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Brown Is Redacted
Brown is Redacted: Reflecting on Race in Singapore responds to, expands on and questions what we think we know about the lived experiences of minority-raced people in Singapore. Inspired by Brown Is Haram, a performance-lecture on minority-race narratives staged at The Substation in 2021, this anthology reflects on how brownness is constructed, sidelined, but also celebrated in this nation-state. Through a combination of essays, academic works, poems, and stories by brown individuals, Brown is Redacted both attempts to and fails to create a singular brown experience. What this anthology does produce instead, is a moving and expressive work of solidarity and vulnerability.
- GenresNonfictionRaceAsia
220 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
February 22, 2023
Brown Is Redacted is born out of Brown Is Haram, a performance-lecture on the experience of being brown in Singapore. Art about race in Singapore can be quite limited as Singaporeans are well aware - Singapore views itself as successfully multiracial and talking honestly about racism (or race) brings a lot of backlash against people who are racial minorities.
As usual, what I tend to find most illuminating about an anthology or any non-fiction is to read the editor's or author's note - it is often a treat to glimpse into the editor's or author's workings, intentions, passions and reflections on their own work. Kristian and Mysara wrote the note and Myle Yan Tay wrote a note on his experiences directing Brown Is Haram. The editors wanted the anthology to question the definition of brownness, who is brown, and the brown experience. I particularly love what Mysara said about the title, Brown is Haram - it came from her feelings about the racialised anti-drug campaign Dadah Itu Haram.
The anthology was intentional about having a diverse set of experiences included in it, true to its intention to highlight intersectionality - and there were essays and poems about being migrants, disability, body size, being domestic workers, and from people of all ages. These contributions talked about discrimination and racism, health, joy, food, working conditions, activism, and more.
It was also intentional about it being a collection of brown voices for brown voices, mindful not to cater to the majority by overexplaining, making palatable, perpetuating the model minority idea, or reducing brownness to shallow narratives.
Some contributions that struck me:
A letter to my father by Poorva Maithani - that speaks of the inner conflict that children have to experience - a mix of embarrassment and shame, and eventually remorse, towards your parents for how they wear their race.
Stay at Home by Mohar Khan - beautiful poetry about his experience as a migrant worker
Beauty in Me by Laika Jumabhoy - essay and poetry about her experience as a disabled brown non-Singaporean mother of a young toddler. Laika is a friend and often I was right beside her at work, at parties, in public, witnessing what she has described in her essay.
I am moved and thankful for this anthology for continuing to keep race in public consciousness and for the solidarity I've heard brown friends say it brings to them.
You can read a chapter from the book here.
As usual, what I tend to find most illuminating about an anthology or any non-fiction is to read the editor's or author's note - it is often a treat to glimpse into the editor's or author's workings, intentions, passions and reflections on their own work. Kristian and Mysara wrote the note and Myle Yan Tay wrote a note on his experiences directing Brown Is Haram. The editors wanted the anthology to question the definition of brownness, who is brown, and the brown experience. I particularly love what Mysara said about the title, Brown is Haram - it came from her feelings about the racialised anti-drug campaign Dadah Itu Haram.
The anthology was intentional about having a diverse set of experiences included in it, true to its intention to highlight intersectionality - and there were essays and poems about being migrants, disability, body size, being domestic workers, and from people of all ages. These contributions talked about discrimination and racism, health, joy, food, working conditions, activism, and more.
It was also intentional about it being a collection of brown voices for brown voices, mindful not to cater to the majority by overexplaining, making palatable, perpetuating the model minority idea, or reducing brownness to shallow narratives.
Some contributions that struck me:
A letter to my father by Poorva Maithani - that speaks of the inner conflict that children have to experience - a mix of embarrassment and shame, and eventually remorse, towards your parents for how they wear their race.
Stay at Home by Mohar Khan - beautiful poetry about his experience as a migrant worker
Beauty in Me by Laika Jumabhoy - essay and poetry about her experience as a disabled brown non-Singaporean mother of a young toddler. Laika is a friend and often I was right beside her at work, at parties, in public, witnessing what she has described in her essay.
I am moved and thankful for this anthology for continuing to keep race in public consciousness and for the solidarity I've heard brown friends say it brings to them.
You can read a chapter from the book here.
October 17, 2022
‘Brown is Redacted’ is an anthology of essays, poems, and narratives that offer a glimpse into the lived experiences of minorities in SG.
It is important that such an anthology exists as it conveys that these words and stories are important enough—valid enough—to exist in an official capacity. To allow these voices to sound out beyond the blogosphere is to lend them weight, and rightfully so. The stories told here range from the personal to the national, and recording these incidents in print is to make them real and say: This Happened, Don’t Forget. To borrow from Paul Jerusalem, these narratives calling out racial discrimination are crucial in “speaking truth to the mere fact that such occurrences exist in the first place”, in a place where media coverage tends to be heavily censored.
One issue consistently explored is intersectionality. Kristian-Marc and Mysara wrote that “the experience of being othered is uneven”. This is shown clearly in Laika’s account of being both brown and disabled. It struck me most when she related having to endure comments about how her spouse “must be a very good man, to have married someone like her”, as if disabled persons are by default undesirable charity cases. What does it say about society when disability is automatically viewed as a barrier to being loved or having a family?
Personally, the chapter that left the deepest impression on me was written by Saif Tamal, a migrant worker. His narrative spanned months and took the form of diary entries written during the endless imprisonment imposed only on the dormitories. In this vein, Laavanya’s essay on how the pandemic has “exposed the increasingly exclusionary nature of national belonging in the city-state” echoes Butler’s critique in ‘What World Is This?’. Both point out, plainly and starkly, the systemic racism and inequality that manifest as violence once the polite veneer of tolerance is stripped away.
It is important that such an anthology exists as it conveys that these words and stories are important enough—valid enough—to exist in an official capacity. To allow these voices to sound out beyond the blogosphere is to lend them weight, and rightfully so. The stories told here range from the personal to the national, and recording these incidents in print is to make them real and say: This Happened, Don’t Forget. To borrow from Paul Jerusalem, these narratives calling out racial discrimination are crucial in “speaking truth to the mere fact that such occurrences exist in the first place”, in a place where media coverage tends to be heavily censored.
One issue consistently explored is intersectionality. Kristian-Marc and Mysara wrote that “the experience of being othered is uneven”. This is shown clearly in Laika’s account of being both brown and disabled. It struck me most when she related having to endure comments about how her spouse “must be a very good man, to have married someone like her”, as if disabled persons are by default undesirable charity cases. What does it say about society when disability is automatically viewed as a barrier to being loved or having a family?
Personally, the chapter that left the deepest impression on me was written by Saif Tamal, a migrant worker. His narrative spanned months and took the form of diary entries written during the endless imprisonment imposed only on the dormitories. In this vein, Laavanya’s essay on how the pandemic has “exposed the increasingly exclusionary nature of national belonging in the city-state” echoes Butler’s critique in ‘What World Is This?’. Both point out, plainly and starkly, the systemic racism and inequality that manifest as violence once the polite veneer of tolerance is stripped away.
October 15, 2023
I'm late to this but glad I finally got down to reading it in full. As far as the discourse on race in Singapore goes, we are dealing with decades of shallow, stereotypical and often even racist depictions and understanding of race. A book such as this that offers direct, honest and critical perspectives is not able to undo all of that damage, but it's certainly a welcome disruption.
After all, it's not so long ago that south asians were targetted in hate crimes in the Covid-19 period, when a Muslim man was killed in an islamophobic attack, when a pair of siblings were charged for calling out racism. This is not just discourse and opinion, this affects peoples' lives in material ways.
This book is a mixed bag, and I enjoyed the diversity of the pieces. Weaving between the beginning titular script, personal essays, re-worked academic pieces, and more. I particularly enjoyed the in depth pieces. They were incredibly informative—the extract from HOME's report which detailed the abuse experienced by migrant domestic workers, Dr. Laavanya Kathiravelu's essay that examines Indianness and xenophobia in Singapore, and Hazirah Mohamed's analysis on racialised health framing on the Malay community.
What's special is that we also hear from younger brown folks, which shows that the issue of racism is still alive and well, whether people are going to acknowledge it or not.
One thing about being a minority Singaporean is that I always still feel I have so much to learn because our CMIO model gives us such shallow narratives of our own and others' experience. It never fails to amaze and humble me how reading narratives of other brown folks in Singapore reveals this gap of knowledge. I think our commitment to each other is to be attentive listeners to each other's experience in a country where have been told that our togetherness is a threat or a riot waiting to happen.
After all, it's not so long ago that south asians were targetted in hate crimes in the Covid-19 period, when a Muslim man was killed in an islamophobic attack, when a pair of siblings were charged for calling out racism. This is not just discourse and opinion, this affects peoples' lives in material ways.
This book is a mixed bag, and I enjoyed the diversity of the pieces. Weaving between the beginning titular script, personal essays, re-worked academic pieces, and more. I particularly enjoyed the in depth pieces. They were incredibly informative—the extract from HOME's report which detailed the abuse experienced by migrant domestic workers, Dr. Laavanya Kathiravelu's essay that examines Indianness and xenophobia in Singapore, and Hazirah Mohamed's analysis on racialised health framing on the Malay community.
What's special is that we also hear from younger brown folks, which shows that the issue of racism is still alive and well, whether people are going to acknowledge it or not.
One thing about being a minority Singaporean is that I always still feel I have so much to learn because our CMIO model gives us such shallow narratives of our own and others' experience. It never fails to amaze and humble me how reading narratives of other brown folks in Singapore reveals this gap of knowledge. I think our commitment to each other is to be attentive listeners to each other's experience in a country where have been told that our togetherness is a threat or a riot waiting to happen.
February 13, 2024
It was not as paradigm-shifting as I hoped it would be, but I always enjoy reading from diverse voices. I happened to read this over Chinese New Year and it made me more aware about the things I take for granted as being part of the Chinese majority — like the CNY music in FairPrice, the decor in the mall, and dragon-branded goods.
For me it is nice to be back in Singapore, in my comfort zone where I can idly chat with the office auntie for 30 minutes — compared to how it feels like to be a foreigner in another land and the need for slowly building common ground; it’s uncomfortable to imagine that there are people who spend their whole lives in Singapore but don’t feel the same comfort and familiarity I do, mainly because of their skin colour, which sometimes intersect with class and sexuality.
For me it is nice to be back in Singapore, in my comfort zone where I can idly chat with the office auntie for 30 minutes — compared to how it feels like to be a foreigner in another land and the need for slowly building common ground; it’s uncomfortable to imagine that there are people who spend their whole lives in Singapore but don’t feel the same comfort and familiarity I do, mainly because of their skin colour, which sometimes intersect with class and sexuality.
April 24, 2023
A really great anthology with entries that are at times sobering and saddening, thoughtful, and warm. Imo this is singlit at its best. I hope Ethos publishes more of these.
March 30, 2023
fav quotes:
“While theatre allows a performer to enact fictions, this fiction does not insulate us from the real world nor does it inoculate us from its horrors.”
“[Theatre] exists within and beyond itself. There is labour involved to perform it, whether physical, emotional, psychological.”
“Self-policing of behaviour…feeling subject to greater scrutiny of their behaviour in public. It is with heightened intensity and frequency that this mode of policing is enacted on racial and ethnic minorities.”
“Multiculturalism in Singapore is an instrument of social control. Racialized public policies inform where their parents live, how many of their co-ethnics live in the vicinity, the schools they attend.”
“Socially complex factors are reduced and pathologized as belonging to a particular community, becoming their ‘responsibility’ to solve. In doing so, racial stereotypes become adopted as the lens through which health issues are viewed. Racialization has made the issue of health a result of bad individual choices, rather than limited choices available to members of that race.”
“The Chinese are assumed as the default: they are the blank canvas, a-cultural, a-racial, while the needs of the minorities require ‘culturalisation’.”
“We need to ask why, even after 57 years of independence, we are still held hostage to the framework of race and the CMIO model. We need to adopt approaches that do not demonise brown bodies.”
“This dualism – this hope for a better world while recognizing that our current society is highly unequal…Pessimism of the intellect; optimism of the will.”
“Oppression works by positioning basic human needs such as shelter, food and belonging as wants, or worse, aspirations. I desire for people like myself to be wanted by people like ourselves. Eventually I desire for us to desire people like ourselves.”
“While theatre allows a performer to enact fictions, this fiction does not insulate us from the real world nor does it inoculate us from its horrors.”
“[Theatre] exists within and beyond itself. There is labour involved to perform it, whether physical, emotional, psychological.”
“Self-policing of behaviour…feeling subject to greater scrutiny of their behaviour in public. It is with heightened intensity and frequency that this mode of policing is enacted on racial and ethnic minorities.”
“Multiculturalism in Singapore is an instrument of social control. Racialized public policies inform where their parents live, how many of their co-ethnics live in the vicinity, the schools they attend.”
“Socially complex factors are reduced and pathologized as belonging to a particular community, becoming their ‘responsibility’ to solve. In doing so, racial stereotypes become adopted as the lens through which health issues are viewed. Racialization has made the issue of health a result of bad individual choices, rather than limited choices available to members of that race.”
“The Chinese are assumed as the default: they are the blank canvas, a-cultural, a-racial, while the needs of the minorities require ‘culturalisation’.”
“We need to ask why, even after 57 years of independence, we are still held hostage to the framework of race and the CMIO model. We need to adopt approaches that do not demonise brown bodies.”
“This dualism – this hope for a better world while recognizing that our current society is highly unequal…Pessimism of the intellect; optimism of the will.”
“Oppression works by positioning basic human needs such as shelter, food and belonging as wants, or worse, aspirations. I desire for people like myself to be wanted by people like ourselves. Eventually I desire for us to desire people like ourselves.”
October 18, 2022
When I saw 'Brown Is Haram' at The Substation last year, I was blown away by its eruditeness and truth to the brown lived experiences in Singapore.
This follow-up anthology of essays, academic works, poems, and stories all by brown individuals (how often does that happen??), from students to academics, share their experiences – and studies – of being a minority in a country where multiculturalism – the dreaded CMIO! – is used as an instrument of social control by the government.
I highlighted so many quotes in my e-book, too many to reproduce here. I'll share just one by the researcher Hazirah Mohamad ~
"We need to collectively ask why, even after 57 years of independence, we are still held hostage to the framework of race and the C-M-I-O model that has caused much hurt to our minority communities. In order to mature as a society, we need to start examining our existing race-based approaches to issues, and begin adopting approaches that do not seek to demonise or harm brown bodies and communities by viewing them as 'haram'."
Thanks to Ethos Books and editors Mysara Aljaru, Kristian-Marc James Paul and Myle Yan Tay for producing this book to help us all continue the conversation and giving us pause for thought.
This follow-up anthology of essays, academic works, poems, and stories all by brown individuals (how often does that happen??), from students to academics, share their experiences – and studies – of being a minority in a country where multiculturalism – the dreaded CMIO! – is used as an instrument of social control by the government.
I highlighted so many quotes in my e-book, too many to reproduce here. I'll share just one by the researcher Hazirah Mohamad ~
"We need to collectively ask why, even after 57 years of independence, we are still held hostage to the framework of race and the C-M-I-O model that has caused much hurt to our minority communities. In order to mature as a society, we need to start examining our existing race-based approaches to issues, and begin adopting approaches that do not seek to demonise or harm brown bodies and communities by viewing them as 'haram'."
Thanks to Ethos Books and editors Mysara Aljaru, Kristian-Marc James Paul and Myle Yan Tay for producing this book to help us all continue the conversation and giving us pause for thought.
November 16, 2024
Even if this book were crap I'd probably give it a decent rating simply for being one of the only significant books about race in Singapore.
Luckily it isn't crap. The essays are well-researched and well-written. They come from a wide variety of viewpoints and address many different topics. The intersection of queerness and race and disability; the perspectives of Malays, Burmese, Indians, and other South Asians; solidarity, isolation, and rejection, within and outside of minority communities; racial messaging received through social media, casual comments, and government programs.
There were some points I didn't agree with, but I didn't dock the rating for that.
Luckily it isn't crap. The essays are well-researched and well-written. They come from a wide variety of viewpoints and address many different topics. The intersection of queerness and race and disability; the perspectives of Malays, Burmese, Indians, and other South Asians; solidarity, isolation, and rejection, within and outside of minority communities; racial messaging received through social media, casual comments, and government programs.
There were some points I didn't agree with, but I didn't dock the rating for that.
August 13, 2024
Raw, immaculate, thought-provoking and real. This book has stories, encounters and first hand accounts on being a minority in a Chinese-majority country. The reality and the pain from the stories can be felt throughout the book. Yet it feels necessary and needed.
A definite must read for those who wants to understand racism on this tiny island-state that claims to have ‘racial harmony’.
A definite must read for those who wants to understand racism on this tiny island-state that claims to have ‘racial harmony’.
November 20, 2025
A valuable collection of Malay, Indian and othered brown voices in Singapore that skews young. Perhaps in order to give space, it was edited with a light touch.
If we remain blind to Chinese privilege, we could at least admit to Chinese cruelty. Funny how coconut oil, sandalwood paste and sweet-sour soup can stir up the most hateful ignorance. Funny how the one refuge from racism is prison!
If we remain blind to Chinese privilege, we could at least admit to Chinese cruelty. Funny how coconut oil, sandalwood paste and sweet-sour soup can stir up the most hateful ignorance. Funny how the one refuge from racism is prison!
November 22, 2022
There aren't a lot of books in Singapore that talks about these issues. This was a book I've been waiting for. It leaves much to think about.
January 22, 2023
A much-needed perspective on the lived experiences of minorities in Singapore. I like how it is not merely a collection of trauma but also includes solidarity and empowerment.
February 6, 2023
I carved out time to read this over three days in my planner for the week. Couldn't stop - finished on Monday! Beautiful anthology covering an amazing expanse. Well done to everyone involved!
July 1, 2023
So insanely good!
I did think one of the stories was unnecessary and they could've done without it, but other than that, it's at the top of my list to recommend to friends & family.
I did think one of the stories was unnecessary and they could've done without it, but other than that, it's at the top of my list to recommend to friends & family.
October 27, 2023
I enjoyed it in parts.
January 15, 2025
A great read highlighting everyday discrimination in Singapore. Written in an accessible way. I really enjoyed the variation of writing styles and formats. Found I sped through this book!
January 2, 2023
I finished reading this back in October but only had a chance to review it now 🙈 If you are wondering how I can remember what I read, I take notes while reading especially for non fiction! Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to churn out any reviews 😂
This book covers an anthology of essays, poems and narratives that show readers what minorities in Singapore experience on a daily basis - the assumptions, the judgements and the stereotyping for them which makes this an interesting and important read.
In Brown is Redacted, the experience in society varies from the different shades of brown. Although the focus of this is in Singapore, I definitely see this happening in Brunei too. The experience of being brown also highlights a multitude of factors like gender, race, social and financial stability.
I love that this exists to allow their voices to be heard, to be feel validated and for us to understand that no two brown people are the same and that we shouldn’t always stereotype people into categories based off their skin colour. The stories here reminded us that “Yes, this has happened but what can we do to change that?” I also love the personal touches added to the end of each piece where the authors are introduced in a humorous way!
Thank you @ethosbooks for sharing an ecopy with me! This has been an eye opening read and I would recommend this to everyone of all colour.
This book covers an anthology of essays, poems and narratives that show readers what minorities in Singapore experience on a daily basis - the assumptions, the judgements and the stereotyping for them which makes this an interesting and important read.
In Brown is Redacted, the experience in society varies from the different shades of brown. Although the focus of this is in Singapore, I definitely see this happening in Brunei too. The experience of being brown also highlights a multitude of factors like gender, race, social and financial stability.
I love that this exists to allow their voices to be heard, to be feel validated and for us to understand that no two brown people are the same and that we shouldn’t always stereotype people into categories based off their skin colour. The stories here reminded us that “Yes, this has happened but what can we do to change that?” I also love the personal touches added to the end of each piece where the authors are introduced in a humorous way!
Thank you @ethosbooks for sharing an ecopy with me! This has been an eye opening read and I would recommend this to everyone of all colour.
October 20, 2023
there aren’t many books on race in singapore and this is beautiful. honest, raw and necessary.
November 29, 2025
I think people from the majority race should give this book a read, not only to better understand the lived experiences of minority communities but also to show solidarity.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews