What does K Sundaram, John de Souza, my sons and I have in common?
Something we don’t see very often.
We are non-Chinese born of Chinese mothers
a family situation not quite like the others.

Our Chinese mothers armed with their love and courage
ventures into a mixed marriage
sometimes meeting hostile in-laws
who will tease our mothers apart in search of real and imaginary flaws,

Determined to be successful in their married life
our mothers avoid prolonging family strife
by willingly suppressing their pride
overcoming marital bumps with easy stride.

To our fathers’ cultures and beliefs they are adaptable
bringing a mixed cuisine to the dining table
bak chang and spaghetti
washed down with oolong tea.

Put on the sari
put on the cheong sum
enjoy the hot curry
with the steaming tim sum

We their children view the world through multi-ethnic eyes
racial and cultural differences come with little surprise.
We celebrate several new years within a year
Awal Muharam, Songkran, Vaisaki, Gregorian and Chinese New Year.

We are born bearing our fathers’ names.
A cruel world sometimes calls us names
inflicting pain, filling us with shame.
Trying to fit into a racial scene
some of us commit filial sin
by denying our maternal origin.

Our mothers nurtured us with an iron will
infusing our character with hardened steel.
Half breed, mixed breed, we are a damned tough breed.
In our life journey we will succeed.

We celebrate our vitality
and honour our mothers with pu'er tea.
Let us sing in harmony
xie xie ma ma, wo ai ni.