coca-Cola and Target - February 5th, 2010
- Featured Topic: Double Names - January 23rd, 2010
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24 responses so far ↓
1 G // Mar 7, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Nothing like calling us on our colonial mentality. Ah, when will be free of capitalist white patriarchy?
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2 LOl // Mar 8, 2009 at 7:28 pm
Singapore is a weird ass country. It is an Asian country full of white worshiping. All the billboards are of white people. White people roam around with more privilege than Asians.
It is quite sad. I am glad Chinese are seeing this. It is ashame that Asian don’t values Asian culture. It is because of this lack of values that will keep Asia poor. While would people value your products, when even your own people don’t value them.
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3 Shaun // Mar 9, 2009 at 1:17 am
This is an unfair comparison piece. By picking on Singaporeans for the so-called “adopting” of Western culture and the apparent abandonment of “Asian” culture seems to me to be more of a personal attack on Singaporeans rather than an informed analysis of the situation.
I am not an expert on Singaporean culture or anything, but surely the adoption of Western culture in Singapore obviously had something to do with the English language and Western culture being imperative to Singapore expanding as a country. My question would be: where would Singapore be as a prominent affluent nation without Lee Kwan Yew’s insistence that the English language and relations with the West become as prominent as it has been?
But of course, this response is written by a banana too, but is that necessarily a bad thing? According to the writer of this piece, the answer would probably be yes…
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4 dbals // Mar 9, 2009 at 2:13 pm
Singapore was built with american principles - Suck the juice out of Immigrants and grow on it. In the process it has lost all asian identity. White worshipping might be a shortcut to success but in the long run you’ll never earn a white’s respect. So far, the only Asian country that has managed to grow and still maintain a (somewhat) unique identity is Japan. White’s really fear and respect Japan. They don’t really care about the rest of the asia as they will be their boss for ever.
It’s not surprising to see asian people born in US act as Banana’s. In fact, they should, because they are really americans. It’s really shameful to see some yellow/brown ass back in asia acting all white.
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5 SD Steve // Mar 9, 2009 at 4:30 pm
I disagree with the general comments. Singapore is Singapore, a very unique place. It’s not western though it has western influences. It’s not Chinese though most there are of Chinese ancestry.
As a crossroads city-state, it is not only natural but necessary for Singapore to embrace many cultures, also including Malay, Thai and Indian. It’s survival and later success depended on adapting to the world surrounding it. Why take something complex and make it so simple? There are more shades of gray than the black/white “banana or not” comparisons.
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6 That Dude! // Mar 17, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Asian people need to read “White Mans Burden” by Rudyard Kipling. Its about how colonial minded white people view non-Whites, specifically S.E. Asians, as racially inferior and how its white peoples right to rape and pillage Asians and their land. They call Asians “Half-Devils.” It was written in the 1800’s. Please read it.
Also watch the movie “Rabbit Proof Fence.” Its a true story about how “white” government tried to get rid of non-white by “breeding them out of existence,” meaning: white people had a right to rape non-white women.
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7 Billy 'Redneck" Bob // Mar 17, 2009 at 11:56 pm
Is this sort of thing still going on today??? I’m ashamed to be WHITE
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8 jenn // Mar 21, 2009 at 9:21 am
I still have no idea what you were talking about. To be frank, I think this is one of the most poorly written, executed, and researched article/post. First of all… I have no idea what “非常厉害” means, nor did you explain for that matter. Ending your ramble of how ‘embarrassing’ it is to be Singaporean, you used a pathetic statement of how Lunar New Year is celebrated. That was weak, for a lack of better words.
How can existing as an Asian be ’shameful’ if you talk about how inadequate those who ‘pretend’ to be white are in your eyes? Not only is your piece full of contradictions, it is offensive and personal (mostly towards yourself because no one really cares how much you as a person hate ‘bananas’.) Everyone KNOWS the existence of Asians who pretend or want to be white. But aren’t you the same by saying “It shames me to be a Singaporean?” So clarify…. what the hell is your point?
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9 Rocking the Great wall of China // Mar 27, 2009 at 3:51 pm
The ridicule that you are piling on Singaporeans is irrational & unfair. Singaporeans should be free to adapt whatever culture they want. Being proud of being Asian is not feeling superior to westernized Asians, it’s about feeling good about yourself. And the fact that you use generalizations to back up your ideas just points out the holes in your article. Can you speak for all Singaporean youth? Hell no.
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10 nawab ali // Mar 30, 2009 at 6:59 am
i sense a lot of resentment here, who stepped on your tail? in any case singapore is made up of 4 different races and a mishmash of languages. who are you to insist on cultural hegemony you chauvinist pig?
and yes, those PRC chinese bastards are making it hard for me to even order a meal without resorting to sign language. i feel like a foreigner in my own country.
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11 Hard Reality // Apr 3, 2009 at 12:44 am
Many Asians reject China not because they love the US but because they can’t trust China.
China has paid agents posting all over the place trying to sell Chinese culture but the truth is the Chinese government gets their money by whoring their children into a lifetime of slavery to Walmart.
Anyone who dares to speak up, they drag away and cut out their liver and sell it to some Russian who drinks too much.
That’s a “culture” I can do without.
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12 Spectator // Apr 3, 2009 at 9:23 pm
It’s rather funny how people went up in arms in a humor website that offers no promises of “careful research.”
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13 Redtreo // Apr 18, 2009 at 5:43 am
I don’t care much about the culture , but the self hate must stop.
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14 Lee // May 3, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Now hold on just a sec. I’m a Singaporean of half chinese half white descent. Our country is multicultural, cosmopolitan and unique……we are not China. Just because the largest ancestry group in Singapore is Chinese DOES NOT mean that we have to speak perfect Mandarin and be in touch with traditional Chinese culture to a tee. And just to let u know, the rate of Mandarin literacy has actually increased. Back in the day, Chinese dialects such as Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Hakka and Hainanese were much more common but nowadays Mandarin has replaced them. We are Singaporeans, not China people…….SPEAK SINGLISH LAH!
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Straight Asian Man's Reply:
March 5th, 2010 at 10:42 pm
You insist on further division? OK, we get that you have a political entity that is Singaporean, but Singaporeans are chinese ethnically and must see value in adopting a positive line in with the West. Western hegemony needs to end. And this is from someone born in the US, who sees how evil and hypocritical the US of A really is.
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15 Lee // May 3, 2009 at 12:38 pm
To add on to the last comment, we Singaporeans refer to our culture as “Rojak.” It is a local salad of sorts made of many different ingredients. Colloquially, we say our country is Rojak because of the many cultures we have that meld together and unite us. Chinese, Malay, Indian or watever u may be, u can be Singaporean. Our country is not just some “chinese place” thats lost touch with its roots-we celebrate many holidays for example-Chinese New Year, Lunar Festival, Christmas, Hari Raya (Eid), Deepavali, Vesak Day, etc.
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16 areya // Jul 28, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Singapore is a country built on migrants. It is too young to have bred enough generations to have its own culture, hence the rojak. Nonetheless, as descents of migrants, it only makes sense to remember where our elders/forefathers came from. Keeping our roots is not just celebrating holidays, it’s also in the language. My guess is that the author, although having failed to maintain objectivity in a public article (even if it’s in a satirical website), just wanted to highlight how shameful it is that Chinese people in Singapore can’t be bothered to improve their mother tongue and worse still, adopt a superiority complex to the new migrants from the mainland, who in actual fact speak better Mandarin in kindergarten better than they could in university. Neither is she wrong in stating the probably underlying cause for this — the poor emphasis and standard of CHinese education.
ON a more personal note, it does disturb, when one has been away from home for more than 12 years, yet can still speak, read and write Chinese better than one’s friends who remained in Singapore. (and yes, I did make the extra effort back in school before I left.)
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17 Candace // Sep 1, 2009 at 2:25 am
Instead of criticizing people of Asian ethnicity growing up in a Western foreign country and not being able to speak the Asian language fluently, we should focus more about how that came about.
For example, a lot of racism occurs, which causes peer pressure for the ethnically asian individual to assimilate.
Instead of criticizing those who can’t speak their native tongue well, think about what pressures they went through growing up, and you’ll be more understanding.
And another thing — race isn’t just black and white. Similarly, it’s not yellow and white. I feel like it’s problematic when people call asians who can’t speak an asian language fluently as bananas. It’s like you have to be either white or yellow. Can’t people understand that a multicultural identity can exist? Instead of strictly being black or white, someone can be a mixture of both cultural influences. Why is this so hard for people to accept?
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18 omg // Sep 13, 2009 at 8:41 am
omg racism was true.
arabian and western colonialist were right
http://www.harbornet.com/folks/theedrich/JP_Rushton/Race.htm
yeah.. cold reality.
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19 jerson // Nov 16, 2009 at 4:39 pm
Sorry, I don´t mean in any way to offend Singaporeans, and my opinion may appear just like being weird, but that´s the only way I can think. This article shows not simply some Chinese “weakness”, as some may infer, but rather the dissimulated brutality of English domination mentality, which always meant selling their values by force, of course even by stealing, no matter what to do to get it, anywhere, either they having being governors or not, since at least the XV century.
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20 Chris // Jan 28, 2010 at 5:51 am
Hmm, since I used to live in Singapore, here’s my own two cents’ worth: Singapore is not a Chinese country and never has been. If anything, it is British at its core and resembles US and Australia in this respect, since it is made up of various immigrants who have adopted English culture, customs, law and language. To Singaporeans I would suggest a visit to the excellent Peranakan Museum, which makes it abundantly clear how the Chinese-Malay elite abandoned their chineseness in the 19th century and have become largely British, though they retained their chinese-malay heritage to some extent as well. The Indians of course were loyal British Indians from the beginning and remain so. BTW, Peranakan culture kicks ass, and is a real shame so little is known about in the west.
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21 Chris // Jan 28, 2010 at 6:25 am
To provide some backup to the degree of Britishness in Singapore, consider the following:
Streetnames: Chancery Lane, Elizabeth II. walk, Dublin Rd, Mountbatten Rd, etc…
Furthermore, Singapore is about the only post-colonial country not to have broken with her colonial past. Look at the number of things named after Raffles, Victoria and obscure, long-forgotten British Indian officials and military leaders like Clementi or Blair for instance. The HDB projects were based on British Fabian Socialist Ideas, libraries and Bookstores are overwhelmingly English-language, etc…
My favourite example is Fort Canning park, where every path and terrace is named after some obscure, long-dead British colonel or major.
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22 Danster // Feb 8, 2010 at 3:21 am
I wanted to say thanks for the article although there were so many disagreements. I don’t think the author was trying to be rude or prejudice. I appreciated the blunt honesty.
I don’t really consider Singaporeans to be as “Asian,” as the rest of us. I would say the same thing about Koreans and Filipinos as well. All three races tend to glorify white people and they seem to hate their own cultures. It’s really disgusting.
I’m proud of my Asian culture and I think anyone who is as well is worthy of respect. Asians who hate their own people or culture are really messed up. I have seen a lot of these types of Asians and they will never be happy no matter how hard they try. You can only find happiness if you are true to yourself.
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23 Straight Asian Man // Mar 5, 2010 at 10:48 pm
Seriously, I hate the Asian sycophancy and self hate. And I hate whites for creating such a system. Isnt there any way we can form some kind of political entity to battle this rising Western menance?
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