Dad told me, Taiwanese go to Australia to do dirty jobs for higher wages.
I just look at my Dad and wonder why he grumbles about missed opportunities here, when it is clear that he doesn't like the lifestyle in Singapore, but he can't find a suitable alternative for his big talk of 'inclusive society' all day long.
I think of my Uncle Joe in Australia, Uncle Joe went Down Under with only his faith in I-Kuan Tao, with its clan-like connections, plus a PSLE/Primary School certificate. He survived because he and his wife, Aunt Sharon, plus their two children, did what Australians don't want to do - running a petrol station and waiting tables in a restaurant. Today, both kids (a male and a female) are university graduates with professional careers. The son is a working in a magazine as a copyeditor, while the daughter is a medical doctor.
But I also reminded myself that the Turkish people who moved to Germany for a better life did fail to assimilate to the German society. Now, more than 4 million Germans have some Turkish ancestry. However, they seem to face hostility because they're not seen as 'German' enough, and they can't live the way they are. I thought some Singaporeans, given their cultural habits, may not fit in well perfectly with the way of life in other countries, so I do not know how this affects a Singaporean migrant's ability to fit in other societies.
In the end, immigration is not the way out for all of us. No matter where we are, we got to improve ourselves further, to be more able to contribute to society better.
I just look at my Dad and wonder why he grumbles about missed opportunities here, when it is clear that he doesn't like the lifestyle in Singapore, but he can't find a suitable alternative for his big talk of 'inclusive society' all day long.
I think of my Uncle Joe in Australia, Uncle Joe went Down Under with only his faith in I-Kuan Tao, with its clan-like connections, plus a PSLE/Primary School certificate. He survived because he and his wife, Aunt Sharon, plus their two children, did what Australians don't want to do - running a petrol station and waiting tables in a restaurant. Today, both kids (a male and a female) are university graduates with professional careers. The son is a working in a magazine as a copyeditor, while the daughter is a medical doctor.
But I also reminded myself that the Turkish people who moved to Germany for a better life did fail to assimilate to the German society. Now, more than 4 million Germans have some Turkish ancestry. However, they seem to face hostility because they're not seen as 'German' enough, and they can't live the way they are. I thought some Singaporeans, given their cultural habits, may not fit in well perfectly with the way of life in other countries, so I do not know how this affects a Singaporean migrant's ability to fit in other societies.
In the end, immigration is not the way out for all of us. No matter where we are, we got to improve ourselves further, to be more able to contribute to society better.
