Discovering my roots

One of the reasons I was looking forward to this trip was because I would have the opportunity to interview various family members about our family history. I knew virtually nothing about either set of grandparents, as they lived in Malaysia and died before I was born or when I was quite small. In fact, I am actually in the process of developing a family tree for both my mother's side (the Wans) and my father's side (the Tans).

My father's mother was of Peranakan heritage. I had never even heard the term before. Also known as baba-nyonya or Straits Chinese, it refers to the descendants of very early Chinese immigrants to Singapore and Malaysia, who partially adopted Malay customs in an effort to be assimilated into the local communities. This unique blend of Chinese and Malay cultures has led to very interesting cuisine and dress.

Here I am in traditional Peranakan dress: on top, the kebaya, secured by the 3 attached brooches or kerosang; on the bottom, the flowered sarong and beautifully beaded sandals.

Aunty Winnie has been so generous to give me some Peranakan items to take home with me. I need to do more research into this culture, but I feel happy knowing that I am more than just a CBC (Canadian-born Chinese).