You just look at him, see how he walks, his body language," he said. This further reinforces the fact that Singaporeans do have a unique character that is different from foreigners in other places, and this somehow marks the common ground for Singaporeans. Furthermore, Singapore's CMIO (Chinese, Malay, Indian, Others) model of multiracialism is also a unique feature of the Singaporean community. Few countries have such diversity in races and cultures, and this is what made Singapore special. The very fact that there are so many different races living together harmoniously in one community is a huge achievement by Singapore itself. It is not easy for people to adapt to other cultures, and it is definitely not easy for them to be able to live together harmoniously for years. All these portray the unique traits that the Singapore community has, and this is what many see that marks the Singaporean identity.
On the other hand, many feel that it is difficult to establish a Singaporean identity due to the diverse cultural backgrounds of Singaporeans and foreigners alike. Many Singaporeans in the modern society are descendants of migrants from abroad, such as China and India. These people would be endowed with diverse family history, religions, and cultural practices. This leads to differing cultural backgrounds and in such situation, it is hard for everyone to accept these dissimilar cultures, let alone adapt to them. In order to establish a Singaporean identity, it is pivotal that the people are able to accept these differences and come together as one community. However, this is easier said than done. In 2011, a mainland Chinese family who complained about the smell of the curry cooked by their Indian Singaporean neighbors sparked a backlash. This shows that there are still tensions existing between racial groups and foreigners, which are due to the lack of understanding and tolerance amongst people.
