The Red Headscarf Samsui Women of Singapore

By Pinky Toky

From 1920s to 1949, many Samsui women came to Singapore in search of jobs. Most of them worked in the construction industry. Construction jobs, considered to be the toughest kind of job, were shunned by both the locals and the other Chinese migrant workers. The Samsui women chose to toil at construction sites to make a decent living rather than going into prostitution or other vice trades. As they were always adorned with their red headscarf when working at the construction sites, they came to be known as Red Headscarf (or hong tou jin in Chinese).

Most of the Samsui women ventured abroad due to extreme poverty in China. Others did so to break away from arranged marriage or a life of servitude under tyrannical husband or mother-in-law. However, regardless of whatever reasons that initially caused them to leave their hometown, they were still bound by the Chinese traditional family ethics. Most of their hard-earned money was remitted back to their relatives in China. Many Samsui women themselves ended up in a sorrowful financial state in old age.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pinky Toky
• Release date: Dec 16, 2013
• ISBN: 9781310198991

Pinky Toky

The writer has worked as a Personal Assistant to top management, in both public and private sectors.On retirement 12 years ago, she has started affiliate marketing and online writing. Her articles are on a wide variety of topics, such as those relating to Chinese arts & culture, Feng Shui and Japanese arts & culture.

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The Red Headscarf Samsui Women of Singapore

by

Pinky Toky

Copyright Information

The Red Headscarf Samsui Women of Singapore

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 Pinky Toky

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Peculiar Samsui Social Custom

Dreadful Sea Voyage to Nanyang

Pathetic Living Conditions

Back-breaking Labour

Hong Tou Jin Trademark

Closely-knitted and Distinct Community

Selfless Sacrifice for Family

Life Stories of 3 Samsui Women

Life After Retirement

Last Batch of Hong Tou Jin

Achievements and Contributions

Commemoration of Samsui Hong Tou Jin

References

Other Titles by Pinky Toky at Smashwords

Introduction

The Samsui women were originally from the Samsui (also spelled Sanshui) District, Foshan, Guangdong Province, China. It was a local custom in the Sanshui community that women take on the role of both childminder and breadwinner. More Samsui women than men ventured abroad to earn money to support their families back home.

Due to extreme poverty in their hometown, these women came to Singapore as early as the 1920s in search of jobs. The majority of them worked in construction sites while others worked in rubber plantations, tin mines, dock yards, etc. or as domestic helpers.

About 2,000 - 3,000 Samsui women were believed to have come to Singapore between the 1920s and 1930s, and this continued until 1949 when emigration from China was declared illegal here. At its