Why all the 'hatred' towards us 'foreigners'?

[SocialisticCapitalist]

/rant start

Just got back from a pretty devastating and uneventful 'pub crawl'. All i keep hearing from my gf's friends were how foreigners are stealing the locals jobs, pushing the prices of housing up, the usual yadada etc - right in front of my face! Given how I have the 'Foreigner' status tagged all over me - its as though i'm invisible!


I fell in love with a SG girl, and given the chance, I wouldnt even be here! And its not the first time this has happened! I feel like I can no longer hang out with any of her friends anymore as they all seem to all 'hate' foreigners and recently this issue has somewhat been a strain on our relationship despite having been together for >5 years!

Sorry for the rant. I just needed a place to vent my anger and frustration.

/rant end

[sundaymorningstaple]

(I'm 27, well educated, fantastic job, and the right to work in UK/AU/NZ/HK! - the world is my oyster!) And its not the first time this has happened! I feel like I can no longer hang out with any of her friends anymore as they all seem to all 'hate' foreigners and recently this issue has somewhat been a strain on our relationship despite having been together for >5 years!

Are you an Indian with a collection of PR's? If so, it just answered your question.

[x9200]

I'm curious myself.... Normally locals don't do it such an open way but then normally the expats do not feel like announcing in their first post that the word is their oyster.

[carteki]

Perhaps you should take a little time to try and understand where their frustrations are coming from? For years they have had "having foreigners here is for your own good" shoved down their throats and high housing prices etc are (in some respects) a symptom of this. Most of the frustration seems to be aimed at the lower income pr's that were "passed around like candy" a couple years ago, but all of us are included in the "foreigner" loop.

There is also a growing discontent with the government and lashing out at foreigners is a "safe way" to express this. There is a great deal of pressure on them (from a cultural perspective) to perform, but unless they've gone to good schools (and not all local schools are good) and have good family connections, this is difficult to do. It is easy to "lash out" at foreigners who the govt is seen as "pandering to" and also, on average these are more educated etc than themselves and therefore they (possibly) feel inferior.

How come you haven't asked your gf why her friends feel this way? (and try to empathise with her, rather than shoot down everything she says) You'll probably find she feels the same way too, but in her mind you're not included with the people she thinks of as foreigners (the mind does that).

[SocialisticCapitalist]

(I'm 27, well educated, fantastic job, and the right to work in UK/AU/NZ/HK! - the world is my oyster!) And its not the first time this has happened! I feel like I can no longer hang out with any of her friends anymore as they all seem to all 'hate' foreigners and recently this issue has somewhat been a strain on our relationship despite having been together for >5 years!

Are you an Indian with a collection of PR's? If so, it just answered your question.

Are you a racist? You sure sound like one for trying to steer a debate on locals vs foreigners into locals vs foreigners vs race.

[JR8]

Oh goodie! Just in time for the weekend!

[ecureilx]

Are you a racist? You sure sound like one for trying to steer a debate on locals vs foreigners into locals vs foreigners vs race.

SMS a racist ? well, the last time I had beer, he didnt' look like so, even in his highly inebriated state .. (Apologies SMS)

SMS is not far off .. there are foreigners here, who are totally invisible, and are not even noticed .. and there are FOREIGNERS, who are extremely vocal, and loud and evoke the wrath of not just locals but fellow foreigners too

Of course, I know what you mean, as a foreigner .. your topic would have been how expensive the S$ 12,000 per semester school fee for the kids is, and why after paying S$ 15,000 per month, the apartment still doesn't feel like home .. and how the recent purchase of a million $ apartment back home is worth it, and the others here should do that .. and when pointed out that such "UN-ROMANY BEHAVIOUS IS NOT NICE" retorts galore - like "well, I didn't want to come here, I was asked to come, and I have better offers in Alaska .. " and "stop dissing my fellow countrymen .. after all, we have the richest in the world .. " and not many nationalities are prone to that kind of attitude

I rest my case ..

[sundaymorningstaple]

No, it's called racial profiling based on volumes of data collected on this site over the past couple of years. Have you bothered to do any research of these yet? You might learn a lot.

Aside from that, I notice you haven't bothered to clear the air yet. Did I touch a nerve? Hit the nail on the head? I may well be wrong, but you haven't done anything to dispel the notion. In fact, your reply is also typical of the same group. You see, we get so many of these types of posts, that eventually, it's just like the locals getting the local handle of "kiasu" because of a certain trait. What I mentioned is a trait that all of us here have gleaned from the multitude of posts from that group in particular.

If I am right, that is why you seem to have it harder than most. Indians have abused the ability to work and get PR here heavily since Y2K to the point that they are not the flavour of the month with the locals.

Oh, had you actually done some research, you will find that I'm certainly NOT a racist. I just say things the way I see 'em & anybody is fair game.

[BillyB]

Sounds like a wind-up post - don't take the bait.....

[sundaymorningstaple]

Billy, you know it, I know it, even the squirrel knows it (apologies from me in an inebriated state ) , but, it's shaping up to be a boring weekend otherwise!

[BillyB]

Billy, you know it, I know it, even the squirrel knows it (apologies from me in an inebriated state ) , but, it's shaping up to be a boring weekend otherwise!

I was really looking for consensus and to bite my own tongue - you aren't helping!

[movingtospore]

Without doubt there are a lot of obnoxious expats of all varieties here and I can't blame the locals for despising them. That said, I think it's true there is a lot of misplaced hostility amongst s'poreans at the moment. It's very naive -- they don't seem to grasp that it's very convenient for their government if they blame anyone who isn't like them for their circumstance, rather than looking at how they need to mature as a society. I've seen some shocking threads on other forums with a level of racism that is really troubling. And what's more troubling is that this is tolerated.

There is a reason why foreigners are hired for some jobs and it's not because they're cheaper. Locals either won't or can't do those jobs -- whether it's a top-end, MD director post or low-end jobs - the reasons are just different at the different levels and different companies. Why Singaporeans can't grasp that is beyond me. If hiring locals at all times was an option, companies would do that is would be easier and cheaper.

Blaming foreigners for the high property prices is also amusing. Again it's not the foreigners, it's policy. They could change that if they really wanted to. Personally I think Singaporeans need to grow up.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Billy, I think it's called chumming the waters before getting a nibble & setting the hook. Why do you think I use that avatar!

Maybe this one's better:

[BillyB]

Billy, I think it's called chumming the waters before getting a nibble & setting the hook. Why do you think I use that avatar!

I thought you liked fish!

[ecureilx]

Billy, you know it, I know it, even the squirrel knows it (apologies from me in an inebriated state ) , but, it's shaping up to be a boring weekend otherwise!

+1 Says the Squirrel ..