Written by Nuha Hafiz & Daniela Ferreira Franco Moura, edited by Darren Teo & Ashley Tan
After being called “dirty” by a classmate, a young girl tries to shave off the colour of her skin with a razor. At the funeral of her unkind grandmother, a woman reflects on the cycle of abuse and abandonment that runs through her family. Matchmade by friends in junior college, a couple recounts how their shared experiences of growing up Indian in ‘90s Singapore was a surprisingly good foundation for a long-term relationship.
For better or worse, we are all shaped by our experiences growing up, and there is something universal about sharing—and listening to—childhood stories. What We Inherit is an anthology of personal narratives by Indian women growing up in Singapore. Edited and published by The Association of Women for Action & Research (AWARE), the book’s stories range from funny and heart-warming to thought-provoking, touching, and plainly revolting.
In our conversation with Varsha Sivaram, Senior Project Executive at AWARE, we learned that What We Inherit contains submissions from writers of varied skill sets. Some were experienced authors, while some had never penned essays before. To help some of these budding writers, AWARE hosted an ideation workshop, to aid with essay-writing. This workshop had the positive side effect of increasing awareness of the call for submissions, which helped bring even more varied voices to the book. The unique combination of different writing experiences underscores the inclusivity of this anthology, and AWARE’s intention to create a safe space for all Indian women to share their stories.
Reading the anthology, a topic that one encounters time and time again is that of belonging.
Minorities tread a delicate path, where the feeling of belonging is not a straightforward one.
Most of us, whether minorities or not, grow up influenced by a variety of cultural forces: those of our families, of the schools we attend, of the many communities we interact with, and of the nation we inhabit. Such influences can be conflicting when your family’s culture is not the norm.
On one hand, forces such as social media, where Western liberal thought is pervasive, influences one towards more “modern” thoughts and behaviours. Tugging on the other end is the power of upbringing, particularly by traditional families and communities. This anthology captures this liminal experience by exploring this conflict in its various forms, such as tradition versus modernity, emotion versus pragmatism, generational knowledge versus empirical science, and more. Emerging from this experience is a sense of confusion about where one stands. How can we feel a sense of belonging when we encounter contradiction after contradiction weaved into the very fabric of our selves?
Closely tied to the struggle with belonging is the struggle with one’s own identity, or rather, identities. Our skin colour, mother tongue and customs are used by others to classify us in a particular “race”, a classification that tends to be overly narrow and is often plainly wrong. In the anthology, authors narrate their struggle with being assigned an identity by others, and how this shapes their own narratives about themselves. Commendably, many decide to challenge societal assumptions and take ownership of their own identity.
It is also commendable that many authors explore diverse topics “that have been insufficiently articulated within the local literature scene”, such as intergenerational trauma and sexism faced by Indian women, as Varsha shared in our chat [mfn]Hafiz, Nuha, Daniela Moura, and Darren Teo. Interview with Varsha Sivaram, editor of the anthology. Personal (via Zoom), 15 July 2022.[/mfn]. However, as we delved more deeply into the book, it became apparent that, despite the varied experiences Indian women collectively have, What We Inherit is ultimately a unifying narrative. The book is abundant with feelings of solidarity towards other Indians as well as allies in the broader community.
“By placing these stories and poems next to each other, one by one, we hope to take back control from the feelings of isolation that characterise the experiences of so many of us.” [mfn]Hafiz, Nuha, Daniela Moura, and Darren Teo. Interview with Varsha Sivaram, editor of the anthology. Personal (via Zoom), 15 July 2022.[/mfn]
Despite the discrimination and struggles faced as a minority, Indians in Singapore are determined to stand together, proud of their identity and narratives—What We Inherit is proof of this. Reading these stories, it is only natural to feel disappointed or discouraged knowing the prevalence of discrimination. Nevertheless, the anthology counts on hope to still prevail. In Varsha’s own words, “by placing these stories and poems next to each other, one by one, we hope to take back control from the feelings of isolation that characterise the experiences of so many of us.” [mfn]Hafiz, Nuha, Daniela Moura, and Darren Teo. Interview with Varsha Sivaram, editor of the anthology. Personal (via Zoom), 15 July 2022.[/mfn]
What We Inherit is most certainly an insightful read. Despite having different backgrounds from most of the authors, we often resonated with the experiences shared. Regardless of race or background, themes of belonging and identity are an integral part of the human experience. This struggle to find a space where we feel we belong is one that most of us encounter intermittently throughout our lives. We certainly found a slice of ourselves within these stories, and we hope future readers do, too.
