SINGAPORE

1
CELEBRATING A MULTIETHNIC HERI
TAGE WITH THE SUPPRESION OF LANGUAGE

SINGAPORE ?????? REPUBLIK SINGAPURA ??????????
? ???????
JOEY HORNE
2
SINGAPORE BACKGROUND
AN ISLAND CITY-STATE OFF THE COAST OF PENINSULAR
MALAYSIA RESULT MALAY HERITAGE SUBTLE TENSIONS
WITH MALAYSIA

FORMER BRITISH COLONY INDEPENDENCE 1965 CLING
TO COLONIAL PAST

OFFICIAL LANGUAGESMANDARINBAHASA MELAYUTAMIL
ENGLISH OFFICIAL ETHNICITIESCHINESE (75)MALA
Y (15)INDIAN (8)OTHER (2)

3
BUILDING NATIONALISM
GOVERNMENT NEEDED TO FOSTER A SENSE OF NATIONAL
PURPOSE THE SINGAPORE PROBLEMMANAGING A MULTI
ETHNIC STATE WITH A LARGE CHINESE MAJORITY

THE ANSWERA STEAMBOAT INSTEAD OF A MELTING POT
ETHNIC GROUPS SHARE IN CIVIC PARTICIPATION BUT R
ETAIN DISTINCT CULTURES

DIVIDE AND RULE MENTALITY LEGITIMACY BASED ON P
ROPER MANAGEMENT OF ETHNIC CONFLICT
SUCCESS THROUGH 1. ENGLISH 2. MOTHER
TONGUES
4
THE ROLE OF ENGLISH
THE ONLY TRUE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE FIRST LANGUAG
E FOR MOST CHILDREN CROWDS OUT ALL OTHER LANGUAGE
S

ALLOWS FOR NECESSARY CIVIC PARTICIPATION PROVID
ES (FALSE) SENSE OF COMMONALITY
FACILITATES CONSUMER IDENTITY

BIASED AGAINST NON-CHINESE SEPARATES GUEST WORK
ERS FROM SPOREAN SOCIETY NEUTRAL LANGUAGE ALLOWS
LINGUISTIC SEGREGATION

5
MOTHER TONGUES
GOVERNMENT MANDATED LEARNED IN PRIMARY SCHOOL
FATHERS NATIVE LANGUAGE BUT ONLY FOUR CHOICES!


CMIO CATEGORIES EASY MANAGEMENT OF ETHNIC GROUP
S PAP HAS VESTED INTEREST IN KEEPING PEOPLE SEPAR
ATED
SINGLISH CREOLE DISCOURAGED
PAP DOMINATED BY CHINESE CONSOLIDATION OF DIALE
CTS CREATES FALSE MAJORITY ADVANTAGES FOR CHINESE
SPEAKERS

6
CONCLUSIONS
PUBLIC SPACE NEUTRALIZED OF LOCAL LANGUAGES IRO
NY BETWEEN MULTILINGUAL SOCIETY AND PRO-ENGLISH
ATTITUDE

SUBTLE SUPPRESSION OF LANGUAGES BOTH FORMALLY AN
D INFORMALLY MULTIETHNICITY NOT THE SAME AS HARMO
NY

A SUCCESS NONETHELESS NO SEVERE RACIAL PROVOCAT
IONS SINCE 1964 RACE RIOTS

7
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