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Indian Singaporeans or Singaporean Indians—defined as persons of South Asian ancestry—form 9% of the country's citizens and permanent residents, making them Singapore's third largest ethnic group after Chinese and Malays. Among cities, Singapore has one of the largest Indian populations outside the Republic of India. While contact with ancient India left a deep impact on Singapore's indigenous Malay culture, the mass migration of Indians to the island only began with the founding of modern Singapore by the British in 1819. Initially, the Indian population was transient, mainly comprising young men who came as workers, soldiers and convicts. By the mid-20th century, a settled community had emerged, with a more balanced gender ratio and a better spread of age groups. Singapore's Indian population is notable for its class stratification, with large elite and lower income groups. This has grown more visible since the 1990s with an influx of both well-educated and unskilled migrants from India, which has created new contradictions. Singapore Indians are linguistically and religiously diverse, with ethnic Tamils and nominal Hindus forming majorities. Indian culture has endured and evolved over almost 200 years. By the 1990s, it had grown somewhat distinct from contemporary South Asian cultures, even as Indian elements became diffused within a broader Singaporean culture. Since then, new immigrants have increased the size and complexity of the local Indian population. Low-cost carriers, cable television and the Internet now connect the local Indian community with the culture of India and the Indian diaspora. Prominent Indian individuals have long made a mark in Singapore as leaders of various fields in national life. Indians are also collectively well represented, in areas such as politics, education, diplomacy and the law. ==Definitions== (詳細はSingapore Department of Statistics defines 'Indians' as a 'race' (or 'ethnic group'), comprising "persons of Indian descent, such as Tamils, Malayalis, Telugus, Punjabis, Bengalis etc."〔Leow, p.16.〕 The term 'Indian' therefore refers to people from the Republic of India. In Singapore, a person's race is deemed that of his or her father. As Indians have adopted or married people of other races, the official race of their children can fail to reflect their actual culture, ethnic identity and/or 'racial' makeup. Examples include Chindians, Eurasians and Jawi Peranakans, and Chinese girls adopted by Indian families. For instance, while a man with an Indian father and Chinese mother is officially 'Indian,' the person himself, and others around him, might consider him Chindian or mixed race instead. Indians 'in Singapore' may be further defined in terms of nationality and residency status. Most ethnic Indians are Singapore citizens, known as 'Singaporean Indians', or 'local Indians'. They are usually the locally born second, third, fourth or even fifth generation descendants of immigrants from South Asia. In addition, there are many ethnic Indian immigrant workers in Singapore. They are referred to by their nationality, e.g. 'Bangladeshis', 'Sri Lankans' or 'Malaysian Indians'. Citizens of the Republic of India are called 'Indian nationals', or even 'Indian Indians'.〔In his 2006 National Day Rally, Singapore's Prime Minister said "A Chinese Chinese is different from a Singapore Chinese. An Indian Indian is different from a Singapore Indian. In fact, when I met Mr. Koizumi last year and I told him, you know, we are bringing in Chinese Chinese, Indian Indians, he looked at me, he said, "Chinese Chinese?" I had to explain, "Ya, indeed, they come from China. Singapore Chinese come from Singapore. We are different." http://www.singaporeangle.com/2006/08/transcript-of-pms-rally-speech-in.html〕 Foreign Indians may be distinguished in terms of residency status. Well educated professionals or entrepreneurs with a high earning capacity are granted renewable Employment Passes. These entitle the holder’s spouse, children and parents to Dependents Passes. Students may enter on Students Passes. Pass holders may apply for Permanent Residence, which lets them live in Singapore on a long term-basis. As part of Singaporean nationality law, they are also eligible to apply for Singapore Citizenship. In contrast, unskilled foreign workers enter Singapore with Work Permits. They are rarely allowed to stay in Singapore for more than two years and are never allowed to bring dependents with them. Nor are they eligible to apply for either Permanent Residence or Citizenship. Demographic statistics are generally restricted to 'Singapore residents', defined as both Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents. Many of the statistics about Indians in Singapore in this article are restricted to this group. Scholars have noted "(o)fficial figures for workers on temporary contracts are difficult to obtain because the Ministry of Manpower in Singapore considers the information sensitive."〔Lal, p. 176.〕 Consequently, there is limited information about short-term or 'non-resident' Indians in Singapore. Note that use of the term 'non-resident' Indian should not be confused with the concept of the Non Resident Indian or NRI, which the government of the Republic of India uses to describe its citizens living abroad. In Singapore, an NRI may be statistically non-resident (in the case of work permit or pass holders) or he/she may be considered a Singapore resident (in the case of permanent residents). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Indian Singaporeans」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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