Chinatown Heritage Centre, Singapore

Yesterday we travelled 100 years back in time to have a rare glimpse into the lives of early Chinese migrants in Singapore. These migrants left their villages in China as they were driven by famine, floods, and unrest, and came to Singapore with the hope of earning a living and seeking a better life.

Many Indian's had also gone to Singapore and Malaya to find work and better living conditions. Many South Indian Tamils were recruited as the workforce on Malayan rubber estates. The educated Indians were employed by the British administration to assist them and the Malay elite in civil services jobs. Malaya in those days was the world’s biggest exporter of natural rubber, with rubber and tin providing the bulk of colonial tax revenues.

I was reminded of my aunt's (mother's younger sister) life in Seremban, Malaysia (former Malay) whose husband (late Velluva Puthiyaveettil Narayanan Nambiar) had migrated there in the 1930s, along with many other educated youth from Kerala. He and his family used to come to Kerala from Malaysia by ship, once in five years. For us kids, the foreign articles they brought with them like biscuits and chocolates, plastic wares, children's dresses, toys, etc were fanciful and novel items. 

Sometime in 1971, my aunt and family called it a day, bid goodbye to Malaysia, and landed at the Madras port by ship, with their bag and baggage. At that time I was a research scholar at IIT Madras and therefore I had the opportunity to host them at the Taramani Guest House for a few days, before they proceeded to Kerala.

The Chinatown Heritage Centre has recreated the original interiors of the 1930s within three beautifully-restored shop-houses. The Kongs family of eight members used to live in this exact same building before it was transformed into the heritage center.

Many families lived, worked, and grew up in this type of  8' × 8' cubicles of this building. Every object on display (table fan, sewing machine, flask, various types and shapes of kitchen utensils) tells a story, and provides an insight into their struggles and aspirations, sacrifices and disappointments, love and joy. 

We felt awe, admiration, and gratitude to these migrant workers who left their home countries, endured poor working and living conditions, lived a frugal life, educated their children, and toiled for their bright future.