A Preliminary Study of the Social History of the Cantonese Chinese Community in Singapore

Abstract

This paper aims to provide a historical study of the development of the Cantonese community in Singapore. Through an archival study of various Cantonese associations, it will focus on the connotations of what it means to be Cantonese and the lives of Cantonese people in the context of Singapore. According to a 2020 Singapore population census, the “Cantonese” are currently the third largest Chinese-dialect group, making up almost fifteen percent of the Chinese population on the island state. The term Cantonese, in Singapore, commonly refers to those originating from the vicinity of China’s Guangdong Province, mainly from the south-west region of Guangdong, along the Pearl River Delta. Outnumbered by the Hokkien and Teochew communities, the Cantonese were largely centralized in the Kreta Ayer area and were the dominant dialect group there. Yet, the definition of the term “Cantonese” involves two major issues of geographical location and language system. Being Cantonese, as per the administrative control of Guangdong Province, encompasses all of Chinese descent whose respective ancestral origins are from Guangdong. Moreover, the Cantonese are defined by the unique characteristics of the Cantonese language as well. Therefore, this paper will attempt to differentiate the multiple definitions of the term Cantonese, followed by an overall history of the Cantonese people in Singapore.