I often refer to new immigrants as “paratroopers”。 We know little about life here when we touch down at Changi International Airport. But having made the decision to settle here, we must learn to live harmoniously with the locals and contribute to the growth of the country.
This is, of course, easier said than done as the art of effective communication is hard to master. As newcomers to the country, we must become active members of society and develop a good understanding of the local community. Unfortunately, many do not subscribe to this view, preferring instead to “mind their own business”。
On the other hand, the arrival of immigrants in large numbers also creates enormous stress for the local society. We are aliens in the eyes of some Singaporeans - a feeling that is understandable.
When times are good and everyone has a job, people can live with each other peacefully. But with the economy now slowing down considerably and many locals losing their jobs, fingers are pointed at us newbies for “robbing the locals of their rice bowls”。
We all know why we are here. Singapore has an efficient and capable government and a thriving economy, but need foreign manpower to scale greater heights. You can call it a win-win arrangement - we contribute to the Singapore economy but are also paid for what we are worth.
I still find a comment by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in one of his speeches about one or two years ago rather heart-warming. Singapore‘s GDP growth would drop two percentage points without the contribution of foreign talent, he had said.
We can take pride in our contribution but we should never confine ourselves to our own circles and shut ourselves from the rest of society. We have invested most of our savings in HDB flats bought from the resale market.
Our kids are in local schools and we intend to raise them here. Most of us will not want to disrupt our children‘s education by uprooting to another country. This is typical of Chinese parents who hope that their children can fulfil their expectations and aspirations. Our kids shall grow up here and make Singapore, not China, their home.
It is thus important for new immigrants to get themselves integrated into society. Interact with colleagues and make new friends, spend time together on community activities to improve mutual understanding. You will probably come to realise soon that locals are not very different from us in their outlook on life.
I would like to end by quoting from British philosopher Bertrand Russell‘s “Principles of Social Reconstruction” - “It is impossible to prevent others from feeling hostile, but it is possible to avoid any reciprocal hostility on one’s own part, by imaginative understanding and the sympathy which grow out of it.”
（The writer, an engineer with SPH Print Centre, came to Singapore from China in 1994.）
新移民要積極融入本地社會● 李國生
我常常把新移民比作“空降兵部隊(duì)”。我們從樟宜機(jī)場空降到這個(gè)島國的時(shí)候,并不了解這個(gè)島國。既來之,則安之,我們就要學(xué)習(xí)和本地早期的移民和移民的后代和睦相處,互相幫助,一起來建設(shè)這個(gè)欣欣向榮的島國。
要積極融入本地社會,和本地同事交朋友參加一些社會活動。
這個(gè)世界上,最難的就是人與人之間的溝通。作為新移民,我們要積極地走入這個(gè)社會,參與這個(gè)社會,才能理解本地人所面對的世界。很多新移民對此不以為然,“各人只掃門前雪,哪管他人瓦上霜”。
大量新移民的到來,給本地社會帶來的壓力是巨大的,我后來才明白這個(gè)道理。
我們是有些本地人眼中的陌生人,我們要將心比心。經(jīng)濟(jì)好的時(shí)候,大家都有工作做,相安無事,天下太平。一旦經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展放緩,很多本地人失去工作,我們這些空降兵就成為被指“搶了本地人的飯碗”的人。因此新移民有必要積極地融入本地社會。
我們要明白,我們?yōu)槭裁磥硇录悠?。因?yàn)樾录悠掠幸粋€(gè)能干的政府,每年吸引了幾十億元之巨的外來投資,加上政府和私人機(jī)構(gòu)的投資,單單資本本身是不能對經(jīng)濟(jì)作出貢獻(xiàn)的,必須吸引外來人力資源。
我們是為新加坡經(jīng)濟(jì)作貢獻(xiàn)的,當(dāng)然我們也獲得了一分維持生計(jì)的薪水,應(yīng)該說是雙贏的安排。
大概是一、二年前,吳作棟總理講了一句話,我至今還感到溫暖。吳總理說,如果沒有外來人才對經(jīng)濟(jì)的貢獻(xiàn),新加坡的年經(jīng)濟(jì)增長率就會下降兩個(gè)百分點(diǎn)。
雖然新移民對本地作出了貢獻(xiàn),但不能因此固步自封,自我封閉。我們把大部分的儲蓄用來在二手市場購置組屋；我們的錢都在這里,我們的孩子在本地學(xué)校讀書。
新移民和老移民一樣,把孩子看作是自身生命的延續(xù),非常重視孩子的教育。大多數(shù)人不會為了實(shí)現(xiàn)移居他國的理想,而中斷孩子的學(xué)業(yè)。我們的孩子在這里長大,他們眼里,新加坡是他們的家。這里有他們的童年和少年的夢,甚至最美好的初戀。
要積極融入本地社會,最重要的是要積極和本地同事交朋友,和他們一起參加一些社會活動。大家一起開心,一起流汗,才能夠真正相互了解。你會明白本地人的想法其實(shí)和我們的想法是很接近的。
作為本文的結(jié)局,我想引用英國哲學(xué)家羅素的一段話。“我們無法防止他人敵視我們,但是我們卻可以通過諒解和同情,不讓自己敵視他人?！?BR> 。作者在1994年從中國來新加坡,目前在新加坡報(bào)業(yè)控股印刷部擔(dān)任工程師。
This is, of course, easier said than done as the art of effective communication is hard to master. As newcomers to the country, we must become active members of society and develop a good understanding of the local community. Unfortunately, many do not subscribe to this view, preferring instead to “mind their own business”。
On the other hand, the arrival of immigrants in large numbers also creates enormous stress for the local society. We are aliens in the eyes of some Singaporeans - a feeling that is understandable.
When times are good and everyone has a job, people can live with each other peacefully. But with the economy now slowing down considerably and many locals losing their jobs, fingers are pointed at us newbies for “robbing the locals of their rice bowls”。
We all know why we are here. Singapore has an efficient and capable government and a thriving economy, but need foreign manpower to scale greater heights. You can call it a win-win arrangement - we contribute to the Singapore economy but are also paid for what we are worth.
I still find a comment by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in one of his speeches about one or two years ago rather heart-warming. Singapore‘s GDP growth would drop two percentage points without the contribution of foreign talent, he had said.
We can take pride in our contribution but we should never confine ourselves to our own circles and shut ourselves from the rest of society. We have invested most of our savings in HDB flats bought from the resale market.
Our kids are in local schools and we intend to raise them here. Most of us will not want to disrupt our children‘s education by uprooting to another country. This is typical of Chinese parents who hope that their children can fulfil their expectations and aspirations. Our kids shall grow up here and make Singapore, not China, their home.
It is thus important for new immigrants to get themselves integrated into society. Interact with colleagues and make new friends, spend time together on community activities to improve mutual understanding. You will probably come to realise soon that locals are not very different from us in their outlook on life.
I would like to end by quoting from British philosopher Bertrand Russell‘s “Principles of Social Reconstruction” - “It is impossible to prevent others from feeling hostile, but it is possible to avoid any reciprocal hostility on one’s own part, by imaginative understanding and the sympathy which grow out of it.”
（The writer, an engineer with SPH Print Centre, came to Singapore from China in 1994.）
新移民要積極融入本地社會● 李國生
我常常把新移民比作“空降兵部隊(duì)”。我們從樟宜機(jī)場空降到這個(gè)島國的時(shí)候,并不了解這個(gè)島國。既來之,則安之,我們就要學(xué)習(xí)和本地早期的移民和移民的后代和睦相處,互相幫助,一起來建設(shè)這個(gè)欣欣向榮的島國。
要積極融入本地社會,和本地同事交朋友參加一些社會活動。
這個(gè)世界上,最難的就是人與人之間的溝通。作為新移民,我們要積極地走入這個(gè)社會,參與這個(gè)社會,才能理解本地人所面對的世界。很多新移民對此不以為然,“各人只掃門前雪,哪管他人瓦上霜”。
大量新移民的到來,給本地社會帶來的壓力是巨大的,我后來才明白這個(gè)道理。
我們是有些本地人眼中的陌生人,我們要將心比心。經(jīng)濟(jì)好的時(shí)候,大家都有工作做,相安無事,天下太平。一旦經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展放緩,很多本地人失去工作,我們這些空降兵就成為被指“搶了本地人的飯碗”的人。因此新移民有必要積極地融入本地社會。
我們要明白,我們?yōu)槭裁磥硇录悠?。因?yàn)樾录悠掠幸粋€(gè)能干的政府,每年吸引了幾十億元之巨的外來投資,加上政府和私人機(jī)構(gòu)的投資,單單資本本身是不能對經(jīng)濟(jì)作出貢獻(xiàn)的,必須吸引外來人力資源。
我們是為新加坡經(jīng)濟(jì)作貢獻(xiàn)的,當(dāng)然我們也獲得了一分維持生計(jì)的薪水,應(yīng)該說是雙贏的安排。
大概是一、二年前,吳作棟總理講了一句話,我至今還感到溫暖。吳總理說,如果沒有外來人才對經(jīng)濟(jì)的貢獻(xiàn),新加坡的年經(jīng)濟(jì)增長率就會下降兩個(gè)百分點(diǎn)。
雖然新移民對本地作出了貢獻(xiàn),但不能因此固步自封,自我封閉。我們把大部分的儲蓄用來在二手市場購置組屋；我們的錢都在這里,我們的孩子在本地學(xué)校讀書。
新移民和老移民一樣,把孩子看作是自身生命的延續(xù),非常重視孩子的教育。大多數(shù)人不會為了實(shí)現(xiàn)移居他國的理想,而中斷孩子的學(xué)業(yè)。我們的孩子在這里長大,他們眼里,新加坡是他們的家。這里有他們的童年和少年的夢,甚至最美好的初戀。
要積極融入本地社會,最重要的是要積極和本地同事交朋友,和他們一起參加一些社會活動。大家一起開心,一起流汗,才能夠真正相互了解。你會明白本地人的想法其實(shí)和我們的想法是很接近的。
作為本文的結(jié)局,我想引用英國哲學(xué)家羅素的一段話。“我們無法防止他人敵視我們,但是我們卻可以通過諒解和同情,不讓自己敵視他人?！?BR> 。作者在1994年從中國來新加坡,目前在新加坡報(bào)業(yè)控股印刷部擔(dān)任工程師。