"History of the Armenians of Singapore and Malaysia" (continued) - Nadia H. Wright

Nadia Wright's article "The History of the Armenians of Singapore and Malaysia" (continuation) is devoted to the formation, flourishing, and decline of the Armenian community of Singapore over nearly two centuries of the island's colonial and postcolonial history.

Introduction and methodology. The author, a native of New Zealand and daughter of an Armenian woman from the Dokmejian family, draws on many years of archival research (1985–2002), the result of which was her book "Respected Citizens: The History of Armenians in Singapore and Malaysia" (2003). The material continues the publication begun in the previous issue and covers the period from the founding of the British colony in 1819–1824 to the mid-twentieth century.

Formation of the community. It is noted that the Armenian community of Singapore emerged later than the communities of Burma, the Dutch East Indies, and Penang, and its total numbers throughout its history (1820–2002) never exceeded 656 people. Despite its small size, the Armenians played a significant role in the life of the colony:
• they founded Singapore's first Christian church — Surb Grigor Lusavorich (1835–1836);
• they initiated the restoration of trade with Borneo;
• they dominated the antimony and opium trade in the mid-nineteenth century;
• they founded four major trading firms and owned their own fleet of ships bearing Armenian names.

Economic and social role. Special attention is paid to the hotel business — Armenians owned eleven hotels, including the legendary "Raffles" (the Sarkies brothers, 1887). The article also examines achievements in law, journalism (the "Straits Times" and "Usumnaser" newspapers), politics (municipal commissioners, Joe Joaquim), education, and sport.

National identity and charity. Emphasis is placed on the Armenians' preservation of their religious and cultural distinctiveness while actively integrating into British society: church traditions, aid to Etchmiadzin, the establishment of a branch of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (1917), and the collection of funds in support of the victims of the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire.

Symbolic legacy. Separate coverage is given to the story of Agnes Joaquim and the orchid hybrid she bred, "Vanda Miss Joaquim," which later became a national symbol of Singapore (1981).

Loyalty and the tragedy of war. The author shows that the Armenians remained loyal to the British Crown, as evidenced by jubilee messages to Queen Victoria and the participation of young Armenians in the Second World War. The Japanese occupation and the subsequent internment of British subjects inflicted irreparable damage on the community: according to the 1947 census, only 62 Armenians remained in Singapore.

Conclusion. The article's key finding is that the decline of Singapore's Armenian community was caused not so much by external catastrophes as by natural assimilation — mixed marriages and the gradual loss of language and religious affiliation by new generations raised in British traditions.