Introduction Although Chinese people may have landed in the UK since as early as the 1880s, it was only until the 1950s that more Chinese have arrived in the country. This was partly due to cross-ocean transportation between Europe and the Far East, on which long haul migration had to depend before the age of mass air-transportation, had been made difficult over the period of the two World Wars that took place in the early part of the 20th Century. The Chinese population in the UK increased when the arrivals accelerated to a new peak, as the Thatcher Government, in a space of a few years, took in some 15,000 displaced persons from the refugee camps in Hong Kong, whilst in general relaxing restrictions on visa applications for such entries as family reunion, academic exchange, business investments and so on. The 2001 Census put the total of Chinese in the UK at just over 240,000, but the “real life” Chinese community is now believed to be much larger, as ethnic Chinese people arriving from Southeast Asia, who would have in most cases been officially registered as Malaysians, Singaporeans, etc., regard themselves as Chinese and hence take part in the Chinese community activities. Furthermore, tens of thousands of Chinese from Mainland China have landed here since the last Census, who are apparently yet to be included in the statistics.
Second Generation of Chinese and Young Chinese People People tend to define arrivals from a foreign land to settle in a new country as first generation migrants, and their children, who are born in the new homeland, as belonging to the second generation. According to information available, one third of the current UK Chinese population that is officially recorded, were born in the UK. In other words, one in three Chinese people we meet in the streets, in theory, is native born. They are therefore categorized as second generation Chinese, sometimes also referred to by their non-UK born counterparts as BBC (Chinese Born Chinese) for short. Now, given that the 1950s were the decade that saw the largest arrivals of Chinese after the Second World War, the majority of the BBC would be below the age of 50; and within the group, a considerable proportion of persons would have been born after the mid 1970s, considering the large number of arrivals since that time. Among the BBC, though, some may actually belong to the Third Generation. Indeed, since the first groups of Chinese arrived in the UK as early as the late 19th century, their descendents might have been here for generations, even though the number may be relatively small.
Whereas youth often donates teenage years, generally speaking, and in the context of a wider population, young people are referred to those under the age of thirty. Accordingly, some of the BBC, although belonging to the “Second Generation” of Chinese in the UK, are no longer in the category of “young people”. Likewise, the term “young people” may include many who were actually born outside the country. Thus, there is the need to note that the notion of “Young Chinese People” is not necessarily inclusive of all the “Second Generation Chinese”. However, although a young person may not have been native born, she or he may have lived in the UK since a young age, receiving education and being brought up largely in a Western environment; thus, like the BBC, she/he is also Westernized. It is because of their rather distinctive upbringing experiences and educational qualities, when referring to this particular group of persons that is somehow Westernized, unwittingly or not, people tend to include all those brought up in this country, regardless of either age or birthplace of the individual in question. Group Characteristics The total of the so-called “Westernized Chinese” population - a combination between BBC and young Chinese brought up but not born in this country - is thus well over one third of the total Chinese population in the UK. The overwhelming majority of the group is young, and can be distinguished by a number of characteristics, supposedly not seen in the rest of the Chinese population. Firstly, they are better schooled than their older counterparts. Secondly, they speak English as the first language and many cannot speak Chinese or only have a limited vocabulary of the language. That said, most parents still consider sending their young children to weekend mother-tongue classes to be important. Indeed, as Mandarin becomes increasingly important in the international business environment, it can be expected that more Chinese parents will send their young children to weekend schools in the future. At any rate, being brought up in a Western cultural environment, most young Chinese people are thought to have a less degree of understanding of Chinese traditional culture and values, in comparison with people of the older generation. Few of them, for example, understand the concept of Feng-shui, thought to be one of the most visible marks of traditional beliefs that perhaps form part of what is known as Chinese culture. On the other hand, they are thought to be more independent in thinking, more outward looking and less family-orientated in such regards, for example, as getting married at a younger age as their predecessors would. Most of all, they are in general more career-minded and “care-free”, having a vision of their own for the future they wish to develop in life. With regard to employment, if most of the “First Generation” of Chinese work in the catering sector, young Chinese people are no longer see this as the field where future can be explored. Whilst complaining that their children are no longer interested in continuing the family business, older people on the other hand appear pleased to see them landing careers in the mainstream sectors. Academically many Chinese children are high flyers, excelling in particular in IT and science subjects. Indeed the proportion of Chinese young people receiving Higher Education is the highest among ethnic groups in the country. Although related statistics does not appear to provide details about the occupation patterns of young Chinese workers in the UK, the general assumption, however, is that a substantial proportion of young Chinese serves in the private sectors, working in such fields as banking, accountancy, international trade, software development, legal advice and so on. On the other hand, for those employed in the public sector, medical care, administration and management are the more popular areas. By comparison, those making careers in the arm forces and the law and order institutions are so far still a minority.
Politics – A Virgin Territory for Young Chinese People Official figures show that the Chinese are the group with the second lowest rates of election registration in the country, after only the Caribbean community. In London, where the Chinese population totals over 80,000, roughly 65,000 are eligible for voting; however, one third of these eligible voters do not bother to register. Moreover, even some of those registered are not actually exercising their voting rights in elections. The low level of participation by the Chinese community in elections, and in politics in general, has now become a source for concern. Whilst the low turn-out rates in local and national elections in recent years may be in some way a national phenomenon, the fact that the Chinese, being one of the largest ethnic minority groups in the country and with an ever increasing number of newcomers, lack a voice in the decision-making process that concerns their very own well-being, cannot be regarded as an encouraging sign. As noted, since the total number of Chinese young people is well over one third of the entire community’s total, it may be safe to assume that a substantial of those not registering for votes has come from within the younger population. When commenting on the low level of participation by Chinese in community affairs and mainstream politics, people often rush to the rationale that it is the language barrier that hampers the efforts made by the Chinese. However, in this case, most of the non-participants appear to have come from the group for which English is the first language. Language barrier alone apparently cannot explain away the reasons behind this deficiency. Then why do young Chinese people stay away from politics? Is the phenomenon personal, family or cultural? Or is the problem something entirely not their making? Apparently there could be a number of reasons explaining the lack of interest in politics among young Chinese people. Nonetheless, no tangible information thus far, regrettably, can provide a full answer to the questions raised. That said, the fact that most young Chinese want to aim for a career in a profession other than politics is not entirely a novelty. Traditionally speaking Chinese parents tend to encourage their offspring to study subjects that in their view can allow the children to make a good living and have a “bright” future, rather than read a degree in such politics related subjects as history, industrial relations or philosophy. Of course not all politicians have a degree in politics; rather, it is the absence of a burning zest that separates the youth from the politician. Apparently, the reason that young Chinese, and indeed Chinese migrants in general, are less enthusiastic in mainstream politics is deep-rooted. With this in mind, the way to address the issue rests more or less on how to prepare the youth with what he/she is lacking from within. This, among other things, includes key qualities such a sense of belonging, patriotism and political confidence. More importantly, these qualities are not born to be; rather, they can be, and in most cases have to be, acquired; and the acquisition of which, time, training, and above all, guidance and support, would be needed. Furthermore, without doubt, support would have to come from all the citizens of the wider community, in which everyone is expected to play his/her own part, however small that may be. As an established politician would admit, there is never any formal path that can guarantee someone a future in the political spotlight. If anything training, practice, direct involvement and participation are in most cases the more common methods through which confidence in politics may be built. Training workshops on basic information such as UK constitution and the technicalities relating to elections may be important for newcomers in politics as well as for migrants who have recently acquired British citizenship or Right of Abode in the UK. More support should be given to young people interested in community affairs and grassroots politics. Exchange should be encouraged with community groups of other ethnic backgrounds in order to learn from each other, as well as raise the profile of the Chinese community in the wider society. Final Remarks The Chinese community is one of the earliest migrant groups to have settled in the UK and made it their home. Over the past 150s years or so, through hard labour and endless efforts, Chinese migrants have contributed significantly to the UK’s economy. Tony Blair’s recent acknowledgements over the contribution made by Chinese people were perhaps, long overdue. In any case, in contrast to the contribution that has been made to the economy, the Chinese community has yet to have a voice that can truly represent itself and make parallel contribution to political debates that concern its members. This task may now have to be laid on the shoulders of the younger generation. As briefed, young Chinese people are on the whole talented people. They are educated, energetic, hardworking and quick to learn. They are some of the most law-abiding citizens in the country. The fact that many of them have been nurtured in both Eastern and Western cultures is a bonus rather than a weakness. In a recent campaign taking place in London, young people in particular were urged to register for elections. A small number of young people have also expressed their desire in fighting for local council seats. The question remained is how to mobilize more young people and equip them with the right qualities, knowledge and experience, capable of meeting the challenges and weathering possible storms on the political arena. The very first step for the Chinese community to make, is to acknowledge the need to be part of the wider community and have a voice in the decision-making process. And in this regard, everyone in the Chinese community, regardless of their personal background, is apparently having a role to assume. |
