APPENDIX THREE SUMMARY OF SURVEY DATA June 2000 141 completed surveys General characteristics Age: 18-24 – 17% 25-29 – 14.2% 30-39 – 18.4% 40-49 – 19.1% 50-59 – 12.8% 60-69 – 12.8% 70 and older – 4.3% Generation: The vast majority of respondents either 2nd generation (born in SA) at 43.3% OR 3rd generation (born here and parents born here) at 42.6%. Sex: 46.1% of respondents male, 49.6% female Language Abilities Chinese Ability to speak Chinese limited. Only 13.5% speak fluently, 31.9% speak somewhat, and 29.8 speak very little; 14.9% speak none. Respondents’ ability to read and write Chinese even more limited. Only 2.1% read well, 8.5% somewhat, 20.6% with difficulty, and 54.6 read none. Only 3.5% write well, 5% somewhat, 25.5% very little, and 52.5% write none. English, Afrikaans, and African languages Vast majority of respondents speaks, read, and write English at 97.2%, 96.5%, and 97.1% respectively. 40-50% also reports that they speak, read, and write Afrikaans well. Very few Chinese South Africans speak an African language (7.1% report to speak somewhat); fewer still profess an ability to read or write: 0.7% read well, 1.4% read somewhat, and 0.7% write somewhat. Other languages 22 people (15.6%) responded that they know some other language. Of these, the majority reported knowing French (15 respondents). Home language Over 50% speak only English at home; another 31% speak both English and a Chinese language at home. Only 5.7% speak only Chinese in the home. Education The respondents have a very high level of education. 22% have completed some type of post-graduate degree or diploma; 39% have completed technikon or university; another 14.9% have completed some technikon or university. APPENDIX THREE 354 SUMMARY OF SURVEY DATA Chinese South African Identities Only 14.2 attended government/English primary school; 31.2% attended private English school; and 46.1% attended Chinese primary school. An additional 7.8% attended predominantly Coloured primary schools. For secondary schooling, 18.4% attended government/English schools, 37.6% attended private English schools, and 31.2% attend Chinese schools. Again, approx. 7% attended Coloured schools. 7 respondents (5%) did not attend secondary school. For university and/or technikon, the majority (55.3%) attended government/English institutions; 15.6% attended private institutions. 2 people attended Coloured institutions, 1 person went to an Indian tertiary institution, and 6 attended Afrikaans institutions. 29 respondents do not have tertiary education. Occupation/Income Occupationally, the respondents were scattered across the board, with the largest numbers of them employed in private sector (20.6%) or self-employed (22.7%). Another 10.6% were in the high tech/computer industries, 13.5% in manufacturing, and 11.3% unemployed (or full-time students, homemakers, or retirees). Most of those employed count themselves as either professionals (48.9%) or are proprietors/self-employed (21.3%). Another 12.1% works in administrative or commercial jobs. While 22 respondents declined to answer the question regarding income, of those who responded, 17% earn over R200,000 per year, another 17% earn between R100,000 and R199,999, clearly putting them solidly in the middle and upper middle classes of South Africa. However, there was almost one quarter (23.5%) that earns less than R40,000 per year. While some of these would include the 11-12% of those who count themselves unemployed, this still leaves a significant number living on a very low income. Residence Almost half (47.5%) of the respondents were born in Gauteng. Another 35.5% were born in the Eastern Cape; this is congruent with the general population dispersion of Chinese South Africans in the country. The largest communities of Chinese South Africans were born in the greater Johannesburg area (34.8%), Port Elizabeth (33.3), and Pretoria (12.1). Most others can be found in Cape Town (4.3) and Kimberley (7.1). Other smaller communities are in East London (0.7%) and Durban (1.4%). 4 of the respondents (2.8%) were born overseas. There were slight population shifts between where people were born and where they grew up. Again the greatest populations were still in Johannesburg (34.8%), PE (33.3%), and Pretoria (11.3%). The greatest shifts occurred between where people grew up and where they currently reside. There seems to be a move from the smaller towns to the larger cities and another move out of the country. Johannesburg still claimed the largest proportion of the respondents with 38.3%. 26.2% were still in PE, 7.1% in Pretoria, 5.7% in Cape APPENDIX THREE 355 SUMMARY OF SURVEY DATA Chinese South African Identities Town, and 5.0% in Kimberley. However, 16 people (or 11.3%) of the survey population are currently living overseas (mostly in Canada). About 1/3 (33.3%) of the respondents said that they had been forced to move at some point in their lives. The majority of respondents live in nuclear families (55.3%). Another 23.4% live with (only) their spouse or partner. 6.4% live alone and only 5.7% live with 3 generations in the home (including parents and children or grandparents). The majority lives in predominantly white neighbourhoods (55.3%); another 26.2% report that they live in mixed neighbourhoods; and 14.9% live in predominantly Chinese neighbourhoods. The latter are probably all respondents from PE’s Kabega Park area, which was a former group area designated for the Chinese. More than ¾ of the respondents (85.1%) report that there are other Chinese in their neighbourhoods. The vast majority of the respondents report that they live in middle class (51.1%) or upper middle class (29.1%) neighbourhoods. Friendships/Relationships When asked to describe their closest friends, 28.4% stated that friends were mostly Chinese, 8.5% said they were mostly white, and 33.3% said that they were mostly Chinese and white. Almost 10% (9.2%) named Indians, together with Chinese and/or whites as their closest friends. 12.1% reported to have a mixed group of friends. In terms of work relationships, about 10% reported mostly Chinese, about 10% reported mostly white, and 22% reported mostly white and Chinese. However, 43% reported that they work in a completely mixed environment. In terms of organised activities, sporting and social activities seem to be conducted with mostly Chinese friends at 14.9% and 27% respectively. Professional associations appear to be more mixed (22%) or with white colleagues (12.1%). Religious activities are also mixed (19.1%), with mostly Chinese friends (12.1%), or with mostly white friends (9.9%). Almost 1/3 of the respondents (31.9%) is not married. Of those who are married, 48.9% are married to other Chinese South Africans and 11.3% are married to white South Africans. Of the few remaining respondents, 1 person is married to an Indian South African, 7 are married to other (non-SA) Chinese, and 3 are married to non-SA, non- Chinese (including a white American, a Japanese Canadian, and a Romanian). In terms of dating relationships, more than 1/3 has only dated other Chinese South Africans (37.6%). Another 27% have dated white and Chinese South Africans. Only 1 person ever dated a Black South African; 8 have dated Coloured; 6 dated Indian; and 18 dated other non-SA Chinese. APPENDIX THREE 356 SUMMARY OF SURVEY DATA Chinese South African Identities Relative Outmarriage 64.4% had relatives who married white South Africans, 5.7% married Indian South African; 17.7% married Coloured; 0 married Black South African. In terms of non- South Africans, 12.8% had relatives who married other Chinese, and 25.5% married to other non-SA, non-Chinese. Of these, the majority was white Canadians (8), white Australians (8), or white Brits (9). Religion About 1/3 of the respondents report that they are Roman Catholics (35.5%), and another 1/3 report that they are Anglican (31.9%). Only 4 respondents claim to be Buddhist and/or Confucian. Of the 13.5% who indicated that they were members of “other” religious groups, 5 are Baptists, 5 are Pentecostals, and 5 are non-denominational Christians. Chinese festivals/cultural practices The most celebrated of the Chinese festivals is the lunar New Year, which is currently observed by 2/3 of the respondents (66%). Another 22% report having observed it in the past. Another 41.8% still observe tomb-sweeping days, which take place twice a year to commemorate the lives of and show respect to deceased ancestors. Only about 1/5 of the respondents observe the moon festival, and fewer still observe the dragon boat festival (11.4%). Double Ten, which is more of a political celebration, observed by both the ROC and the PRC is currently observed by 43.2% of the population. However, as many of the respondents and interviewees explained to me, this was mostly because festivals were sponsored and paid for by the ROC and/or PRC governments and because it served as a good excuse to get together with other Chinese friends. Considering that most respondents are 2nd or 3rd generation Chinese, the fact that so many still observe traditional Chinese festivals and cultural practices may seem odd. In fact, many of the younger people seem to attend these events out of family obligation with little to no understanding of their meaning and/or purpose. In addition, I would argue that the influence of apartheid laws, in segregating the Chinese population, might have, indeed, helped to reinforce these practices.