EXPLORING IDENTITY, CHALLENGING ‘AUTHENTICITY’
Over the years, the PAA has welcomed members from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Outside of Melbourne, Victoria, there are Peranakan associations in Western Australia and New South Wales; Pertiwi, an association of Indonesian Peranakans, also has members in Australia.
Older Peranakans are drawn to the PAA as they can “feel closer to home”; younger Peranakans, on the other hand, are more interested in exploring their cultural identity and learning more about their roots, said Glenda.
Among them is Deborah Ong, who moved from Singapore to Melbourne for her undergraduate studies when she was 18 years old.
On her own and far from the home-cooked Peranakan meals of her childhood, Deborah learnt to cook — an interest that turned professional when she began working part-time in restaurants.
As a child, she was aware that she was Peranakan. But it was not something her family often talked about, and Deborah felt she was on the fringes of her identity.
Source: CNA
