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Are We Born to Serve? #1
Are We Born to Serve? An Ethnic Minority Learns and Grows
What is it like to be an ethnic minority born into an extended Peranakan family that has seen better days? What opportunities would the author have? In the "Are We Born to Serve? An Ethnic Minority Learns and Grows," Miranda P. Yeoh shares her story of resiliency and dedication to God, science, learning, and honoring her family values.
In her formative years in Penang, Miranda lived with her extended family. Family tensions were the norm, and she learned to accept relationships that did not bring happiness. Her responsible father encourages her early learning with his library of Classics Illustrated. Growing up in this densely populated multi-cultural melting pot of the Asia-Pacific, Miranda has a keen sense of her ancestry and culture. She realizes that learning to cook, sew, and garden from her knowledgeable Grandma was necessary to prepare her for a fruitful life of serving others. Miranda converts to Christianity despite her original Chinese religion and being a godchild of the Taoist deity of culture, literature, and learning. Spiritual exercises provide guidance, while the secular knowledge from the Psychology and Biochemistry courses impacted her understanding of relationships and mental and physical health.
The author discusses the challenges of her growing years and her struggle for an opportunity for higher education. She shares her Peranakan culture and its fusion food. It will give readers some understanding of the history of Penang (Malaysia) and why it has become a Food Paradise. The author hopes the details, context, and illustrations will allow readers (including minorities and educators interested in Penang and its fusion food, the Peranakan culture, and Christians) to connect with and find her story, lessons, and experiences overcoming issues as an ethnic minority pertinent to their lives. Get the book!
In her formative years in Penang, Miranda lived with her extended family. Family tensions were the norm, and she learned to accept relationships that did not bring happiness. Her responsible father encourages her early learning with his library of Classics Illustrated. Growing up in this densely populated multi-cultural melting pot of the Asia-Pacific, Miranda has a keen sense of her ancestry and culture. She realizes that learning to cook, sew, and garden from her knowledgeable Grandma was necessary to prepare her for a fruitful life of serving others. Miranda converts to Christianity despite her original Chinese religion and being a godchild of the Taoist deity of culture, literature, and learning. Spiritual exercises provide guidance, while the secular knowledge from the Psychology and Biochemistry courses impacted her understanding of relationships and mental and physical health.
The author discusses the challenges of her growing years and her struggle for an opportunity for higher education. She shares her Peranakan culture and its fusion food. It will give readers some understanding of the history of Penang (Malaysia) and why it has become a Food Paradise. The author hopes the details, context, and illustrations will allow readers (including minorities and educators interested in Penang and its fusion food, the Peranakan culture, and Christians) to connect with and find her story, lessons, and experiences overcoming issues as an ethnic minority pertinent to their lives. Get the book!
242 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2023
2 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 14, 2024
The book “Are We Born to Serve? An Ethnic Minority Learns and Grows,” by Miranda P. Yeoh, is an engaging read. The book drew me in from the get-go.
As I read, I feel like I’m peeking into the private life of a Peranakan family through the eyes of young Miranda, watching the family drama of an absent mother who could turn violent when present and an uncle who squanders away the extended family’s resources. Her depictions had me craving the yummy food that Penang is famous for. The people in Penang during the 1960s suffered poverty and hardship. It’s through the poignant tale of her father serving a beggar that I came to understand the title of this book. The theme of generosity and taking care of other members of the community comes up time and again through the examples of her father, aunt, and grandmother.
The book highlights an interesting question. If your family has lived in a country for 600 years, are you still considered an immigrant? Or can you be treated as an immigrant purely because of your race, regardless of how many centuries ago your ancestors settled down in the land?
The author narrates a no-holds-barred account of the challenges a minority experiences and her struggles to overcome them. Although money was tight, God provided for and protected the family in unexpected ways.
The author relates historical events like the riots in Singapore and Malaysia, besides related incidents in Brunei and other countries. I found the accounts fascinating. I like the way she uses historical world events to give you a sense of time as her story progresses.
The author shares scriptural lessons she learned through her life experiences. All these factors make this book a holistic and educational read that is heartwarming and entertaining. Reading the book is like talking to an old friend. It’s an enjoyable read. I found it hard to put down.
As I read, I feel like I’m peeking into the private life of a Peranakan family through the eyes of young Miranda, watching the family drama of an absent mother who could turn violent when present and an uncle who squanders away the extended family’s resources. Her depictions had me craving the yummy food that Penang is famous for. The people in Penang during the 1960s suffered poverty and hardship. It’s through the poignant tale of her father serving a beggar that I came to understand the title of this book. The theme of generosity and taking care of other members of the community comes up time and again through the examples of her father, aunt, and grandmother.
The book highlights an interesting question. If your family has lived in a country for 600 years, are you still considered an immigrant? Or can you be treated as an immigrant purely because of your race, regardless of how many centuries ago your ancestors settled down in the land?
The author narrates a no-holds-barred account of the challenges a minority experiences and her struggles to overcome them. Although money was tight, God provided for and protected the family in unexpected ways.
The author relates historical events like the riots in Singapore and Malaysia, besides related incidents in Brunei and other countries. I found the accounts fascinating. I like the way she uses historical world events to give you a sense of time as her story progresses.
The author shares scriptural lessons she learned through her life experiences. All these factors make this book a holistic and educational read that is heartwarming and entertaining. Reading the book is like talking to an old friend. It’s an enjoyable read. I found it hard to put down.
April 1, 2024
Do I expect a family to provide the best for their children? I should think so. Do we expect states and governments to provide the best for their citizens? Yes, we do. But how often do we have perfect families and perfect nations?
In this book, the author tells her story of her struggles as an ethnic minority from primary school (grade school) through varsity with seriousness and some humor. In her place, education policies favor the majority. Minorities get through if they have a supportive family or by the sweat of the brow. In her family, the author had issues with poverty and the actions of certain irresponsible close family members.
However, this book is not just about the author and her family. The book speaks and shows the author’s love for her home, Penang. The slow but sure economic progress of Penang through good state governance to become a Silicon Valley in the East and the context the author provided to events happening on an international scale (the UK, The USA, Singapore, Australia, Japan, China, the ASEAN region, and Europe) make her story highly interesting and relevant to anyone who has a relationship to Penang, Singapore, the UK, the USA, and the other stated countries or regions. Her story is inspiring to other minorities who are likely to experience a degree of discrimination.
The author discusses her love for the Peranakan culture in Penang and its fusion food. I can see she loves cooking. Reading the book gave me a better understanding of the history of Penang (Malaysia) and why it has been a Food Paradise for as long as I can remember.
The author reveals her faith in Biblical Christianity and her experiences of God’s provision and guidance. I see value in a life of faith in the living God. It’s a good read for anyone who wants to be inspired, whether or not you’re one of the Minority and whether or not you’re a believer.
In this book, the author tells her story of her struggles as an ethnic minority from primary school (grade school) through varsity with seriousness and some humor. In her place, education policies favor the majority. Minorities get through if they have a supportive family or by the sweat of the brow. In her family, the author had issues with poverty and the actions of certain irresponsible close family members.
However, this book is not just about the author and her family. The book speaks and shows the author’s love for her home, Penang. The slow but sure economic progress of Penang through good state governance to become a Silicon Valley in the East and the context the author provided to events happening on an international scale (the UK, The USA, Singapore, Australia, Japan, China, the ASEAN region, and Europe) make her story highly interesting and relevant to anyone who has a relationship to Penang, Singapore, the UK, the USA, and the other stated countries or regions. Her story is inspiring to other minorities who are likely to experience a degree of discrimination.
The author discusses her love for the Peranakan culture in Penang and its fusion food. I can see she loves cooking. Reading the book gave me a better understanding of the history of Penang (Malaysia) and why it has been a Food Paradise for as long as I can remember.
The author reveals her faith in Biblical Christianity and her experiences of God’s provision and guidance. I see value in a life of faith in the living God. It’s a good read for anyone who wants to be inspired, whether or not you’re one of the Minority and whether or not you’re a believer.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews