Friday, September 30, 2005

The Eurasians in Singapore

The Eurasians in Singapore are families made up of a mix of European and Asian cultures. These include an intertwining of Portuguese, Dutch, British, Chinese, Malay and Indian pedigree. These families have lived in Singapore for many generations.

Updates on the current Eurasian community can be found in the Eurasian Association, particularly their Eurasian Newsletter, Cuisine page and Forum which covers topics ranging from geneaology search to receipes. The Malacca Portuguese Eurasian Association has more information and colour.

Kerry Reutens has attempted to develop a portal on local Eurasians and has an interesting short article on who the Eurasians are. More details are available in the Wikipedia article about Eurasians although even this is yet to be completed. The Cristao article on the language of Portuguese Eurasians has great depth however.

The Eurasian Company of the Singapore Volunteer Corps gives invaluable insight to the contributions of this voluntary team of military men. It displays photos, a muster roll, articles and a detailed bibliography.

Fernandis'article describes the challenges of identity facing Portuguese Malaysians.

Eurasians often have complex geneologies but this hasn't stopped them from working out their family tree. Families like the Shepherdsons, Theseira have put up their own websites.

Monday, September 26, 2005

Collections in Singapore about Asia (II)

The National University of Singapore has a wealth of information in its libraries and faculties on Singapore and Asia. The Singapore-Malaysia collection in the NUS Central Library offers unique academic resources such as the newspaper clippings and a strong theses collection on the region. It also has unique print and non-print (ranging from databases to microfilms) in its holdings. It has a range of online bibliographies on Singapore covering aspects of history(including a Chinese version), statistics, literature and related topics. The Singapore National University Press has recently posted free online publications and serials - the Singapore E-Press focused on Singapore - and its own blog! Of course updates of new titles are also made available. Within the History Department of the Arts Faculty is an informative History Society with its journal available online since 2001. Check out the seminars and talks for special invited speakers. Beyond their zingy Flash introduction, the Geography Department also has interesting lists of research areas and publications. Unfortunately, none seem accessible online.

The University ground is also the location of several institutions with rich collections on Asia. The Institute of Southeast Asian Studies has revamped its website and offers access to working papers (back issues), journals and monographs, besides its library's catalogue and bookshop. The Institute of Policy Studies "is a think-tank dedicated to fostering good governance in Singapore through strategic policy research and discussion" with research areas extending to various Asian countries. It has online working papers which is freely accessible. The Asia Research Institute offers a large number of online papers along with insightful workshops and seminars conducted all year round.