A Baba Bibliography - Biographies   Tags: profiles  

Baba pioneers offered leadership in a various areas in the local community – from academic, business to the political field. These leading lights of the Baba community, both men and women, are often profiled in general essays with accompanying photographs. Obituaries and biographies serve as a source of essential information and are listed in this category. Prominent personalities such as Lim Boon Keng or Tan Cheng Lock have extensive information which is likely to be listed in the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library’s other resource lists. Hence, not all information available on specific Peranakans are included here.

In the later half of the 20^th century, many biographies of the lives of ordinary Babas and their family histories were published. The voice of the wealthy Baba and his blue-collar counterpart in these biographies and autobiographies speak of the momentous changes that occurred in Malaya prior to and after World War II. They show the changes not only in the Baba community but also in Malayan society.

Both forms of biographies – the leader and the ordinary man –  provide opposite ends of the spectrum of Baba life and community. They include not only the contributions of men but also of women, not only of Peranakans but also of those, like William Shellabear, who contributed toward Baba culture. Genealogies and family trees, primarily of Chew Boon Lay and Ong Chong Chew show the evolution of the immigrant family as it takes on aspects of Baba life. Genealogies thus provide another dimension of viewing the Baba life over longer periods of history.