广东妈姐 (Majie from Guangdong): 顺风下南洋 德行传人间

新加坡曾经出现过一群性格坚韧的时代女性—妈姐。妈姐受到家乡习俗的影响而梳起不嫁，将一生写在骨气里，淡定无求中体现出中华民族传统女性的高贵品质。上世纪30年代，中国女子取代男人下南洋。雇主眼中，白衣黑裤的广东妈姐是勤快、忠诚、信任的象征。对滞留家乡的父母侄甥而言，定期寄回家的衬衣汇款，是生命的希望。上世纪80年代，妈姐徐徐老矣，逐渐消失在新加坡街头。

Guangdong Majie refers to a group of self-combed women who came to Singapore from their China hometown mainly in the 1930s. These women disappeared from the local scene in the 1980s. They mainly worked as domestic servants and took the vows of celibacy to serve. The purpose of self-combed their hair into a bun, or sor hei,  was to free themselves from the shackles of a feudal marriage. They broke the tradition and achieved social and economic independence. Majie were remembered for their loyalty, hardworking and trustworthy by the Chinese, Peranakan and European communities which they served.