ABSTRACT
Singapore is an immigrant society. During the colonial period, migrants were drawn primarily from the Indian subcontinent, Greater China, and the immediate Southeast Asian region. From the mid-19th century, the proportion of this racial mix was generally 75% Chinese, 15% Malays, 7% Indians, and 3% Others - a proportion it roughly retains today, and is likely to maintain into the foreseeable future. As a global city, Singapore is now going through a new and complex wave of migration which is turning out to be more difficult to absorb and integrate. The pace and texture of nurturing the expansion of a Singapore society will depend very much on imagining, crafting, and managing the evolving diversity.
