She was in primary school when she learned from her parents that she was of “mixed” blood.
“Mix of what I didn’t know until I was much older and could understand what the word ‘Portuguese’ meant,” she told FMT in an interview.
The 24-year-old, who was raised in Kuala Lumpur, celebrates Christmas this year with an enduring wish to know more about her family’s origins and where her ancestors actually came from.
“When I have my own children, I will make it a point to tell them as much I can remember.
“We all need to try to preserve this rich heritage that we inherited,” she said, adding that much information was lost after the passing of her great-grandfather.
She said she only knew that he was buried in Kuala Lumpur.
“Some of my cousins say he could have been from Melaka. Some said he was always in Kuala Lumpur,” she said.
Her family today do not speak Kristang, the unique language of the Melaka Portuguese.
“My grandfather could, but I’m not sure why he didn’t pass down much of this language to my parents,” she said.
Spykerman, who speaks mostly English at home with some Cantonese and Mandarin, said she was filled with questions about her Portuguese blood.
She relishes Portuguese cuisine, especially since her grandfather had passed down his cooking skills to her parents.
“There is a warm feeling I get whenever I eat Portuguese food and feel proud that this is a part of the heritage that is so often talked about that I get to enjoy with my family,” she said.
“One other trait that’s in our blood is to host huge family gatherings,” she added.
“I never miss out on family gatherings because they are precious bonding time.”
Spykerman is also not sure if she has any relatives in Melaka, although she knows that the Portuguese settlements there still practise their old traditions.
“I know that every Christmas, their houses are very brightly lit. The neighbours compete to see who is able to outshine the other with their Christmas decorations. This goes on for the entire month of December,” she said.
Spykerman said the failure to continue practising traditions in her family and lack of communication had left her and those of her generation ignorant of their ancestral culture.
“I am not proud to say that I don’t know much about my own family roots. I feel quite ashamed that I know nothing about it,” she said.
“I’m so proud when people ask me about my race, and I get to tell them that I’m Eurasian.
“But when they ask for more, I’m stuck without an answer. I can’t tell them more about my Portuguese heritage,” she added.
She said even her cousins faced similar difficulties in tracing their roots.
Melaka govt gives village until Jan 1 to relocate Christ statue
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2015/07/09/moe-portuguese-invading-melaka-were-crusaders/