My first time in Singapore: Seeing Asia anew

When I decided to move from China to the United States for college, I could never have guessed that I would end up working and living in Singapore for four months. For many Chinese international students in the US like me, our perception of the world is often limited to China and the US, like most media coverage nowadays. 

It makes sense because the relationship between China and the US has always been an important topic in the news. 

I thought I fully knew Asia, and as a student, I was always keen to introduce Asia to my American friends. That was until I started reading Kontinentalist. 

As a data journalism student, I was initially drawn to the appealing visuals at Kontinentalist. Then through the stories I started learning about aspects of Asia I never knew about before, such as women’s divorce rights in the Philippines and traditional architecture in Asia.

Despite having lived in two countries that made me feel like I was “international”, I realised I had been living in an information bubble. Luckily, my professor Matt Carrol introduced me to the Kontinentalist team, which is how I got an opportunity to do an internship with them. 

On the 20-hour-long flight from Boston, I watched the movie Crazy Rich Asians, which represents many outsiders’ imaginations of Singapore. It turned out not to be exactly true, at least from my experience. 

Fresh off the boat, I was curious about everything, especially Singapore’s diverse cultures. A Buddhist temple, a Hindu temple, a mosque, a Taoist temple, and a church—all on the same street? I took a photo and sent it to my friend living in the Midwest, saying, “This is diversity.”

My friend replied, “You’re already in Singapore? Wait, what’s the relationship between Singapore, Hong Kong, and China? Singapore isn’t part of China, right?”

I wasn’t shocked by the text because Southeast Asia has always been underreported. Even when I was in China, I knew little about this region. 

I started learning about the history of colonialism in Southeast Asia, and understanding the current situation that Southeast Asia is facing under the shadow of geopolitical tension between China and the US. This made me understand better the concept of decolonisation that Kontinentalist has been practising through its stories.

It is not easy to get rid of the legacy of colonialism, or avoid placing ourselves in the position of the colonised. Back when I was working for a TV station in Missouri in my senior college year, I tried very hard to get rid of my Chinese accent, and make myself sound and look more American.

I didn’t realise at the time that I was influenced by the belief that only American or British English is “proper”. But after living in Singapore for the last few months and getting used to hearing Singlish (a colloquial language combining English with other local languages), I started feeling that no form of English is the “proper” or “correct” one. Singlish, Chinglish, or any other English mixed with local languages are all beautiful to me.

I also learned that adopting a decolonised mindset can help us grow our appreciation for our identity as Asians, and that of marginalised groups.

For example, in collaboration with Orang Laut SG, Kontinentalist published a story about the Orang Laut community—an indigenous group in Singapore who once lived on its surrounding islands and waterways. The story covers the history of their relocation to the mainland, how they adjusted to their new lifestyle, and the changes to their home islands.