( CULTURAL BRIEFING NO 06 )
A nation before race
Singaporean Chinese, not Chinese Singaporean
_EN
This piece is going to be more direct, because it hits home — literally.
As much as I’m an admirer and purveyor of East Asian languages and cultures, some things remain inviolate because they jeopardise my identity as a Singaporean. This was one of those moments.
A few years back, I came across a ‘Speak Chinese’ campaign either from an online advert, or an advert at one of the MRT stations dotted across our island. Perhaps even both. Curiosity piqued, I Googled and found the website. And there, to my horror, I discovered that they were using the term ‘Chinese Singaporean’.
This instantly set me off, because race is the one card that should never be played irresponsibly in Singapore. And this campaign was championing race before nation.
I emailed the organisation to explain my reasoning that as a young and multiracial country, we have always strove to put nation before race. For example, Singaporean Chinese, Singaporean Indian, and Singaporean Malay. Never the other way around. This was the exact response I received:
We use the term ‘Chinese Singaporean’ to describe Singaporeans of Chinese ethnicity and regard ‘Singaporean’ as a noun.
This is the way organisations here typically brush aside opposing discourse. So I simply replied:
No worries. Good luck with your outreach, especially towards a more discerning audience.
The kicker? The parent organisation’s name is ‘Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre’. I’ll leave you, the reader, to draw your own conclusions.
Notes from Ben:
This Cultural Briefing was first observed in Jul 2023, and written in Nov 2025. Slight revisions were made in Feb 2026.
( CULTURAL BRIEFINGS )
Executive briefings on cultural matters
( SENSING PLACES )
Sensing cities as cultural barometers
不勞工作室
位于新加坡、意向東亞
Write to us at
hello@studioplough.com
We are a cultural intelligence practice
Cultivating brands with clarity