Liverpool Chinese - blog with names

[helen]

CHINESE COMMUNITY

The Chinese people in Liverpool can be traced back to the early part of the 1800's, with the majority arriving towards the end of that century. Many of the Chinese Seamen came to Liverpool to work for the Alfred Holt and Company ( Blue Funnel Line ) who had established the first commercial shipping line that focused on the then China trade . Most where young Cantonese men from south China, though some came from Shanghai.

The men stayed in boarding houses near to the docks in the area of Cleveland Square, Pitt Street and Frederick Street. It allowed them to stay in touch with others of their own culture and language while they were on shore leave. Sadly at times some of the boarding house landlords, often Chinese settlers themselves, would exploit their fellow countrymen with huge rent charges.

liverpoolremembrance.weebly.com/chinese-community.html

[amy]

For anyone looking to trace possible Chinese ancestry to Liverpool, here is a website detailing the history of Chinese seamen and their Eurasian children/families -- many of them left behind in Liverpool when the Chinese seamen were forced out of the UK.

www.halfandhalf.org.uk/index.htm

[chansomvia]

Such a sad episode of discrimination of the Chinese in England, this is quite similar to what happened in New Zealand. It is good that there are historians documenting the events, but the most pitiful thing was the children were forcefully separated from their father by Act of Parliament. From a country supposed to be an educated gentry. I am sure in the end this hard episode in their lives turned many into successful people, and am glad someone is trying to piece the events together. Joe

[helen]

Hi Joe - How are you? We have plans to write the NZ Chinese fruitshop story - so if you have fruit shop connections, know people who can help - let me know. Includes looking at the role that the Chinese fruit shops in NZ Society played

[chansomvia]

Hi Helen,
Great to hear from you and sorry for the silence as was out of our house for three months whilst the earthquake commission was repairing our house. On another subject it is good to note that the New Zealand Chinese Association is holding another very interesting Conference Diverse Bananas – Global Dragons in Auckland on 30th May - 1st June 2014. I first met you at the previous Conference and it was nice to meet a fellow Forum member in person, had difficulty in tracing you as there appeared to b emore than one Helen Wong there. This Conference would be of interest to many on this Forum and details can be found on www.goingbananas.org.com.

I am a member of the Senior Group of the Canterbury Chinese Association and there are quite a few remaining market gardeners who have stories to tell, they are not from Liverpool, but as we are short of items for our tea meeting perhaps you could point out source where I could find material for a slide show for them, a few have bought your and other books but would need permission to put this on a show. It would encourage them to tell their own stories, reminiscences on old time and perhaps provide a background for their children to know more of their parents experiences. Having a meeting of these old folks will jog their memories, would you be interested enough to come dowm to Christchurch. I am moving things back into our house and I have a spare bedroom you can use next month. The meetings have been poorly attended but if they hear that a famous historian is coming I am sure they can get into their wheelchair and come.

I have a 84 year old friend from Liverpool and he remembers going to school with Chinese children in Liverpool, and making friends with them which was unusual at that time. Let me know if you need any information, I went back for a second time to our village in Haiyan Taisan with a cousin who was born there, and it was an unforgettable and moving experience.

I encourage those who are hesitating to go back to search their roots, or who have found their village and have not gone there, or to those who simply wish to see what their ancestor lives was all about, to do so. This helpful forum can point to how to go there, where to go and who to contact for assistance, and the basic protocol. It can also tell you how much it can cost, how long is a string?

Joe

[helen]

Hi Joe

Thanks for the offer to visit Christchurch. I may not have time to come down. Send me an email, as I'm not sure what one you use me. I can email a powerpoint presentation that I did earlier this year.

[chansomvia]

Hi Helen

Thanks for your reply and certainly a power point presentation would be an extremely attractive thing to show to the elders; many have never seen a PP presentation. My fear is that the longer we delay the less the people available to talk about the old times. We can discuss this after the Banana conference and thank you once again for your understanding of the need to record as much history as we can.

Cheers

Joe

[amy]

It looks like there is a real movement in Liverpool to recognize and document the Chinese history and community there. Here is a news article about an oral history project, new public murals and a new opera in the works.

www.liverpoolconfidential.co.uk/Culture/Chinese-sailors-become-giants-of-Duke-Street

[douglaslam]

Hi Amy,I read the article and am pleased that the opera is to be in Cantonese. Cantonese is the ligua Franca of Chinese overseas in the New World. But the Mandarin-speaking newcomers show no respect whatever for the past cultural heritage. For examples, they changed accepted place names to suit themselves, even documented personal names are not spared.

I haven't been in touch with Yvonne and Charles since their return to England. Still waiting for her book to come off the press.

Douglas