Reframing immigration debates in Singapore through the lens of ageing
Discussions about differences between migrants and Singaporeans have recently not only been rife in the public and private arenas, but have also polarised opinions. Among the most hotly contested are allegations that migrants have unfairly displaced locals from various high-paying, white-collar positions.
The explosion of Covid-19 cases in foreign worker dormitories have also fuelled concerns among certain segments of the Singapore population about the large presence of low-wage, blue-collar guestworkers.
While the current pandemic has made clear that an over-reliance on foreign labour is unwise, eliminating migrants from the workforce completely is impractical as well. Recognising the varied contributions of migrants and finding productive ways to live together are thus better ways forward, rather than directing efforts at creating us/them divides.
One way is to look at areas noticeably omitted from current debates on migration, such as through the lens of ageing as the Transnational Relations, Ageing & Care Ethics (TRACE) project has done.
As a member of the research team based in Singapore, I spent 18 months primarily in the Greater Jurong area exploring the impacts that cross-border movements bear on older people’s lives and associated eldercare practices. The first is on the care relations between older Singaporean residents and their foreign domestic workers, and to a lesser degree the care routines of older Chinese migrants who are ageing alongside older Singaporean residents.
I present two fieldwork vignettes which have left lasting impressions.
Blurring caregiver/care recipient divides
I was warmly received by centre manager Mr Ngo at the entrance of a Senior Activity Centre (SAC) on a Friday morning. During my previous visit to the centre, Mr Ngo had informed me that I could try recruiting participants from the weekly group exercise sessions. After exchanging some pleasantries, Mr Ngo surprisingly ushered me out of the centre premises to an adjacent void deck.
I was greeted by the sight of approximately 13 seniors, of various ethnic, age and gender profiles, assembled in a circle. Accompanied by their respective foreign domestic workers, more than half were wheelchair-bound and some even had feeding tubes affixed to their noses.
Mr Ngo introduced me to instructor Penny and several volunteer facilitators. Although the all-female team were also seniors themselves (in their 60s if I were to guess), they were clearly more mobile and chirpier than the attendees.
Shortly after, Penny began the exercise routine that she had planned for the seniors. Several of the facilitators were trained in nursing and went around correcting any erroneous posture lest the seniors hurt themselves. The caregivers were also reminded to conduct such exercises with their elderly charges as frequently as possible.
To enliven the atmosphere, Penny also requested the seniors and their caregivers to sing along. To accommodate the diverse groups of people present, the facilitators gave instructions and sang in all four languages—English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil.
What separated this group exercise session from others that I have observed was Penny’s insistence that the foreign domestic workers also partake in the exercise routines and sing-alongs rather than recuse themselves at the side.
She later informed me that keeping the caregivers fit ensures that they are able to carry out the physically-demanding tasks (e.g. lifting, wheelchair pushing) that their job entails.
Crucially, the emotional health of the foreign domestic workers are not forgotten either. When the exercises concluded, Penny and volunteers conducted a giveaway of used clothing (in good condition) for the foreign caregivers.
Clearly tantalised, the migrant women charged earnestly towards the outfits. In celebration of the upcoming Lunar New Year festivities, the foreign caregivers were also treated to the pineapple tarts and chicken jerky. Penny and volunteers had prepared for the seniors – the snacks were all halal-certified to cater to the Muslims.
After the seniors and their caregivers had left, I spoke to Penny and the volunteers for a little longer. As demonstrated through their actions, they all stressed the importance of an “integrated” approach, in which the seniors and their helpers both receive care.
This emphasis on caring equally for both the elderly charges and migrant caregivers is praiseworthy as the latter play key roles in connecting the former to the community.
Caring for the migrant women was further motivated by compassionate/humanitarian reasons as many of them are not granted an off-day. Group exercise sessions like these then undoubtedly double up as a key platform for the foreign domestic workers to befriend fellow migrants and socialise on a regular basis.
Challenging ageist assumptions
The second research encounter took place at an open-air, multi-purpose hall on a weekday morning (9.30a.m.). I had heard from other residents that senior-friendly activities catering to both citizens and non-citizens would be organised at that very spot and timing.
Around a dozen seniors – all Chinese and female – had already gathered at the time of my arrival and were busy familiarising themselves with the dance moves. They started with small-group practices before coming together to perform the full routine on the stage several times.
From the assortment of accents spoken, I guessed that the bulk of the group comprised Singaporeans and Malaysians with the remainder, including the instructor Madam Guo, hailing from the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
This conjecture was later proven to be true from the informal conversations I had with some of the ladies during the intermittent breaks. Crucially, I learnt that they were rehearsing for a public performance due to take place in two weeks’ time, although they also meet regularly for leisurely dances.
One aspect that struck me was the intensity of the choreography, which did not come across as ‘senior-friendly’ at first glance. Notably, the ladies had to kneel and squat multiple times throughout the routine and master the use of props like pom-poms.
Several participants were unsurprisingly frustrated by the demanding choreography from their scowled expressions. Despite feeling discouraged, those who were unable to keep pace still informed me that they were generally proud of themselves for taking up the challenge and stretching their own limits.
For the ladies who could manage the dance, they shared that they prefer routines that feel more like a workout yet aesthetically pleasing at the same time. They continued that since performances are meant to impress, dance moves which are slow and simple will reinforce the stereotype that seniors can only manage low-impact activities. Instead of being on the ‘receiving’ ends (i.e. audience watching from below the stage), they take pride in being the ‘givers’ (i.e. performers on the stage), to entertain others for a change.
Trying out or participating in high-energy activities not only improves one’s fitness level, but also helps to break the monotony of everyday life, especially in trying times like the present.
Such motivations to challenge ageist assumptions are surely facilitated by Madam Guo who readily volunteers her cultural knowledge and skills as well as personal time outside of work to enliven the days of our seniors. While Madam Guo also benefits from having company, she is not legally obliged to do so.
It also takes much courage for a newcomer to approach a band of strangers and ask to join them, which was how the Chinese national came to be an integral part of this dance group.
Building a more inclusive society?
Even though I had left ‘empty-handed’ without recruiting anyone on both occasions, I still felt oddly fulfilled. Amidst growing discontent towards the presence of foreigners in Singapore, I am reminded of the two vignettes presented above. They add a ‘human’ face to individuals who are often reduced to mere statistics and defined by the visa passes that they hold.
Most importantly, they form the basis behind my call for a recalibration of existing attitudes in the opening paragraph – the need to move away from one-way integration (i.e. how ‘they’ accommodate ‘us’) and towards the cultivation of mutually-beneficial relations (i.e. how ‘we’ both can gain).
Crucially, these concrete practices with the potential to formulate ‘we’ relations do not have to be held in spectacular sites, as caring spaces can also assume the forms of void decks, multi-purpose halls or other common areas found around us.
By raising migrants’ participation levels in these ordinary places, the sense of empowerment could lead to shared activities with gainful outcomes for both citizens and non-citizens.
These ‘new’ communal care spaces – which also serve as informal contact zones facilitating intercultural changes – additionally attests to how the eldercare landscape has stretched steadily beyond the formal sphere and home space.
The aforementioned observations do not seek to ignore the tensions and conflicts that also accompany the rise in foreign-local interactions, and I also recognise that the research encounters provide only partial snapshots. Nevertheless, the point remains that viewing everyday life through simplistic categories (i.e. citizens versus migrants) is unlikely to be helpful in the long run.
Recognising that migrant contributions come in mundane ways that extend beyond the economic sphere will prove more constructive in meeting the needs of an ageing and increasingly diverse population instead.
*All names used in this paper are pseudonyms
Jian An Liew is a Research Associate at the Asia Research Institute. He is part of the Transnational Relations, Ageing and Care Ethics (TRACE) project team.