Remembering the Samsui Women: Migration and Social Memory in Singapore and China
Kelvin E.Y. Low
In the early twentieth century, thousands of women from the Samsui area of Guangdong, China migrated to Singapore during a period of economic and natural calamity, leaving their families behind. In their new country, many found work in the construction industry, with others working in households or factories where they were called hong tou jin, translated literally as “red-head-scarf,” after the headgear that protected them from the sun. In Singapore, the women have been celebrated as pioneering figures for their hard work and resilience, and in China for the sacrifices they made for their families. Remembering the Samsui Women looks at who these women really are and at how both countries have commemorated their experiences. It is an illuminating study of the connection between memory and nation, including the politics of what is remembered and what is forgotten.
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About Kelvin E.Y. Low
Reviews for Remembering the Samsui Women: Migration and Social Memory in Singapore and China
Hamzah Muzaini, National University of Singapore
International Migration Review
This book is laudable research on how issues and discourses have been revolving around Samsui women … [it] is empirically rich and theoretically intriguing. It is worth recommending to those who are interested in gendered migration and social memory in national history.
Yow Cheun Hoe, Nanyang Technological University
Southeast Asian Studies