London Chinatown Oral History Project
Lesson Plan
Topic Chinese Immigration
Key Stage KS 2 / KS 3
Age Group 7-14 years old
Modern Foreign Languages (Chinese Mandarin) Subject Cross-Curriculum Learning – Citizenship
Objectives:
Introduce the history of Chinese immigration and Chinatown in London. Encourage students to understand their families and ancestors and enhance their understanding of family bond. Teach the students about the Chinese titles for family members and how to make a family tree. Build up vocabulary, grammar and cultural knowledge related to Chinese community. Teach the Chinese letter format and writing skills. Teach some basic oral history and interviewing skills. Increase students’ ability to listen, speak, read and write Chinese. Assess students’ learning outcome through classroom performance and homework.
Learning outcomes:
Knowledge: - Better understanding of Chinese immigration history and the Chinese community. - Better understanding of ethnic groups in the UK. - Be able to describe titles for family members and sing the “Family Song”. - Be able to describe more about their family and build a family tree. - Be able to write a Chinese letter. - Better knowledge of oral history, so as to be able to find out more about their own family history.
Skills:
Produced as part of the London Chinatown Oral History Project with materials from CMHA and Ming- 1 Ai (London) Institute. Lesson plan designed by Ming-Ai (London) Institute. - Improve listening, speaking, reading and writing skills through various activities in and out of the classroom. - Build up vocabulary, grammar points and sentence structures. - Enhanced pronunciation and communication skills. - Build up interviewing skills.
Understanding: Respect for the British multicultural and multiracial society, e.g. the Chinese culture and the Chinese community
Equipments & Teaching Materials: Computers, projectors, videos, images, map and activity sheets
2 Produced as part of the London China Town Oral History Project with materials from CMHA and Ming-Ai (London) Institute. Lesson plan designed by Ming-Ai (London) Institute. Detailed Lesson Plan (90-minute teaching session)
Produced as part of the London Chinatown Oral History Project with materials from CMHA and Ming- 3 Ai (London) Institute. Lesson plan designed by Ming-Ai (London) Institute. Time Activity Materials 10 1. After greeting to the students in Chinese: 你们好！, encourage PowerPoint mins students to practice a simple conversation as follows. Map of China
a. 你是英国人吗？(Are you British?) b. (if YES) 你的中国话讲得真棒! (You speak Chinese so well!) (if NO) 你不是英国人？你是哪国人 ？(You are not British? Where are you from?)
2. Teachers summarize and comment: 我也不是英国人，我是从中 国来的。We are immigrants 移民 and introduce the topic “Chinese Immigration”. If 移民 is a new word, read it several times and ask students to follow.
3. Then ask students to answer the following questions if most students belong to immigrant families. If not, ask students whether they know some immigrant families.
a. Do you know who is the first one in your family to come to Britain? b. Do you know where your hometown is? Have you ever been there? c. Do you know a story of an immigrant family?
* If the student is from mainland China, ask him/her to point out on the map which province their family are from.
* Otherwise, teachers can tell some background of their family accordingly and point out on the map which province their family are from.
20 1. Introduce a song “Descendants of Dragon” (龙的传人) by playing PowerPoint mins the video. Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igs788j02Os&feature=fvsr Activity Sheet 1 & 2 2. Tell the students that this version of song is sung by Leehom Wang, a famous American-Born Chinese singer. In this video he is telling us a story of Chinese people and also sharing his family story. He was born in New York and came from an immigrant family from Taiwan.
3. Show the lyrics to the students (refer to Activity Sheet 1) and explain 龙 的 传 人 (Descendants of Dragon) and emphasize one sentence in the song: 黑眼睛，黑头发，黄皮肤，永永远远是龙的传人。
If students have not learned words like 皮肤，永远, explain and read a few more times.
4. Ask students how to identify a Chinese face and then tell them we may use the colour of hair, eyes, skin to identity a person of a particular race. Show them the photo (Refer to Activity Sheet 2); ask them whether we identify a person’s race from these characteristics.
5. Discuss the difference between race and nationality. Help students 4 toProduced understand as part the of the British London multicultural China Town Oral and History multiracial Project with society materials by from CMHA and givingMing-Ai a (London)brief ethnicity Institute. education. Lesson plan (Refer designed to by Teachers’ Ming-Ai (London) Resources Institute. 1)
6. Ask students to identify the young people in the photo (Refer to Activity Sheet 2) according to the national standard for ethnic Activity Sheet 1 - Lyrics
龙的传人 (Descendants of Dragon)
遥远的东方有一条江，它的名字就叫长江；
遥远的东方有一条河，它的名字就叫黄河。
虽不曾看见长江美，梦里常神游长江水；
虽不曾听见黄河壮，澎湃汹涌在梦里。
古老的东方有一条龙，它的名字就叫中国；
古老的东方有一群人，他们全都是龙的传人。
巨龙脚底下我成长，长成以后是龙的传人；
黑眼睛，黑头发，黄皮肤，永永远远是龙的传人。
****** (the singer’s own story) 多年前宁静的一个夜，我们全家人到了纽约；
野火呀烧不尽在心间，每夜每天对家的思念。
别人土地上我成长，长成以后是龙的传人；
巨龙巨龙你擦亮眼，永永远远的擦亮眼。
Reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igs788j02Os&feature=fvsr
Produced as part of the London Chinatown Oral History Project with materials from CMHA and Ming- 5 Ai (London) Institute. Lesson plan designed by Ming-Ai (London) Institute. Activity Sheet 2
Can we identify a person’s race from their appearance?
What is the difference between race and nationality?
Reference: http://www.iser.essex.ac.uk/projects/disparities-in-childrens-health-and-behaviour
6 Produced as part of the London China Town Oral History Project with materials from CMHA and Ming-Ai (London) Institute. Lesson plan designed by Ming-Ai (London) Institute. Activity Sheet 3
My Oral History Interview
Interview your family member (or someone you know) about his/her family immigration history.
Interviewee: ______Interviewer: ______
Date: ______Place:______
Suggested interview questions:
1. Where were you born?
2. When did you come to the UK? Why?
3. Can you tell me an interesting story or unforgettable memory when you first came to the UK?
4. Did you have any difficulty when you first came to the UK? How did you overcome it?
5. What’s the difference between your hometown and the UK?
6. What’s your first impression of Chinatown? Can you tell any differences in Chinatown between now and then?
7. From your point of view, what’s the role of the Chinatown in Chinese Community?
8. (please specify any other questions you wish to ask)
Produced as part of the London Chinatown Oral History Project with materials from CMHA and Ming- 7 Ai (London) Institute. Lesson plan designed by Ming-Ai (London) Institute. Activity Sheet 4 - Lyrics
家族歌 (Family Song)
爸爸的爸爸叫什么？爸爸的爸爸叫爷爷。
爸爸的妈妈叫什么？爸爸的妈妈叫奶奶。
爸爸的哥哥叫什么？爸爸的哥哥叫伯伯。
爸爸的弟弟叫什么？爸爸的弟弟叫叔叔。
爸爸的姐妹叫什么？爸爸的姐妹叫姑姑。
妈妈的爸爸叫什么？妈妈的爸爸叫外公。
妈妈的妈妈叫什么？妈妈的妈妈叫外婆。
妈妈的兄弟叫什么？妈妈的兄弟叫舅舅。
妈妈的姐妹叫什么？妈妈的姐妹叫阿姨。
******
爷爷，爸爸的爸爸叫爷爷； 奶奶，爸爸的妈妈叫奶奶。 伯伯，爸爸的哥哥叫伯伯； 叔叔，爸爸的弟弟叫叔叔。 姑姑，爸爸的姐妹叫姑姑； 外公，妈妈的爸爸叫外公。 外婆，妈妈的妈妈叫外婆； 舅舅，妈妈的兄弟叫舅舅。 阿姨，妈妈的姐妹叫阿姨。
8 Produced as part of the London China Town Oral History Project with materials from CMHA and Ming-Ai (London) Institute. Lesson plan designed by Ming-Ai (London) Institute. Produced as part of the London Chinatown Oral History Project with materials from CMHA and Ming- 9 Ai (London) Institute. Lesson plan designed by Ming-Ai (London) Institute. Activity Sheet 5 – Family Tree
A sample of family tree in Chinese:
Reference: http://www.tsac.co.uk/genealogy/tutorial.php
A sample of family tree in English:
Reference: http://tracingancestors-uk.com/organizing-records/how-to-draw-a-family-tree
10 Produced as part of the London China Town Oral History Project with materials from CMHA and Ming-Ai (London) Institute. Lesson plan designed by Ming-Ai (London) Institute. Activity Sheet 6 – My Family Tree
Produced as part of the London Chinatown Oral History Project with materials from CMHA and Ming- 11 Ai (London) Institute. Lesson plan designed by Ming-Ai (London) Institute. Activity Sheet 7 – A Chinese Letter
Four main parts of a Chinese Letter
1. Heading 2. Main body 3. Best wishes 4. Signature and date
Heading: First line from the very left. Normally use 敬爱的， 亲爱的 before the title/name. You can directly write the name if the letter is for any of your peers younger than you, or for a younger generation.
Main body: 1. Greeting 2. State your purpose of writing the letter e.g. ask/talk about the addressee’s things, tell something about youself, anything you wish for or hope to do, or any request etc.
Note: Leave two blank character spaces before each paragraph. No blank space is needed if changing a line in the same
Best Wishes: Normally in two separate lines. SignThe & first Date: line From is from the the middle very to left,the rightusing words such as 此致, 祝, 愿…. Second line: 2 blank character spaces are needed, using words such as: 敬礼, 健康、安
12 Produced as part of the London China Town Oral History Project with materials from CMHA and Ming-Ai (London) Institute. Lesson plan designed by Ming-Ai (London) Institute. Activity Sheet 8
Please write the numbers (from 1 to 9) in a right sequence to write a proper Chinese letter.
希望[明年春节] 我可以回[香港]探望你们。
[身体健康，生活愉快]!
你们好！好想念你们！
[去年夏天]你们来英国, 我们度过了[一段快乐的时光]!
我们一起参观了[白金汉宫]和[大本钟]，到[唐人街]吃了[点心]和[火锅]， 还看了[音乐剧]。
敬祝
亲爱的[爷爷奶奶]:
孙女:海伦
二零一二年十月六日
Produced as part of the London Chinatown Oral History Project with materials from CMHA and Ming- 13 Ai (London) Institute. Lesson plan designed by Ming-Ai (London) Institute. Teachers’ Resources
1. A Brief Ethnicity Education
1.1 What is an ethnic group?
According to the national standard in the UK, “Ethnicity is complex to define as it is multi- faceted. Importantly, ethnicity is subjective: a person should self-assign his or her own ethnic group. While other people may view an individual as having a distinct ethnic identity, the individual's view of their own identity takes priority. Features that help to define ethnic group are as follows:
a shared history; a common cultural tradition; a common geographical origin; descent from common ancestors; a common language; a common religion; and forming a distinct group within a larger community.
While an ethnic group is sometimes perceived as a minority within a larger community, ethnic groups cover people from all communities not just those of African, Caribbean, Asian or Chinese backgrounds. For example, White British people are an ethnic group. Because they outnumber all other ethnic groups in England, comprising 87% of the population, they are the majority ethnic group at the national level. White Irish people are an ethnic group because they only comprise 1.3% of the population thus they are a minority ethnic group at the national level.”
1.2 The national standard for ethnic group and its codes
“ From April 2001, Department of Health, Trusts and councils have used, as a National Standard, a set of 16 codes to record the ethnic group of patients, services users and staff (see the box below). The codes are identical to those used in the 2001 ONS census, in accordance with ONS guidance on national standards. They are grouped under five headings: White; Mixed; Asian or Asian British; Black or Black British; and Chinese or other ethnic group.”
14 Produced as part of the London China Town Oral History Project with materials from CMHA and Ming-Ai (London) Institute. Lesson plan designed by Ming-Ai (London) Institute. Reference: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ +/www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/Browsabl e/DH_5319155
2. Brief history of the Chinese community in Britain
The Chinese community in Britain has a history dating back to the 1880's. The earlier settlers were predominantly seafarers and cooks who established small communities in the dock-land areas of the main seaports but predominantly in London's Limehouse and the Pitt Street area of Liverpool. These communities were to remain relatively small until the mid-1940s although the presence of around 20,000 transient seafarers, who were recruited to support the machinery of war, would have contributed to the myth that the Chinese population was growing at a rapid rate.
The 1950s witnessed larger scale migration to Britain as a result of land reforms in Hong Kong. New arrivals during this period were largely from the rural areas who were quickly settled into the labour intensive catering industry. Since the 1950's a steady stream of students, nurses and other professionals have been coming Britain from Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and other areas. The end of the 1970's saw the arrival of the 'Boat People', many of whom were ethnic Chinese from Vietnam. The end of the Cultural Revolution and the demise of the “Gang of Four” heralded the gradual opening up of China to the rest of the world. This was followed by an increase in the number of mainland Chinese students and researchers arriving in Britain, some of whom had chosen to stay and obtained permanent citizenship. During the past ten years the number of people arriving from Hong Kong has risen. This is largely due to anxieties around the pending return of the colony to Chinese rule in June 1997. Apparently 50,000 families have been granted British Citizenship in order to restore confidence in democracy in the aftermath of the Tiannenman Square incident in 1989.
Owing to the change of economic environment and the hard work of their parents, the second generation Chinese who were born in Britain are believed to have more work and education opportunities. According to official statistics in 2004, only under half of Chinese immigrants in employment worked in the catering trades.
Although the Chinese population is relatively small in comparison to other ethnic communities in Britain, it is growing steadily and the most significant migration from China began in the mid-1980s
Produced as part of the London Chinatown Oral History Project with materials from CMHA and Ming- 15 Ai (London) Institute. Lesson plan designed by Ming-Ai (London) Institute. onwards which coincided with the relaxed Chinese restrictions on emigration, and has continued until today.
References: 1. Chinese Mental Health Issues in Britain (1997). Edited by Lydia Yee and Shun Au, Mental Health Foundation.
2. The British-Born Chinese Community Website: http://www.britishbornchinesedb.org.uk/chinese-immigration.html
3. The Origins of London Chinatown
The area we now know as Chinatown had a very different face in the 16th century. A map of 1585 shows no houses or buildings of any sort in the locality, which was then known as St. Martin’s Field. A Royal Decree prohibiting building within a three mile radius of the then City of London meant that there were only a few dwellings on the land. Later on as more money was needed by the Crown this ruling could be circumvented by those prepared to pay extra to build on the grounds. This is what happened in St. Martin’s Field when in 1615; the newly created “Military Company” acquired the region and used it as a training ground, building a parameter wall and later a huge gymnasium.
In 1666 the Great Fire of London ravaged the city and so began the second phase in the history of the site. During the few days it took for the fire to decimate London, 13,000 homes were destroyed and more than 100,000 of the city’s moneyed inhabitants were made homeless. To provide new homes for these well heeled denizens, focus landed on St. Martin’s Field, a site close to the three palaces of Westminster, Whitehall and St. James's. The development led to the construction of Gerrard Street and Newport Market, which later became Newport Place and Newport Court. These and other streets would many years later house a thriving London Chinatown.
The journey for the community we see in this area today took several twists and turns before its present conception. The first incarnation of Chinatown appeared in the Limehouse district of East London in the late 19th century and lasted until the early 20th century. The first inhabitants of the fledgling Chinatown mostly comprised of seamen who for various reasons had stayed on in Britain. Some of them had been made redundant and therefore had no option but to stay whilst others had purposefully avoided their next voyage. The presence of this
16 Produced as part of the London China Town Oral History Project with materials from CMHA and Ming-Ai (London) Institute. Lesson plan designed by Ming-Ai (London) Institute. community had a mushrooming effect in which other small enterprises such as Chinese shops and cafes sprang up. During this time the Chinese proved their organisational power by recognising the need to work to improve living standards and help their community. They did this by founding the “Ching Yee” trade union. This was a skill they would harness to help them achieve considerable successes over the years.
Many began to run businesses in Limehouse, several of which were laundries and, by 1914, there were around 30 operating in the area. However, these achievements were thwarted by events which posed a very real threat to their continued existence in London. The post war years in Britain led to the eventual decline of the first Chinatown in London. The destruction of Limehouse during the Blitz; the dwindling British shipping industry; and the advent of high street launderettes saw a migration of the Chinese out of the East End.
By 1950 there were approximately 2000 Chinese in Britain. Whilst some had moved to Liverpool, others remained in the capital where they sought new opportunities. Luckily this dismal picture changed with the return of the British soldiers from the Far East. They brought back with them a broadened palate eager to taste more of the Chinese cuisine they had encountered. At the time there were only two or three restaurants in the West End and many Chinese saw the opportunity to move into the area and capitalise on this emerging market. This marked the beginning of the second phase of the Chinese presence in London and the foundations were laid for modern day Chinatown.
This had a knock on effect and lured by the cheap rents and short leases in and around Gerrard Street other Chinese trades began to prosper. The reason for the low cost rents was the then seedy reputation of Soho. Where there had once been genteel inhabitants living in elegant houses there were now brothels and sex shops. The developments in the wake of the Great Fire had lent grandeur to the locality but, this early splendour had not lasted and, by the mid 18th century, the area was rundown. Instead it became home for different immigrant populations, each one taking over from the next. The first were the French Huguenots, the Italians, the Jews and then the Chinese.
As the wives and children of the Chinese workers moved to Britain the community in the area grew larger and, the presence of this new phenomenon around Gerrard Street was noticed. By 1961 over 2000 ex-residents of the New Territories arrived in the UK to work in the booming restaurant trade. A Daily Telegraph article in 1970, titled “The Strange Community of Gerrard Street” highlighted the growing interest in early Chinatown. One of the first paragraphs talks
Produced as part of the London Chinatown Oral History Project with materials from CMHA and Ming- 17 Ai (London) Institute. Lesson plan designed by Ming-Ai (London) Institute. about this rapid growth from solely restaurants to a populace who are serviced by ‘Chinese barbers, Chinese beauty parlours, Chinese mini-cabs, accountants, bookshops and libraries, supermarkets, travel agents, gambling clubs and even a chamber of trade’.
The article highlighted the tremendous ability the Chinese displayed in making the area their own. Whilst the article states that many of the Chinese encountered were unable to speak any English, the community as a whole were running successful businesses and simultaneously improving the area. The most interesting question the article posed was how the second generation of Chinese would assimilate with British society whilst maintaining their own culture. The introduction of schools to teach children their mother tongue helped in maintaining links to their homeland. London clubs were hired in the early seventies onwards with Chinese films playing to packed audiences. One businessman set up a small cinema on Wardour Street showing movies from Hong Kong and Taiwan. Projecting rooms were rented showing movies obtained free of charge from the Chinese Embassy. Eventually the Odeon and Empire cinemas in Leicester Square were rented out at weekends showing Chinese movies starting at 1am! These and other social groups and events all helped to sustain ties to China.
As the population of Chinatown grew, so did the need for greater co-operation to facilitate the needs and wants of the community. On 2nd August 1978, the London Chinese Chinatown Association (LCCA) was born. It forged stronger links with the City Council, Police and the community outside of Soho. The following year the Chinese Community Centre was opened which provided a translation and interpreter services. The Centre was a popular place for gatherings and social events. It also gave the older residents of Chinatown a place to meet and connect with their peer group. This type of community spirit helped to foster the unique character of Chinatown and, as a piece in the Evening Standard of 1972 asserted, ‘increasing numbers of tourists come to see a fascinating corner of cosmopolitan London’.
In the 60’s and 70’s many Chinese also realised this uniqueness by giving it the nickname of “The Imperial City”. This name alluded to the fact that unlike Chinatowns in other parts of the world, London’s Chinatown was in a central location in the heart of the capital city.
From the mid eighties, in recognition of the area’s significance, Westminster City Council began a series of initiatives to improve the area. In 1984, collaboration between the then Greater London Council, City of Westminster, and the local Chinese community resulted in the restoration of Lisle Street’s 18th century shop fronts.
18 Produced as part of the London China Town Oral History Project with materials from CMHA and Ming-Ai (London) Institute. Lesson plan designed by Ming-Ai (London) Institute. In 1985, the first organised Chinese New Year took place, and by the end of the 80s, Gerrard Street, parts of Newport Place and Macclesfield Street become pedestrianised. Chinese gates, street furniture and a Chinese pagoda were erected. The pagoda, the gates and the stone lions in Gerrard Street become known as the “Three sights of Chinatown”.
In 2002, the Chinese New Year celebrations expanded to include Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square. The multi-stakeholder commitment to Chinatown has kept its momentum with the consultation and implementation of the Chinatown Action Plan in 2003. In November 2004, the Chinatown Action Plan Steering Group, made up of LCCA, MET, Shaftesbury Plc and the City Council were nominated for a Community Initiative of the Year award.
This is a far cry from the early beginnings amongst the seedy stores of 50’s Soho. The progress of the last half-century has been made possible primarily due to the hard work and determination of the Chinatown community. The area is a symbol of the community’s success and a testament to the ingenuity and character of its inhabitants.
References: 1. The New Londoners Website: http://www.thenewlondoners.co.uk/news-a-features/107-feature-entertainment/385-my- chinese-london 2. The London Chinatown Chinese Association Website: http://www.thelondonchinatown.org.uk/pages/history.php 3. The Chinatown London Website http://www.chinatownlondon.org/page/through-the-ages/3/4
4. Cultural Characteristics of the Chinese community in the UK
The Chinese communities in Britain are diverse in terms of historical, political and cultural backgrounds, although a majority came from the same Chinese culture, they may speak a variety of dialects. After the ‘Opium Wars’ which occurred in the mid-19th Century, many Chinese, especially those in Canton and Fujian provinces in southern China started to migrate to other South East Asian counties such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. After a few generations of settlement in the latter countries, the now overseas Chinese who came from these countries adapted to their new environments and now have a very different way of living compared to those from Hong Kong, Taiwan or mainland China.
Produced as part of the London Chinatown Oral History Project with materials from CMHA and Ming- 19 Ai (London) Institute. Lesson plan designed by Ming-Ai (London) Institute. Diverse social, political, economic, and cultural structures have been formed and serve to differentiate outwardly similar countries and influence their organizational environments and those who work in them. That is, institutions of each nation have developed their own shape, and culture and these, at different levels and emphasis, are worthy of reflection.
However, all Chinese communities do share a common ethno-cultural heritage and code of conduct based on Confucianism which reflected a hierarchical social system. In fact, there is a tendency among many Western academics to view Southeast and East Asian countries as an undifferentiated "Confucian" group.
Such a social system requires respect for people of a higher order, such as younger generations respecting their elders, wives respecting their husbands, students respecting their teachers, and all citizens should respect authority. For thousands of years, this social hierarchical system has been practiced and handed down from generation to generation in China. It has a vast impact on the social, cultural and political life of all Chinese societies regardless of where these societies are based (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianism).
Based on the influence of Confucianism, Chinese people are culturally reverential to authority. Many are reluctant to express their emotions openly in order to maintain the ‘status quo’ in terms of social and harmony, or to avoid exposure of personal weakness.
References:
Community Engagement Research Report on the exploration of the mental health needs and experiences of the Chinese Community in Barnet (2007). Chinese Mental Health Association.
5. The first generation Chinese migrants in the UK
Most of the Chinese older people endured hardship and trauma during the Second World War in their country of origin. A high proportion of them originally came from rural areas in Hong Kong and southern parts of Mainland China and have relatively low levels of education. According to the Home Affairs Committee Report 1995, approximately 70-80% of first generation immigrants do not speak English. Not being able to speak and write English is therefore a predominant issue for first generation Chinese immigrants.
20 Produced as part of the London China Town Oral History Project with materials from CMHA and Ming-Ai (London) Institute. Lesson plan designed by Ming-Ai (London) Institute. In London, the most common mental health problems in the older Chinese people were dementia, anxiety and depression.
The major mental health issues encountered by the older Chinese people in the UK based on the Chinese Mental Health Association Community Engagement Research can be summarised as follows:
Language barriers
Language barriers are the most common problem Chinese communities face. Language barriers hindered elderly people from seeking medical attention because of difficulties communicating with health professionals. Research shows that about 50 per cent of the Chinese older people would need an interpreting service to see their GP or other health professionals; 74 per cent encountered difficulties when they sought professional help.
Isolation
Most elderly people from Chinese ethnic groups were born outside the UK. Most of them worked in the catering business before they retired. Language barriers and long working hours prevented them from having regular contact with wider society. After retirement, their social network tended to remain limited; they also become highly dependent on their children for emotional and language support.
Family values
The Chinese communities in Britain are diverse in terms of historical, political and cultural backgrounds, even though the majority came from the same Chinese culture. Chinese culture is highly complex but, despite the diversity of Chinese communities, many share similar cultural characteristics, for example the emphasis on family values.
‘Family as a whole will thrive and prosper if harmony prevails at home’, is an old saying that has been passed on from generation to generation among the Chinese. Chinese value the importance of the family, the hierarchical structure of social life, the cultivation of morality and self-restraint and the emphasis on hard work and achievement. Family units as a whole will
Produced as part of the London Chinatown Oral History Project with materials from CMHA and Ming- 21 Ai (London) Institute. Lesson plan designed by Ming-Ai (London) Institute. usually take precedence over their individual members. Children are taught to show respect and obedience to their parents. These concepts are seen as virtues to be cultivated.
The second generation of Chinese grew up with Western cultures and an English speaking world. Therefore older Chinese people in the UK may feel frustrated and isolated when the gap between them and their children creates conflicts in preserving traditional family values. This study will therefore also look at the impact of family life of the mental well being of the Chinese older people in the UK.
The silent ones
In close-knit community networks, Chinese people with mental health problems and their families have a tendency to conceal their difficulties. Chinese people are discouraged from expressing their emotions openly in order to maintain the ‘status quo’ in terms of social harmony, or to avoid exposure of personal weakness. In addition, the Chinese are a socially attached community. They would rather share their problems with someone close to them or someone they trust.
References:
1. Community Engagement Research Report on Investigating the barriers and difficulties faced by the older Chinese people in Tower Hamlets and Hackney in coping with mental health issues’ (2008). Chinese Mental Health Association.
2. Chinese Mental Health Issues in Britain (1997). Edited by Lydia Yee and Shun Au, Mental Health Foundation.
London Chinatown Oral History Project
22 Produced as part of the London China Town Oral History Project with materials from CMHA and Ming-Ai (London) Institute. Lesson plan designed by Ming-Ai (London) Institute.