博物館中移民勞工之再現－以新加坡國家博物館歷史展廳為例

Representing Migrant Laborers in the National Museum of Singapore

張釋(Shih Chang)

《博物館與文化》 11期 (2016/06) Pp. 47-81

摘要

一向強調多元族群與文化的新加坡，在面對移動時代的來臨，其博物館該如何再現移民議題？本研究以新加坡國家博物館之歷史展廳為研究個案，以訪談與展示分析來探討其如何再現早期華人移民勞工，且透過何種移民形象譜寫國家歷史與記憶。研究發現，博物館有意識地將移民底層的歷史融入國家史中，強化遷徙造就了多元文化社會的事實。其援引電影元素，讓早期華人移工與「博物館的聲音」共享發言權，更透過博物館的力量使其戲劇性地被納入我群。然而，研究發現館方「多聲體驗」的設計，卻仍共同編織著「單一敘事」，如延續英國殖民制度的族群分類來治理，進而強化國家─族群間的穩定性；其次，透過移工形象的選擇與刻畫，不論是「刻苦耐勞」或「投身國家建設」，均投射出當今新加坡社會所重視的價值與對其國民之要求與期許。而與華人會館人員的訪談，可發現當今新加坡的認同輪廓中，那複雜游移的主客關係無法以純粹由上而下的方式建構，而需透過地方和國家認同架構的交織，才逐漸變得清楚。本研究建議，新加坡國家博物館在展示移民的歷史，可進一步引導社會思考今日邊界的建構脈絡；使觀眾體認到多元文化社會建立在他族文化與我群的相會交融，是經歷無數離散、跨界、根植與錯位的結果；並透過讓包含地方化的多元論述進到博物館中，讓移民與國家的故事進而產生多重意義。

關鍵字

邊界與認同 ； 展示移民 ； 新加坡國家歷史 ； 新加坡華人移民勞工

並列摘要

As the world enters the ＂era of migration＂, how should the museums of Singapore, which focus greatly on its multicultural/ethnic heritage, face issues of migration? This paper takes the National Museum of Singapore-History Gallery (NMS) as case study, through methods of exhibition analysis and interviews, discerns how the history and memory of early Chinese migrant laborers are projected; and how the laborers' images further depict national history. This study found that the museum consciously integrated stories of migrant laborers into national history, strengthening today's multivariate society as results of migration. Citing from film elements, early Chinese migrant laborers are provided with a voice equivalent to the ＂museum voice＂, allowing them to dramatically transform from the other to the self. However, the all-too-perfect multi-voice experience not only in effect co-wove a ＂single narrative＂, such as the continuation of colonial race system to discipline, govern and strengthen nation-ethnic stability; but also uses the laborers' images to shape a new national identity, as images of diligence, loyalty, and national devotion all project the value and expectation of modern Singapore society. Further, the perspectives of the 'hui-kuans' demonstrated that the delineation of Singapore's identity cannot be single-handedly built in this cabinet of curiosity, and can only become clear though the process of losing, finding and embedding one's roots within the complicated local-national, self-other relationship. On displaying migration history under a multicultural and multi-ethnic society, NMS can direct the public to ponder on the construction of borders, to realize that a multicultural society is built on the encounter and intermingle of self and other; through letting localized multi-discourse into the museum, giving new meaning to migration and national history.

並列關鍵字

border and identity ； displaying migration ； Singapore national history ； Chinese migrant laborers in Singapore