January 17, 2022

In ‘Move beyond “us vs them” differences and embrace heritage in building national identity: IPS panel’ (𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴, January 2022), Associate Professor Elaine Ho (NUS Geography) discusses how Singapore’s position as a cosmopolitan city affects its national identity. She spoke at this year’s Singapore Perspectives conference, the flagship conference of the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), which was centered around the question: how can Singapore continue to succeed as a global city and city-state in the 21st century?

A/P Ho points out that discussions regarding foreigners in Singapore often invoke an “us versus them” framework, a harmful assumption that she thinks we should distance ourselves from. One of Singapore’s key strengths is its diversity and plurality, which is often attributed to the city-state’s openness to global talent. She stresses that this plurality is made even more diverse when Singaporeans with international exposure return home. Migration continues to change our national identity. However, as A/P Ho notes, we ought to think of national identity as dynamic rather than static, and recognize that it will continue to evolve over time. In moving past an “us versus them” framework when discussing foreigners and embracing national identity as one that is constantly evolving, A/P Ho argues that we are better positioned to consider other aspects of difference-making, ensuring that Singapore continues to succeed as a cosmopolitan city in the 21st century.

Read the article here.