- Abbas Karim
Becoming Minority
as a minority in Singapore / becoming is when you realise / that if you are a failure / you fit the stereotype / Lazy / Low-Income / Unambitious / Uneducated / Stupid / but if you exceed / you become / the Outlier / the Exception / not like the ‘others’ / success attributed to the individual /
failure to the entire race / and because you are Othered / not only by the Majority / but by the minorities themselves / becoming is when you realise / that racism is not perpetuated outwardly / but inwardly / that minorities / who tell / jokes perpetuating stereotypes / are part of / the problem / minorities who attribute the failures / of people from the same heritage / to their / innate / inefficient / inevitable genes / are justifying / society’s views on us / justifying how / society should treat us / this society prides itself / with its racial harmony / with its rojak culture / with its ability to live / side by side / but have we been living or tolerating / this society has so much potential / and I / do not want people to confuse / my criticisms for hatred / in fact it's for love / love for the society / that allowed me to appreciate / all the beauties of Our cultures / this society / which broadened / my worldview to be emphatic / to all ethnicities / becoming is realising that / this society is not perfect / but this society has always / had great intent / now this society / must realise it / through their content