对CMIO系统面临挑战的一些思考[^0]

<英文版：Some thoughts about the challenges to CMIO system>


正如海峡时报副主编，Chua Mui Hoong（蔡美芬？），在她的文章《CMIO系统已有100年历史并需要更新》（2021年7月16日）中提到的那样，[^1] 美国人口普查协定的内容在2000年做了更改，允许异族通婚父母为他们的孩子填写标记多过一个种族身份。但是通过这样做，他们的孩子将自动被分配为少数种族而不再被视为白人，即使他们可能具有欧洲（白人的）血统。因此这就导致了美国人口普查的预测显示，到了2045年左右，非白人将占美国人口的大多数。

As mentioned by Chua Mui Hoong in her article, "The CMIO system is 100 years old and needs an update" (16 Jul 2021) (NB1), the US census protocol changed in 2000 to allow mixed-race marriage parents to mark more than one race for their children. But by doing so, their children will automatically assigned to a minority race and not deemed white, even if they may be of European ancestry. Thus leading to US census projections showing that non-whites will make up the majority of the population around 2045.


蔡女士说得对，这种情况是“……源于对混血儿童分类方法的改变。……因此，白人人口的减少只是一种纸上（或字面上）（on paper）的枯竭减少——而事实上，许多被分配为少数种族的人可能在文化和种族上被认定为白人……”。

Ms Chua was right to say, such a situation is "... springs from a change in classification of mixed-race children. ...The white population is thus depleted on paper - when, in fact, many people assigned as minorities may culturally and ethnically identify as white...".


但她做的类比说，“……在新加坡，这就相当于将所有混血儿童（包括那些父亲是华族和母亲是少数种族的孩子），分配给马来人、印度人或其他人，这（种分配）取决于他们的种族身份；然后担心华人的大多数（地位）正在被侵蚀……”，是不恰当的比喻。为什么呢？

But her analogy which state that, "...In Singapore, this would be equivalent to assigning all mixed-race children (including those with a Chinese father and a minority mother) to Malay, Indian or Others depending on their ethnic identity; and then worrying that the Chinese majority is eroding...", is inappropriate. Why?


首先，在美国的多元种族建构中，白人的语言和宗教始终处于主导及让非白人追随的地位；因此，无论白人人口在纸上还是在现实生活中枯竭减少，都不会影响他们的文化和种族。而在新加坡，我们没有这种给予（或偏向）华人或其他种族的主导结构。因此，在美国适用于白人的，在新加坡可能不适用于华人。

Firstly, in US multiricial construct, the white's language and religion are always in dominant position where non-whites follows; thus whether the white population is depleted on paper or in real life, it will not affect their culture and ethnicity at all. Whereas in Singapore, we do not have such a dominant construct for (or favour) Chinese or other races. Hence, what applies for the white in US may not applies for the Chinese in Singapore.


其次，新加坡的华人，以及马来人和印度人，都面临着一个真实的（不是纸上的）共同问题。根据2020年的新加坡人口普查，一个数十年来令人担忧的趋势正在加速，48.3% 的受访居民在家中最常说英语，高于十年前的32.3% [^2]；以致所有种族的语言被轻推成为家庭中的第二或第三使用语言。因此，受我们过去经历的警示，我们是否正在目睹我们的语言在家庭中的逐渐衰亡？

Secondly, the Chinese, as well as the Malay and Indian in Singapore, are facing a real (not an on paper) common problem. According to Singapore Population Census 2020, a decades long worried trend is accelerating, 48.3% of residents surveyed spoke English most frequently at home, up from 32.3% a decade ago (NB2); nudging all ethnic languages to become the second or third language spoken at home. Hence alarmed by our past experiences, are we seeing the gradual demise of our languages at home?


由于我们都是务实的人，但不是圣人，我们应该担心我们各族语言的命运与生存，因为它们是构成我们的种族文化和身份的基础或“关键的操作系统”。在“推动双语（教育）结构和被社会工程塑造”的多元种族新加坡，这是一个公正和可接受的关注。如果我们不能确保各族语言的生存，那么到了2045年，我们可能会面临这样一种情况： 在美国，白人仍然会接受他们的文化、语言和种族，但在新加坡，所有的种族中，无论他们是多数种族还是少数种族，会有很高比例的人，可能会对他们各自的种族文化、语言和身份感觉疏远，若不是格格不入的话；从而引发对我们的多元种族（政策）和CMIO系统更多的质疑。

As we are all pragmatic people but not saint, we should worry about the fate and survival of our ethnic languages which form the bases, or "key Operating Systems", of our ethnic cultures and identities. It is a just and acceptable concern in "bilingual structured and social engineered" multiracial Singapore. If we failed to ensure their survival, then by 2045, we may face a situation where the white in US are still embracing their culture, language and ethnicity, but in Singapore, a high percentage of all races, regardless they are majority or minority, might feel alienated, if not at odd with, their respective ethnic cultures, languages and identities; thereby causing more doubts on our multiracial and CMIO system.


我们应该始终赞赏异族通婚父母为了在家庭和各自的种族圈内实践和保持他们的种族语言、文化和身份所做的任何努力；他们看到了（文化延续的）本质，并保持着，而不是忽视它们。但是，如果他们周围的大多数人和种族都忽略或不再认为有必要这样做，那么他们的努力可能不会持久。这些是对我们（不同化各族的）CMIO 系统和多元种族的双语（社会）结构的长期挑战，值得我们不断的关注。

We should always appreciate any efforts made by mixed-race marriage parents to practice and keep alive their ethnic languages, cultures and identities at home and within their respective ethnic circles; they see the essences and are keeping, not ignoring them. But their efforts might not last if most people and races around them have omitted or no longer see the need to do likewise. These are long term challenges to our (non-assimilation) CMIO system and multiricial's bilingual construct that worth our constant attention.


在2004年，我们已故的总理，李光耀先生曾敦促新加坡所有的种族“在家庭中保持母语的使用” [^3]。我们应该听取他的建议，以便在现实生活中对自己本身的文化有更好的感受（情感上的联系）和理解，从而为我们在多元种族社会中，能与其他人（包括本身族群不同观点或世代的人）有更好、更富有同理心（自尊自重与尊重他人）的互动，做好准备。

In year 2004, our late PM, Mr Lee Kuan Yew had urged all races in Singapore to "Keep Mother Tongue alive at home" (NB3). We should heed his advice so as to maintain a better feel (sentimentally) and understandings of one's own culture in real life experiences, and thus prepared us for better and more empathy interactions (self and mutual respect) with other people (including people within same ethnic group with different views or generation gap) in our multiracial society.



以下为本文的注解(Ref):