What is peranakan?

Sircheezeball SG

As Singaporeans, how many of us have ever considered this question- What can be considered peranakan? Some may reply, "Sure I do, it's just a half chinese half malay person and his or hers culture."

However, due to the standardization of language, Singaporean peranakans are classified as Chinese and this results in the loss of culture. For example, one classmate of mine is half chinese half indian. Although he holds an indian passport, but he takes chinese as his mother tongue and he knows nuts about indian culture.

So the question is- To what extent can we generally consider someone "genetically peranakan" to be a peranakan in the Singapore we know today?

Uncle Ver SG SG

LKY is peranakan. Should have a poll see how many people have Malay blood coursing through their veins.

Sircheezeball SG

LKY is peranakan, but he certainly behaves like a chinese

Alucard101 SG

How should a peranakan's behaviour differ from a chinese's?

Short Ninja SG

LKY is peranakan, but he certainly behaves like a chinese

Straits born Chinese are chinese,you people just dont get it do you?

Short Ninja SG

True definition of Peranakan = Native born of all races

The peranakan we usually talked about are the straits born chinese.

Short Ninja SG

How should a peranakan's behaviour differ from a chinese's?

Its a dying culture and breed as decendents no longer speak the language .How could we tell?

Atobe SG

'Peranakan' is a community of Chinese migrants who have settled largely in Malacca during the 1800s, and taken Malay brides - without converting to Islam, as during that period Islam was not part of the Malay ''official'' religion, nor tradition, nor culture.

Islam was not part of the Malay community from the days when they migrated from the hills of Yunan, China - {souce: Dr M Mahathir ''Malay Dilemma'' }

The Chinese migrants - mostly from Guanzhou and Fuchien - who have taken Malay brides had accomodated their brides by allowing some Malay customs and practices into their Chinese traditional practices - which remain dominant in the relationship between the couple.

This happy union also saw the Malay language being used with an easy mix and transfer between one spoken language to the other, and saw the development of new words that is a happy marriage of the Chinese dialect with the Malay language.

Perhaps the 'Peranakans' are the representative of the Malaysian and Singaporean political reality - as family bonds run across the border.

redDUST SG

the very layman malay definition of `peranakan' stem from the word `anak', which means `child'. `per...an' typically connocts an action in the malay's word usage (sorry, i do not know the right terminology to explain this), so `peranakan', if is not a formal noun, simply means to `give birth to a child'.

`Peranakan' hence is therefore refers to a child born here, i.e. in the Straits, and typically more in reference to Chinese as Malay would not associate themselves with this term `Peranakan'. I do not know the historical origin of the word, but it was probably used by the Chinese in days of old to indicate that they are 2nd generation chinese, not born in China. i am not sure if there is a malay blood lineage to these `Peranakans', but if there is, so be it.

i am not malay nor peranakan btw, so forgive me if i messed up. i just want to give a stab at the meaning of the word and how it probably evolved.

Atobe SG

i am not malay nor peranakan btw, so forgive me if i messed up. i just want to give a stab at the meaning of the word and how it probably evolved.

Exactly.

A new community formed by the bonding of the Chinese migrants with the Malay women resulted in a new social, traditional and cultural practices with new patois formed from a mix of Malay, Chinese and even English languages and dialects.

Over time, other Chinese born locally and descendants of the early migrants - not necessarily from the marriage with a Malay - may have further diluted the Chinese-Malay bloodline by marrying their offsprings, and will continue to be influenced by the new culture that is uniquely from this community.

http://www.thingsasian.com/stories-photos/1608

Try 'googling' the word 'Peranakan' and you will be surprised to find a wealth of information and even 'Peranakan' websites proudly listing their heritage and history.

Short Ninja SG

According to an article from CNA there are about 3,000 indian Peranakans residing in Singapore(nothing to do with chinese or malay descent) but just descendants of the chittys who have the right to also call themselves Peranakan.To set the record straight Babas and Nonyas are Peranakan and the other races too can be called a Peranakan but they can never be 'Babas' & 'Nonyas'.

Short Ninja SG

LKY is peranakan. Should have a poll see how many people have Malay blood coursing through their veins.

I am a Thai-Chinese Peranakan and have Malay Blood

Alucard101 SG

Its a dying culture and breed as decendents no longer speak the language .How could we tell?

Short Ninja SG

It is interesting to note that in the old days Straits Born Chinese has the word 'Malay' is written under dialect spoken in their Pink IC while the other Chinese people have Teochew, Hokkien,Hakka,Cantonese.....etc written on it.

In modern Singapore your IC has no more dialect in it.

Sircheezeball SG

Sorry. I do not intend or wish to make it seem like "they were sub standard". In fact, the half chinese and half indian classmate I talk about is a high achiever and I'm sure you get to see him every now or then.

What I want to highlight is- the peranakan culture is slowly disappearing as people of mixed heritage are only allowed a single mother tongue language to be taught in school, thus resulting in many peranakan students who do not know much of their distinct culture.

Hence, should there be any changes implemented to our current educational system and our social mindset so as to preserve the unique peranakan culture?

Arapahoe SG

have 1 question...what about half Japanese and half singaporean chinese. Born in SG, talk like Sg. think like sg..... Japranakan.

Short Ninja SG

No such thing as a Japranakan and I would advise my son from calling himself that

dragon_stone SG

Islam was not part of the Malay community from the days when they migrated from the hills of Yunan, China - {souce: Dr M Mahathir ''Malay Dilemma'' }

Perhaps the 'Peranakans' are the representative of the Malaysian and Singaporean political reality - as family bonds run across the border.

well said and described

Sircheezeball SG

Hey, I have gone to the Peranakan museum yesterday and I looked through the exhibits. There was this short video clip being featured and inside, there was this man who said that there's not criteria (like wearing the traditional costume, eating the traditional food etc) for one to be considered a peranakan.

Do you guys agree?

w.eikaas SG

I know my coming question is not in point with TS topic, but I still have to ask - how to define Eurasian?