41. A rare interracial sight

On the way home on the bus, I saw a completely rare sight in Singapore. A Singaporean Chinese guy was romantically holding hands with a woman from India. To top that off, her entire family were sitting just next to them. I cast a furtive and long glance at them. They looked happy and loving. It was a beautiful view.

Singaporeans and most Asians would understand why this was a rare encounter. We are raised up with certain prejudices about a race, ethnicity or social class. We are bounded by the mindset that we should only hang out or date people from certain groups. Chinese and Indians are one of scarce combination you see.

As a Chinese Indonesian, I was brought up to think that dating a non-Chinese is something to be frowned upon. But lately, I’ve started questioning, why? What about us that is superior or inferior to other groups? How were these creeds even established and passed on through generations?

I’m still doing my best to be conscious of my biases. It’s not easy growing up with with a set of preconceptions and society imposing their beliefs onto us. About what they think is right or wrong. What is admired or belittled. What is celebrated or disgraced.

But I’ll start by being aware. Be mindful to assess someone based on my own observation of them as a person. Rather than to judge based on the stereotype of their look and background.

Who knows, if everyone just starts by practicing this awareness, that rare sight on the bus would one day be the ordinary wonder we see everyday.