Diary of an immigrant: Chinese Coolies

Why did the immigrants come?

Push factors

• driven by poverty in China to seek a better life in Singapore
• famines and droughts in China
• natural disasters and starvation in China

Pull factors

• Singapore became a free port
• Singapore had a free immigration policy
• better jobs and business opportunities in Singapore

Describe the jobs the immigrants did in Singapore.

Coolies worked as rickshaw puller, trishaw riders and farmers. they were employed in mines , ports, in rubber and other plantations, in clearing jungles on construction sites.They did back -
breaking task such as loading and unloading cargo, dulang washing,or tin ore mining under the scorching sun. It was a common site in early Singapore to see coolies carrying gunny sack filled with commodities such as spices and sugar near the Singapore river.

How were their living conditions like?

The coolies were very poor and lived in cramped dwellings with no windows and lights. They were given opium inhaling to relieve their tired bodies of its soreness and gambling in attempt to escape from their misery.

What were some of the challenges faced by the immigrants in Singapore? How did they feel about living in Singapore?

They suffered much hardship as they were involved in hard labour taking a toll on their bodies.

What were some of their contributions to Singapore growth?

They worked in docks and provided the necessary labour for the traders and the merchants, which helped because more trading activities took place due to it. As more coolies were brought into Singapore, the efficiency and frequency of trade increased. They built buildings and contributed to Singapore's growth as a trading centre as they helped in the urban city planning of Singapore. In general, the coolies generated growth for the economy and caused Singapore to prosper.



DIARY ENTRY OF A COOLIE

May 24th, 1819

  Dear Diary, today was a particularly gruelling day at work as many ships carrying sacks and boxes of goods arrived and docked in the harbour. I woke at at the crack of dawn and went to the harbour to start work with the other coolies. The sacks and boxes were extremely heavy and seemed to be endless. After unloading all the goods from one ship there would still be another ship to unload. We worked without stopping for hours and rarely took a short break. My back felt like it would break if I lifted another thing after about 3 hours but I persevered on, thinking about my family back in China.
      I ate a meagre bowl of porridge and went back to work. After we finished unloading all the goods  from the ships, we still had to move the sacks and boxes of goods from the harbour to the warehouse. I felt exhausted and could barely move. After completing our work for today, we were all permitted to return home and rest. By this time, it was already in the wee hours and everyone had to drag their bodies home and passed out once laying down on their blankets.
      I hope that my family is fine back in China and that they are doing better with the money that I am earning here in Singapore. Tomorrow will probably be an easier day with lesser work than today. I am expecting to wake up with my body aching all over but it is worth it. My family will be better off with the money earned from my hard work. I am writing this entry with the help of the moonlight. This is just a typical day in my life as a coolie.
     To a better tomorrow,

          Chen Jie Ling .