A world of colour
Three Malaysian families share the adventures of being part of multiracial and multicultural homes.
TO Ignatius Paul Massang, 49, Malaysia Day is the perfect time to celebrate unity in diversity.
Massang, the eldest of three siblings, comes from a multicultural family. His father is Portugueseeurasian, with ancestors from Penang and Melaka, while his mother is a Chinese from Perak.
“This is a day when everyone can dress up in their different cultural attire to celebrate unity and diversity. There is a sense of belonging and togetherness,” says Massang, who lives with his wife and children in Kuala Lumpur.
Massang is married to Beatrix Joyo, 40, who is Chinese and was born in Jakarta, Indonesia. They have three children together – a son aged 12, and twin daughters, aged six.
“Our multiculturalism is something that we as Malaysians should be proud of. At events, you can see a Chinese girl wearing a kebaya or saree, or an Indian girl wearing a cheongsam or baju kurung. This is something that you won’t find anywhere else,” Massang says.
Joyo comes from a large family and is the eighth of nine children.
“My dad is Chinese while my mum is Chinese with a little bit of Dutch from my great-grandfather,” she says.
Being a multicultural family can be an adventure when it comes to food. “At home, I cook more Chinese food, and sometimes, Malaysian and Indonesian dishes, while my husband cooks more Western-style dishes,” Joyo says.
Some of the dishes they make include nasi uduk, kering tempe, nasi lemak and chicken rice.
“Growing up, my siblings and I enjoyed Portuguese food such as Devil’s curry and chilli crab which my mum learnt to make from my paternal grandmother.
“My wife has yet to attempt making these dishes although we have the recipes kept safely for future reference,” Massang says.
Being “mixed” is not without its challenges. “Growing up, I often got asked ‘what are you?’ or ‘what is Eurasian?’ and ‘how did you end up in Malaysia?’,” he says.
Although it can be challenging, and sometimes embarrassing having to always explain one’s family history to strangers, it’s necessary to see things positively and with a touch of humour, Massang says.
“Even my surname has raised some interesting questions before,” he shares. “It originated from the Portuguese-french name ‘Massone’, and eventually evolved to Massang ... and one day, it will evolve to massage!” he adds, laughing.
Massang reveals that their son, Peter, used to feel awkward about of his multiethnicity.
“He asked me one day, ‘why am I different from others – others have Malay, Chinese or Indian names, but why am I lain-lain?’. I told him, we’re Eurasian – a mix of European and Asian,” Massang says.
But now, Peter has grown to embrace his own unique identity.
“Being from a multicultural family is ‘colourful’ – and we stand as one of the examples of how diversity can be beautiful. I love it because we get to celebrate more festive seasons together,” Joyo notes.
“For my family, Christmas is a big thing. We go to church and then have a family dinner. There are also parties and drinking. Then, on Boxing Day, we open the presents,” Massang says.
“Chinese New Year and Chap Goh Meh are a big thing for my side of the family,” Joyo adds.
“We’ll gather at one (relative’s) house, have a potluck, give and receive ang paos, play cards together, plus have a mandatory family photo session,” she concludes.