2,326 children of mixed parentage in Singapore had double-barrelled race in 2023: Report

Singapore, Jul 28 (PTI) More than 2,300 children of inter-racial marriages in Singapore had a double-barrelled race in 2023, double the number in 2014, according to the city-state's border control agency.

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) published a report on the registration of births and deaths in 2023 on July 11, The Straits Times newspaper reported on Saturday.

The report said that a total of 2,326 children of mixed parentage had a double-barrelled race in 2023, more than double the 1,067 such babies in 2014.

Of babies whose parents are of different races, 28.4 per cent had a double-barrelled race in 2023, up from 12.9 per cent in 2014, it said.

A double-barrelled race comprises both parents’ races, according to the ICA.

Since January 2011, inter-ethnic married couples in multi-ethnic Singapore have been allowed to register a double-barrelled race for their locally-born children’s birth registration, reflecting a growing awareness among couples of the race policy.

This is on top of the option of choosing to reflect only either the father’s or mother’s race, say experts, adding that the move comes amid the growing share of inter-ethnic marriages over the years.

The child’s race is not reflected on his birth certificate, but it will be on the child’s identity card that is issued to him when he turns 15.

Nearly 75 per cent of Singaporeans are Chinese, followed by about 15 per cent Malays, and about nine per cent Indians and others such as Eurasian or Anglican roots.

Usually, inter-race marriage couples choose to state the father’s race before that of the mother’s for their children’s birth registration, according to the report.

The rising numbers of babies with a double-barrelled race reflect a growing awareness among couples of this race policy, says Dr Leong Chan-Hoong, head of the Social Cohesion Research Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University.

People feel prouder of their cultural heritage, and they want to retain both their parents’ racial identities, the report quoted Dr Leong as saying.

Occupational Chinese-origin therapist Dawn Lim, 33, says it was a “no-brainer” decision to register her children’s race as Indian-Chinese, according to the report.

Lim is married to Indian-origin Balaji Prem Chand, a 35-year-old physiotherapist who is Indian by race. They have three children – Kiaan Lucas Chand, four; Jaanya Elise Chand, two; and Ishaan Evan Chand, who is one month old.

“It’s a no-brainer to choose the double-barrelled option so we can reflect both our races. It’s only fair to represent both races instead of choosing one,” the report quoted Lim as saying.

Like her, more mixed-race couples have chosen to register their children’s birth with a double-barrelled race, such as Chinese-Malay or Malay-Indian, according to the report.

Recently, the ICA said that there would not be any advantage in terms of policy considerations whether parents register a double-barrelled or a singular race for their child, according to the report. PTI GS GRS GRS GRS