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About the Baba NyonyasBaba Nyonya is a term used to describe Straits Chinese, that is to say, Chinese people born and/or living in the Straits Settlements of Malacca, Penang and Singapore. The degree by which they are practicing or have partically or fully adopted Malay culture into their way of life is a matter that has to be studied region by region, and in some cases, household by household.While the term "Baba Nyonya" is used exclusively to describe the Chinese, the term "Peranakan" may denote other groups of Straits-born people including the Hindu Peranakans who are also called Chitty, the Indian Muslim Peranakans called Jawi Pekan or Jawi Peranakan or Peranakan Kling, and the Eurasian Peranakans, called Kristang. The word Baba Nyonya is a compound of two words, "Baba" referring to the Straits-born male, and "Nyonya" referring to the Straits-born female. The word Baba itself is said to have originated from Hindustani speakers whereas Nyonya has its origin in Javanese to mean Madam. In both the case with Baba and Nyonya, they were words used to call these Straits Chinese, until eventually it became common vernacular. The majority of the Baba Nyonyas are of Why did they adopt local culture and language at all? It is said that many of the Peranakans are the product of Chinese men who took local brides. They were Chinese men from the working class, who did not have the means to get a Chinese wife from their homeland. The brides may be Malay women of the peninsula or those from Sumatra - it is also said that the British helped in importing Batak women to be brides for the single Chinese men. As a result, their offsprings display a mix of Chinese and Malay cultural traits. There is also the Peranakan who did not intermarry with the local Malay population. Rather they imported brides from China, and sent their daughters back to China to find husbands. These are likely to be traders who were well off and had the means to execute such arrangements. Nonetheless they still adopted local cultural and way of life. While the Baba Nyonyas adopted the Malay language, whether in syntext (in the case of Malacca) or in loan words (in the case of Penang and Singapore), they retain their religious beliefs. The majority are Taoist with a small minority professing to be Christians. The Taoists subscribe to ancestral worship as well as the worship of Taoist deities. However, in terms of clothing, and particularly among the Nyonyas, there is a strong Malay influence. The attire of the Nyonya includes the baju panjang (long dress), batik sarung (wrap-around batik sarong), baju pendek (short dress), kasut manik (beaded slippers) and kerongsang (brooch). The Baba Nyonya form the moneyed, upper-middle class in 19th century Malaya. They occupy a position between the British administrators and the Chinese newcomers. The Baba males are often given English education, enabling them to speak impeccable English. They are also likely to be dressed in Western suits. The Babas are free to engage in commerce while their womenfolk remained cloistered at home. |
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