ABSTRACT Tamil migration to colonial Malaya has been the subject of well-documented research based on colonial archives, observations of colonialists, newspapers, and community records; and sometimes focused on landmark developments that showcase the fortunes of the migrant community. However, these accounts do not reveal the personal, mundane, and lived experiences of the thousands of migrants who landed in Malaya. Drawing from the recollections of selected Tamil migrants who were born in or migrated between the 1930s and 1950s and finally settled in Singapore, we retell their life stories from the time they disembarked at the colonial port cities. Using narrative analysis, we illustrate that their final destination is as unintended and unexpected as the uncertainty of colonial migration. These narratives are examined within the colonial context of Tamil migration to Malaya.

中文翻译：

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1930 年代至 1950 年代马来亚殖民地的泰米尔移民

摘要 泰米尔人迁移到殖民马来亚一直是基于殖民档案、殖民主义者的观察、报纸和社区记录的有据可查的研究主题；有时专注于展示移民社区财富的标志性发展。然而，这些叙述并没有揭示在马来亚登陆的数千名移民的个人、世俗和生活经历。从 1930 年代至 1950 年代出生或迁移并最终在新加坡定居的选定泰米尔移民的回忆中，我们重述了他们从殖民港口城市下船时的生活故事。使用叙事分析，我们说明他们的最终目的地与殖民移民的不确定性一样出乎意料和出乎意料。