Do some migrants appreciate Singapore more than locals? Woman’s post sparks debate

SINGAPORE: For this year’s National Day, a woman who had come to Singapore when she was a child expressed deep gratitude and appreciation for her adopted homeland, acknowledging the good life she and her family have.

Her August 9 Facebook post has since received a lot of attention, but what sparked a debate was when she said that she has thought that migrants such as herself may appreciate the city-state more than some who were born and bred in Singapore, though she wishes this were not the case.

The post author wrote that when she came to Singapore with her family in the ‘80s, she knew no English, which caused her to struggle with her studies. She got a zero on her very first spelling test, and when she was told she needed to get a PE uniform, it took a while for her parents to understand exactly what she needed.

Though their life in Singapore was hard, she ended up being glad and thankful that they stayed, especially after she did well in her studies, got a good job, and was even able to switch careers.

“Despite not being a super high-income earner, I live comfortably, eat well, and can put my kids through school. My kids can study in a world-class education system, as I did. They can walk to school and back home daily without me having to fear for their safety. These are not things I take for granted,” she noted.

When some commenters took exception to her saying that migrants may appreciate Singapore more than some locals, the post author added a clarification in the comment so that her point would not be lost.

“P.S. I realise some people interpreted my post as saying that some born-and-bred Singaporeans love Singapore less than migrants. That was not my point. I used the word 'appreciate', not 'love', because they’re not the same thing. You can deeply love something and still take aspects of it for granted. My post was about appreciation, not patriotism. Peace!” she wrote.

In another comment, she wrote that she hadn’t expected her post to have reached so many others, and whom she had in mind were the people around her. She had also not meant to offend anyone with her post.

“I do know Singaporeans who appreciate what we have, and I recognise perhaps I should have worded it better,” she wrote.

Others reassured her that they understood what she meant.

“I’m chill with it. It’s all perspective. Different people read things differently. That’s what makes us human. Don’t worry too much about it. Can’t please everyone. So long as you know what your heart truly meant. It’s cool. 加油. Singapore is really 1 of the best places to be at,” one wrote.

Another commenter commended her, writing, “Well said! These are the kind of migrants Singapore needs, appreciative and thankful for what Singapore is and what it has given them, just like many of our forefathers who came here, worked hard, put down roots and helped build this country.” /TISG