ABOUT THE ARCHIVE

The Migrant Voices Oral History Archive is an enterprise that aims to record the perspectives and life experiences of migrant workers in 21st century Singapore. This project has no known precedent: it is the first attempt at creating a public archive of migrant workers in Singapore. The archive will collect in-depth testimonies and interviews from all migrant worker communities. The archive will eventually be published on-line, and made accessible to the general public.

OBJECTIVES

• To provide a resource for those interested in understanding and improving the lives of foreign workers in this country. The information contained within these recordings will inform social activism, public education, and scholarly research on migrant worker issues.

• To give migrant workers an opportunity to tell their stories to an interested public. The process of looking back and giving voice to one’s own experiences can be a healing and empowering experience.

• To ensure that the voices of less privileged peoples—who nevertheless play a crucial role in Singapore’s economy—will not disappear from public record and public memory.

• To provide an important resource for those who study the history of this country, both now and in the future. A documentary archive open to the general public will allow a deeper understanding of the way individuals relate to, and understand the society in which they live.
  
  
• To create a medium of promoting and educating cultural awareness in students