Multiculturalism & Ethnic Relations

286 Words2 Pages
This paper argues that food in Singapore reflects the nation’s multiculturalism ideals and is used intentionally to portray this ethnic diversity to both Singaporeans and foreigners, in order to maintain racial harmony and to boost tourism economy in Singapore. Primary research includes fieldwork at Singapore National Museum – Singapore History and Living Galleries, Singapore Tourism Board official website and personal interviews with National Environmental Agency, and also locals and tourists and secondary research includes assigned readings as well as information available from databases. We will introduce the multiculturalism ideology created by the Singapore government, look at official and unofficial representations of food in Singapore, and the sociological connection between the two aspects. Lastly, we will then evaluate Singapore’s extent of attainment of this ideology. We identified Singapore’s multiculturalism ideology as equality for all, harmonious co-existence of racial groups while retaining cultural diversity. When Singapore was part of Malaysia in 1963, the Malaysian Central Government rejected Singapore’s ideal of racial equality, leading to racial friction in 1965. Since then, Singapore government has vowed to treat all races equally, and uphold racial harmony ("Speech by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong"). This ideology is integrated through various social institutions and policies such as meritocracy, where it is not one’s ethnic or racial group that defines success but ability. Policies such as the Housing Development Board’s Ethnic Integration Policy ensures a proportionate ratio of different races living together ("Ethnic integration policy," 2012) while cultural and ethnic diversity is maintained through the celebration of all ethnic festivals such as Hari Raya and Deepavali as official public holidays. In public education, there is also the

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