THE JINMEN PEOPLE IN SINGAPORE : A STUDY OF THEIR SOCIO-ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENT

Abstract

This is an exploratory study of the Jinmen people in Singapore, with particular emphasis placed on their socio-economic adjustments and characteristics during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The study begins by tracing the origin of the Jinmen people back to their island of Jinmen in southern China and unravels the reasons which lie behind their exodus to the various countries of Southeast Asia. The study then chronicles the arrival of the Jinmen migrants to Singapore in the early nineteenth century, where they initially accumulated, the reasons for their residential concentration as well as their subsequent relocation of residence during the middle of the twentieth century. The Jinmen community's changing population size and sex composition over the years are also documented. As a study of the social and economic geography of a Chinese dialect community, two occupational specializations of the Jinmen community are dealt with, i.e. the lightermen in the lighterage industry and the commission agents of the import-export industry. Aspects on the evolution, recruitment of labour, nature of work and their gradual decline in modern-day Singapore are discussed with respect to these two century-old industries. The study proceeds on with an examination of the important roles and functions various Jinmen voluntary associations play within the community itself. Some of these associations are singled out for special mention with regard to their origins, history and activities. A summary is made of the overall socio-economic adjustment of the Jinmen community in Singapore, with some areas of further research relevant to the topic under study being recommended in the final analysis.