It’s a trend now, to speak in a fake American accent, to sound cool and hip. But for me, it’s just a mockery of our ancestors and a disservice to our own culture.
I was born and raised in Singapore, a melting pot of different cultures and languages. Growing up, I was surrounded by friends and family who spoke different languages and dialects, and I was proud to be a part of such a diverse community. But as I got older, I noticed a disturbing trend among the younger generation – the obsession with speaking in a fake American accent.
It all started with a few teenagers on social media, mimicking the way American celebrities speak. At first, it was harmless and even amusing. But then it spread like wildfire, and soon, it seemed like everyone wanted to sound like they were from the United States. It didn’t matter if they were Chinese, Malay, Indian, or from any other ethnic group, as long as they could fake an American accent, they were considered “cool”.
I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to speak in a fake accent. Wasn’t it better to embrace our own culture and heritage? But as I saw more and more of my peers adopting this trend, I started to feel like an outsider. People would often ask me why I didn’t speak like them, and even make fun of me for speaking with my natural Singaporean accent.
But what bothered me the most was how this trend was insulting our ancestors. Our ancestors were the ones who passed down their languages and dialects to us, and here we were, abandoning them for a fake accent. It was a slap in the face to their hard work and sacrifices. I couldn’t bear to see our culture and traditions being disregarded and disrespected in this way.
One day, I overheard a group of teenagers speaking in their fake American accents. I couldn’t help but cringe at their broken grammar and mispronounced words. It was clear that they were trying too hard to sound American, and it just sounded unnatural and forced.
The teens speak to each other and said:
“Yeah, and it’s better than speaking with a Singaporean accent. That’s just embarrassing,” the first one added, with a snobbish tone.
I was furious. How could they be so ignorant and disrespectful?
From that day on, I made a conscious effort to speak with my natural Singaporean accent, no matter how much I was ridiculed for it. I refused to conform to this trend and be a part of the mockery towards our ancestors. And slowly but surely, I noticed a change in the people around me.
Some of my friends started to question why they were trying so hard to sound American when they were proud of their Singaporean identity. Some even started to speak with their natural accents again. It was a small victory, but it gave me hope that maybe, just maybe, we could all learn to love and embrace our own culture and language.
As I look back on that time, I am proud that I stood up for what I believed in and didn’t succumb to the pressure of conforming to a trend. And I hope that one day, this trend of speaking in a fake American accent will fade away, and we can all be proud of our own unique identities as Singaporeans