History on Repeat #6: Migration and the Making of Chinese and Indian Diasporas in Malaysia

History on Repeat is an eight-part miniseries that aims to delve into key aspects of Malaysian history. While we won’t be able to cover every period and topic in our vast and complex past, we will be having a series of conversations on key subjects, places and themes, and discussing why our history still matters today. Malaysia, located at the meeting point of two oceans, has long been a hub of migration and trade. The nineteenth and twentieth centuries brought an increased number of migrants from China and South Asia, witnessing the mingling of diverse cultures and the growth of influential diasporic communities. For our sixth episode, we speak with Karen M. Teoh, Associate Professor of History at Stonehill College, and Sunil Amrith, Mehra Family Professor of South Asian History at Harvard University, discussing why Chinese and Indian migrants came to Malaysia in this period and how the communities they built have shaped our history.

History on Repeat #1: Archaeology and the Roots of the Malay World

History on Repeat #2: Rethinking Melaka and the Sejarah Melayu

History on Repeat #3: Portuguese and Dutch Legacies in the Malay Peninsula

History on Repeat #4: Nineteenth-Century Women of Malaya

History on Repeat #5: British Malaya through the Lens of Architecture

History on Repeat #7: Malaya and the Second World War

History on Repeat #8: The Making of Malaysian Identities