Here in Singapore, subtle forms of discrimination still abound in day-to-day conversations and colloquialisms — not because of malicious intent, but because of thoughtlessness, explains a communications strategist.

Originally published on CNA TODAY on 3rd April 2024.

Multiculturalism is largely celebrated in Singapore as a cornerstone of our society. However, discrimination still rears its ugly head from time to time, often in ways we may not even be aware of.

On March 15, reports emerged of a photo shared on social media by a Singapore Armed Forces serviceman showing the user participating in military training with his peers. In his post, the serviceman used a caption that contained a derogatory racial term. 

While the Ministry of Defence was swift to condemn the act, the damage was already done — netizens took to online platforms to criticise the boys for their insensitivity.

But some others were dismissive of or confused about the perceived “discrimination”, not understanding why the servicemen’s actions were harmful at all.

LANGUAGE SHAPES THE WAY WE THINK (OR DON’T)

I was recently at a client meeting where the conversation shifted into a mix of English and Mandarin, primarily from the Mandarin speakers in the room, who made up the majority. 

Being Chinese, I could follow along just fine — but I could clearly see how it was a struggle for colleagues in the minority, left scrambling to play catch-up in an already fast-paced discussion. 

Like many other cosmopolitan cities, Singapore is a melting pot of differing cultures, languages and ethnicities. However, in any such pot, the reality is that the dominant culture often takes precedence. 

Oftentimes, this dominance isn’t active or overt, nor is it forcefully enacted. Rather, it’s most commonly expressed in thoughtlessness — and this shows itself to be true even in everyday conversations and colloquialisms. 

We’ve likely witnessed or been part of similar occurrences in our everyday interactions, where dialect phrases and other non-English streams of speech are naturally slipped in without consideration of the other parties present. 

Another common example of inadvertent offence is backhanded compliments, where positive statements are followed up with discriminatory caveats: “You’re pretty for someone of your race”, for example, or “You’re smart compared to most women”. 

Such caveats imply that the quality being praised is unusual for someone by virtue of their race or gender. This both undermines them and reinforces negative stereotypes, and those on the receiving end often end up feeling invalidated or inferior.

A 2022 joint survey by the Association of Women for Action and Research and Milieu Insight polled 1,000 respondents — nationally representative by age, gender and race — and found that in the past five years, around half of Singaporeans have experienced workplace discrimination.

More serious forms of discrimination encompass unfair company policies and discriminatory employment practices related to career progression, including performance appraisals and promotion. For instance, individuals may receive a poorer performance appraisal after disclosing pregnancy, disability, or health conditions.

While subtle forms of discrimination might be done without malicious intent, it can pose a significant problem if left unchecked.

In the case of speaking in a different language, nuances and subtleties vital for understanding and relationship-building in and out of the workplace risk being lost in translation, leaving those in the minority feeling excluded or disadvantaged, both professionally and socially. 

Jonathan Kuek, a mental health researcher at Total Wellness Initiative Singapore, emphasises the “profound impact” on one’s mental well-being: “Such ostracism may trigger a range of emotions, from anger to anxiety to depression, and could leave individuals feeling worthless and lacking confidence in themselves.”

NOT JUST ‘LOCKER ROOM TALK’

Our language choices also have the power to enforce unfair gender dynamics. 

During a discussion of an event’s dress code, a client’s male colleagues joked about turning up in their “birthday suit”.

While this was met with scattered laughter, the meeting’s female participants’ chuckles seemed comparatively strained. Some exchanged uneasy glances. 

In incidents such as these, women often feel pressured to refrain from voicing their discomfort, or even to adapt and adjust. McKinsey’s 2023 Women in the Workplace report reveals that 78 per cent of women facing microaggressions at work engage in self-protective behaviours, such as modifying their speech or behaviour, in an attempt to blend in and forestall negative reactions. 

This practice is called “code-switching”, explains psychologist Beverly Tatum — adjusting one’s appearance or behaviour to match perceived environmental expectations.

Doing so is a means of finding common ground in environments that promote assimilation, but can be detrimental if it requires sacrificing one’s identity, cautions Dr Tatum. 

The brunt of this pressure to blend in falls disproportionately onto women and other minorities. It can be as small as changing your given name in order to assimilate into places where the majority of people don’t bother saying it right.

RELEARNING EMPATHY

Linguistic microaggressions such as these aren’t isolated incidents, but commonplace experiences for minorities. They are not merely surface-level issues; they’re symptomatic of a deeper struggle for inclusion and belonging. 

Simply put: We’re stifling voices not by silencing them, but by being inconsiderate.

We must take proactive steps to educate ourselves and others to identify the subtle ways our language, jokes, and word choices can perpetuate harmful stereotypes and affect marginalised individuals and groups.

It’s as easy as extending basic courtesy to those in the room — for instance, it doesn’t hurt to explain why we’re using a certain language or to avoid using it altogether if some people won’t understand.

Bad behaviour should always be called out.

However, this does not mean enforcing “cancel culture” or aggressively blasting the person to their face or on public platforms such as social media.

Instead, “calling in” may be more effective, suggests Roses of Peace’s Mohamed Irshad.

This means connecting with the person making such remarks in an empathetic manner: “Hey, I know you didn’t mean any harm in what you said earlier, but it made me uncomfortable. Can we talk about it?”

If we find ourselves witnessing microaggressions such as these, we should not remain silent bystanders.

Speak up more to redress the disparity and damage, especially when minorities may risk their well-being and safety by speaking up for themselves.

In ongoing discussions about Singapore’s future, it’s clear that we as a society are making strides to become a more inclusive society. However, we still have holistic work to do in many areas.

Creating a culture of mutual respect starts with us ensuring that, in whatever rooms and conversations we’re in, all voices are equally heard.