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Chinese New YearYou are in: London > Features > Events > Chinese New Year > What does it mean to be Chinese in London?  Chinese Dancer (Getty Images) What does it mean to be Chinese in London?As the countdown to the Year of the Pig begins and London gets itself ready for another noisey and colourful celebration in Trafalgar Square we want to know what it means to be Chinese in London for the other 364 days of the year. Chinese in LondonLondon's first Chinatown sprang up around the East End's Limehouse district in the 1880's. Chinese seamen settled there to escape the cramped lodgings provided by the East India Shipping Company. It remained a bustling and vibrant community until the Blitz and a postwar slump in shipping led to its decline. Today over 60,000 Chinese people of diverse origins live in London. Half of these can trace their roots to Hong Kong. Others come from mainland China, Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore. Today, Chinese Londoners are more evenly dispersed throughout the city and its boroughs. A large network of Chinese schools and community centres offers support and a means of passing on cultural identity from one generation to the next. Every year thousands of people descend on Trafalgar Square to enjoy the annual Chinese New Year celebrations. However for the other 364 days of the year London's 60,000 strong Chinese community isn't always as visible as other ethnic groups in the capital. But the educational success of British-born Chinese means that Chinese Londoners are fast moving into higher profile jobs and professions. Higher profileThe introduction of the Pearl Awards in 2004, which aim to recognise and commend achievements of the Chinese Community, the founding of 'Chinatown - the Magazine' and growth of websites like Dimsum.co.uk have also raised the community's profile. Ahead of this year's Chinese New Year we want to know what it means to be Chinese in London? What are the main issues facing the community? Do you think London's Chinese get the recognition they deserves? Should the community have a higher profile? Email your thoughts and experiences to: yourlondon@bbc.co.ukI'm a second generation British Born Chinese (BBC) and like many here have come from a background where family moved over from Hong Kong and setup their own small catering business. The emphasis for our generation has been to focus on education, integrate and establish ourselves within British Society whilst staying true to our own unique culture, customs and background. My first language is English however I can also speak Cantonese and Hakka - something which I'm immensely proud of being able to do. The Chinese community for its size delivers immense value in terms of cultural diversity, economic contributions and community development. It is something that is not always recognised by the greater public nor indeed trumpeted by themselves! I believe that for a great example of how foreign immigrants can enrich, add value and integrate well within British society, one only needs to see the success of the Chinese.
I believe the Chinese have added a real flair and vision of the thriving diversity and cultural mix that Britain should rightly be proud of. Whilst there are communities in almost all of the UK towns/cities undoubtedly it is London where the community is thriving most and its influence is remarkable - surely the West End/central London would be a lesser place without the bustling energy that Chinatown provides?! Looking forward I feel as we enter the second/third/fourth generation of Chinese, I worry that traditional customs are being diluted and potentially lost as we slowly forget our ties with the past. Even in China, the influx and influence of western investment and lifestyles is changing the typical customs forever. Whilst the older generation struggle to cope with changing technologies and continued language barriers, the next generation are unlikely to face such problems and should look to spread their wings beyond the atypical careers of either catering or whitecollar professionals. The Chinese community are influential and large enough that they should seek to be represented in other channels - be that media, politics or sport. One hopes however that none of the qualities and diverse customs that makes the Chinese different aren't lost as we become more and more accustomed to western society/lifestlyes. It's not about resisting integration more about valuing and preserving that which makes us different, our identity. It's the strive to achieve the right balance which presents the greatest challenge. Otherwise it's no longer a case of maintaining a diverse social mix but an eventual process of assimilation to the status quo. The Chinese New Year is the perfect opportunity to celebrate and champion the community, enjoy the great colours, energy and fanfare not to mention the exotic food. Gung hei fat choi everyone! Gary Tsuilast updated: 06/02/2008 at 18:24 You are in: London > Features > Events > Chinese New Year > What does it mean to be Chinese in London? [an error occurred while processing this directive] |
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