S1 History: Migration by CHEN JUEYING (NIE)

Instructions

chen_jueying — 2025-07-17 01:10:36 UTC

Part 1:

Each group will be assigned 2 characters.

Read the backstory of your assigned character.
Identify the reasons why your character moved to Singapore and quote evidence from the backstory to support your reason. (identify minimally 2 reasons but you may identify as many as you can!)
Evaluate each reason and decide if it is a push or a pull factor.

You should follow the format below:

Reason 1:

Evidence:

Push/pull factor:

Reason 2:

Evidence:

Push/pull factor

Part 2:

Present your answers to the class
tell the class:
1. Where are you from? (I am from...)
2. What is your occupation? (I work as a ...)
3. What are your reasons for migrating to Singapore and whether it is a push or pull factor? (I came to singapore because... this is a push/pull factor)

Character 1: An account of a Samsui woman from Guangdong, China

chen_jueying — 2025-07-17 01:14:30 UTC

Growing up as a woman in Guangdong China, I did not have the same opportunities as my brothers to go to school or work jobs and spent every day doing the same household chores. To support our family, my favourite brother went to Singapore to work for over 5 years as a labourer and through a letter, told me that he was surprised to see many strong women, also known as Samsui women, working as labourers in Singapore. Growing up in an environment where working as a woman was strongly opposed, I jumped at the chance to work in Singapore and also to see her brother.

Character 2: An account of a coolie from Bengal, India

chen_jueying — 2025-07-17 01:16:44 UTC

My parents owned a shop in a small village in Bengal, India selling bread and were training me to take over the shop one day. However, due to the unhappiness towards the British, many soldiers started a rebellion against British rule and later, other civilians also joined the revolts. Amidst the chaos and violence, my parents’ shop was destroyed and they lost their source of income overnight. Almost every other day, raids and riots happened outside your house and although my parents tried to survive on their savings, it was slowly running out. I had no choice but to take up a job as a coolie in Singapore to make ends meet. The work is tiring but it provided me with a decent amount to support my family.

Character 3: An account of a Bugis trader

chen_jueying — 2025-07-17 01:21:35 UTC

I was trading spices in the East Indies for a long time before the Dutch imposed a heavy tax on traders which lowered my profits by over 50%. This meant that in order to continue paying your workers, I was bringing home less money to support your family's lifestyle. I even had to downgrade from a 5 story bungalow to a measly 3 story one. Thankfully, I heard from one of my friends that there was a free trading port nearby in Singapore that many traders were trading at instead. Additionally, due to its strategic location, it also attracted more European and Chinese traders so I have a larger trading market and get more exotic goods.

Character 4: An account of a letter writer from Beijing, China

chen_jueying — 2025-07-17 01:23:44 UTC

I took part in the imperial examination in Beijing, China and aspired to be a government official as a way to advance your social standing and make your family proud. Although my results were good, it was not good enough to earn a place in the bureaucracy. While looking for jobs in China, my uncle who worked in Singapore introduced me to his friend in Singapore who was looking for educated and literate young men to take over his letter writing business as he was getting old. He offered me a hefty salary and even praised your skills as there are not many men who were literate. When I came to Singapore, I had many customers who needed your help reading and writing letters sent by/to their loved ones. I continued working and even became known as the cupid as the love letters I write were known to make any 2 people fall in love.

Yaya

wang_huiling_yaya — 2025-07-23 00:00:49 UTC

This is a pull as she wanted to help her family earn more money and also wants to do household chores to help her family by some bit. Hence, she tried increasing her chance in working in Singapore as she wanted to.

farrel

2025-07-23 00:04:19 UTC

It is a push since his family didn't have any source of income anymore from the shop being destroyed so his family would starve to death as they couldn't live on their savings so he decided to go to Singapore to ensure his family doesn't starve.

Ghin Teng

loke_ghin_teng — 2025-07-23 00:04:22 UTC

She is from Guangdong, China and did not work. Instead, she did housework at home. Moving to Singapore is a pull because she could work as a woman in Singapore when working as a woman in China was strongly opposed.

Natalie,XueEr and Rayel

2025-07-23 00:04:45 UTC

reason 1: cause she wanted to work and have a job because in Singapore there were a lot of strong woman working as labourers

Evidence: "I jumped at the chance to work in Singapore and also to see her brother"

Pull factor

PULL

2025-07-23 00:05:16 UTC

it is a pull as she wanted to work as she lived in a environment where working for women is strongly oppsoed.

Azlan

2025-07-23 00:06:40 UTC

This a push factor as the shop got destroyed.they lost their income

Klaire

2025-07-23 00:07:24 UTC

Evidence: " 'I' spend everyday doing the same household chores instead of going to school"

Push: She doesn't want to continue working endlessly for the rest of her life, she wants to work and study instead of cleaning everyday.

Evidence: "Her favourite brother told me through the letters when he was working at Singapore that there were many strong women working there known as Samsui women"

Pull: Her brother, working at Singapore is encouraging her to go to Singapore to work and she felt inspired and motivated to go the Singapore to work even more!

Hadassah Goh

hadassah_goh_jia_xuan — 2025-07-23 00:07:24 UTC

This is a pull because she wanted to see her brother and work to earn money for her family, as they were poor. This can be seen in the source by " I jumped at the chance to work in Singapore and also to see her brother." She wanted to work in Singapore to make her happy; hence, it is a pull factor.

Lovelle Felicia Yuki

2025-07-23 00:09:26 UTC

Character 1

REASON 1 : She grew up in an environment where working as a women was strongly opposed .

PUSH OR PULL : she could work for a living as a women in Singapore and support her family . PULL

REASON 2 : She wanted to see her brother in Singapore .

PUSH OR PULL : She could see her favourite brother as he went to Singapore to work 5 years ago and they haven't seen each other since . PULL

khong_wai_yin_kenix — 2025-07-23 00:10:05 UTC

Her brother found out that there were many strong woman working as labourers in Singapore , being able to work in Singapore as a woman was surprising to her as she grew up in a environment where woman were strongly opposed to work, because of this she would be able to go to Singapore to finally work as a labourer.

"he was surprised to see many strong woman working as labourers in Singapore"

"growing up in an environment where woman working was strongly opposed"

Natalie, XueEr and Rayel

2025-07-23 00:10:29 UTC

Reason 1: There was a lot of riots and their parents' shop was destroyed and they lost their source of income

Evidence: " Almost every other day, raids and riots happened outside your house and although my parents tried to survive on their savings, it was slowly running out. I had no choice but to take up a job as a coolie in Singapore to make ends meet."

Push factor

Joan

joan_wu_geng_yan — 2025-07-23 00:11:11 UTC

Reason 1: I did not have the same opportunity to go to school or work growing up.

Evidence: 'I did not have the same opportunities as my brothers to go to school or work jobs and spent every day doing the same household chores.'

Push/pull factor: Push

Reason 2: There were many women working in Singapore, and I wanted to have that same opportunity.

Evidence: ' he was surprised to see many strong women, also known as Samsui women, working as laborers in Singapore. Growing up in an environment where working as a woman was strongly opposed, I jumped at the chance to work in Singapore'.

Push/pull factor: Pull

Reason 3: I would have the opportunity to see my brother in Singapore.

Evidence: ' I jumped at the chance to work in Singapore and also to see my brother '

Push/pull factor: Pull

shanice

lim_jia_xin_shanice — 2025-07-23 00:11:18 UTC

It is a push as the dutch imposed a tax on him and he was bringing home less money

Mira

mira_suzuki — 2025-07-23 00:12:29 UTC

Reason 1 : character one wanted to come Singapore because she wanted to have a job like her brothers.

Evidence : ' Growing up as a women in Guangdong China, I did not have the same opportunities as my brothers to go to school or work jobs and spent everyday doing the same household chores.'

Push/pull factor : Pull factor

Reason 2 : character one wanted to see her favourite brother in Singapore.

Evidence : ' I jumped at the chance to work in Singapore and also to see her brother'

Push/pull factor : Pull factor

Klaire

2025-07-23 00:12:50 UTC

Evidence: "Soldiers started a rebellion causing his parents bread shop to be destroyed"

Push: Knowing his parents losing their source of income overnight, he had no other choice but to go to Singapore to work and earn money to support them

Evidence: "The work is tiring but it provided me with a decent amount to support my family"

Pull: Having his parents motivation, he knew that even if the work loads and living conditions were harsh, he has something to work for and he hope to keep supporting his family

Hadassah Goh

hadassah_goh_jia_xuan — 2025-07-23 00:13:05 UTC

This is a push factor as he had no choice but to take a job as a coolie to make ends meet. He also lost all his things overnight.

Lovelle,Felicia,Yuki

phang_yi_ting_felicia — 2025-07-23 00:15:41 UTC

This is a push.

Reason 1:Their shop was destroyed and lost their source of income overnight .

Reason 2:There were raids and riots, his parents tried to survive on their savings and had no choice but to take up a job as a coolie

Eunice,, Yuan Lin and tze kee

eunice_ong_xi_en — 2025-07-23 00:16:19 UTC

It is a pull because at where she lives, people look down on woman. And woman dont have the opportunity to go to school or work. So in Singapore, she could work and support her family.

Ethan and Hao Xuan

Ethan_Chong — 2025-07-23 00:19:05 UTC

Moving to Singapore for character 4 was a PULL factor, cause in China, character 4 even though got a good result in the imperial examinations in Beijing, China, character 4's result was not good enough to earn a place in the bureaucracy. The uncle who had a friend that wanted an educated and literate young men to take over his letter writing business as he was getting old. Character 4 is perfect as character 4 had good skills in letter writing, plus character 4's uncle's friend promised a hefty salary and praise character 4's skill as there are not many men who can literate. So, moving to Singapore was a pull factor for character 4.