Since I wrote Samsui Girl, a number people have asked me about what sources I used as research for the book. Research on Samsui women is limited but by using a variety of sources, I was able to gain a reasonable understanding of the lives of these women. This list is not comprehensive but are some resources I found interesting and helpful, and which I hope will be helpful to you too.
- Online photo essay on the lives of Samsui women in modern Singapore by Sim Chi Yin
- Short films Xi Mei Por/Ah Guai Por by Wee Li Lin
- Archival material at the National Archives of Singapore. There are a number of photographs and oral history tapes related to the Samsui women which can be located on the archives online catalogue at http://www.a2o.com.sg. You need to personally visit the Archives reference room to access the oral history interviews with several Samsui women. Please note that these are mainly conducted in Cantonese.
- Si Jing’s book Down memory lane in clogs: Growing up in Chinatown includes an interesting essay in the appendix on the Samsui women.
If you know of other interesting resources on Samsui women, we would be delighted to hear from you and add them to the list.
~ Stephanie
