What's Ang Moh

Ang Moh, the literal definition according to urbandictionary.com  is a racial term in Singapore or Malaysia  Literally it can mean 'red-haired'... at its worse expanded to include Ang Moh Kow (Red-Haired Monkey), Ang Mo Kui (Red-Haired Devil) or Ang Mo Sai (Red-Haired Shit).

It is the term appointed to Caucasians in Singapore or those perceived to be white or Asians considered to be westernized.

Considering half a century ago the word was only Ang Moh Gui (White Devil), the shortening of the word to remove its more insulting portions seems to be evolution. In a nation like Singapore where everyone claims heritage to another country, this subtraction could easily be seen as an achievement.

The most bad-ass red head on television, Karen Gillan (aka Amy Pond)

Still some find it offensive and some still use it, an insult used to demean or throw contempt onto white people or westerners. Yet the word has begun to be reclaimed, much like the Paddy, Guido or Queer was in the United States, taken back by the community it was invented to single out and in fact, it has begun to lose the negative connotation that it was originally designed to express. Now it has entered the realm of context, where how it is used in a conversation determines if its a term of endearing identification or insult.

I am part of the camp that wishes to see it reclaimed and have adopted it as my name for this blog. To ignore it is to give it power, to make it my own means it loses it.

Oh, and to clarify, red is my favorite color!