Integration, not assimilation
不是融入， 而是当个整合的社会
The new generation of Chinese immigrants and British-born-Chinese are now integrated and are no longer reliant on community support like first-generation migrants were, as Professor Caroline Knowles found in her research mentioned in Part One. So what would become of the Chinese community in Leeds?
"The key point is integration, not assimilation,” says Leeds Lord Mayor, Councillor Jane Dowson.
“We want all the communities of Leeds to integrate with each other. It’s a diverse city and we want everybody to feel at home,” she says when asked about the integration within the Chinese community in Leeds.
Part of that ideal has come true already, as the new generation of British born Chinese (BBCs, as they call themselves) have integrated into society rather well and seem to be very much part of the English lifestyle. Unlike first generation immigrants, the BBCs have been born in the UK, grown up in a British neighbourhood and studied in a British school. They go out to the pubs and clubs like they would as young and energetic British youths would.
“My children are totally Westernised, and their way of thinking is very different from us,” says Mo Ching Chan. “I can say that they don’t care as much about the association and the community centre as they should.”
24-year-old Leeds local Carla Fong is proud of the fact that she is a BBC. “Other BBCs I know feel the same too, because it’s a bit of both in’nit,” Miss Fong shares. Most BBCs are able to speak both Chinese and English, while also understanding both cultures. And to her, that “is the best of both worlds.”
She also reveals that despite working at her parents’ takeaway now, she has no intention of taking over the business as she has her own plans. “It’s true that second-generation kids don’t want to carry on their parents’ businesses because we see how hard it is,” she says. Miss Fong knows many other BBCs who are in her position too.
Sadly, the slow deaths of first-generation Chinese restaurants and takeaways are creeping in quicker than we know because of this integration. Business has been reducing for small takeaways like Peter Chan’s Chinese Takeaway in LS6 (view his story here). Multiple Chinese restaurants in the supposed Chinatown area have closed. Ho’s restaurant on Vicar Lane was also shut down in 2017. Abandoned Chinese takeaways in small towns away from the city centre seem to be increasing as well. It seems that the older Cantonese and Hakka Chinese retire from the previously strong 1980s-born Chinese catering industry.
Perhaps this new leaf is giving way to new Asian-style restaurants with creative menus instead of the basic chow mein and kung pao chicken from takeaways. Instead, a new wave of Chinese food purveyors have taken over the lead, and have sprouted up across the city centre. Like HOME in LS2, and MANS Market on Wellington Street.
That isn’t the only change happening. Numbers of mainland Chinese students have also been on the rise in the city, as the Leeds Business Confucius Institute (BCI) shares that the University of Leeds alone has an estimated 3,000 Chinese students. Stronger bonds have been forged with sister universities in Beijing as well as Leeds’ ties with twin city Hangzhou.
Recently, the institute had supported the Leeds Chinese Student and Scholars Association in organising a Chinese New Year gala in the Town Hall. It was filled to the brim with mainland Chinese students who came to celebrate.
 Students didn't stick to solely performing traditional artforms, but also incorporated modern dance and song at the BCI and CSSA Chinese New Year Gala. (Photo credit: Shin Lee) |  University martial arts club members perform at the gala. (Photo credit: Shin Lee) |  A skillful student shows off his face-changing skills (Photo credit: Shin Lee) |
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 A play depicting a Chinese student's new year celebration away from home, was the highlight of the night (Photo credit: Shin Lee) |  Dancers bringing the art of China to the stage (Photo credit: Shin Lee) |  "China is now an active participant in the world for all sorts of political, environmental, and cultural discourse. Learning their language and culture would help in understanding their perspective," says Professor Giles Blackburne (Photo credit: Shin Lee) |
“Back then, our interaction with anything Chinese tended to be a bit more narrow,” says BCI director Professor Giles Blackburne. “Nowadays with the Chinese student and employee influx our interaction has broadened and we’re seeing them in a different scenario out of a restaurant setting like we might have 30 years ago.”
This influx has also been good business for the Asian supermarkets found in the city centre. “We see a lot more Southeast Asian students coming to Leeds and it’s been great for us,” says Karen Lee of Sing Kee Supermarkets. “I don’t think they’re necessarily staying, but it’s good for us here because Leeds is lacking that boost of Chinese culture.”
But the ageing first-generation Chinese community is too divided from the mainland Chinese students that their influx may not help in preserving the group at all.
“There should be better interaction and liaison between the two communities I feel,” Ellen Wang shares. “That would make us stronger and bring in more opportunities for both parties.” She wishes that something could be done to repair the disconnection. (view her story here)
Leeds is definitely welcoming this new wave bringing in economic growth. However, there is still a glaring issue at hand.
The Economist in their famous 2016 article “Raise the red lantern” highlighted that mainland Chinese in Britain are coming out of their shell with help from mainland immigration. But in return, “some of the older, Hong Kong-born generation, less worldly and less well integrated, feel left behind”.
This rings true, as we remember the elderly LCCA community members like lunch club-goer Olivia Robertson. Although the LCCA is in place to provide help to the Chinese elderly, it is difficult to draw out each and every senior Chinese citizen in Leeds and its surrounding towns.
“Loneliness is a disease,” exclaims Man Chiu Leung at a Lychee Red singing group meeting in the Belle Isle Family Centre. “It’s as prominent within the Chinese community as it is with the English.” As most of their children leave home to work in other cities, the elderly Chinese are left at home, while most are helpless when it comes to speaking English beyond the Chinese community.
Loneliness is a disease. It’s as prominent within the Chinese community as it is with the English
- Man Chiu Leung
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They should learn from their neighbourhood and be a part of it, and also be brave enough to show the outside world their own culture
- Liu Wei
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The singing group organised by Time to Shine is lottery funded, aimed at reducing isolation and loneliness within the senior Chinese community. “Without them we wouldn’t be here and we wouldn’t be able to socialise and sing,” he adds with a concerned look.
Besides the difficulties faced by elderly Cantonese speakers in not being able to converse in English, their lifestyle is also a setback. “Almost all of us here are in the catering trade, and the most common phenomenon is to have the shop downstairs and living quarters upstairs,” says Mr Leung. “This means you never go out.” (View Peter Chan’s story here about life in a takeaway)
To address the problem of isolation within the community, the LCCA is planning to open a private share-house for the elderly to live together, Mo Ching Chan shared. But even so, it has proven difficult to apply for suitable funding and resources. Same goes for plans to provide English lessons.
Perhaps the best cure-all would be for the Chinese community to stand up for themselves and make the effort to socialise and integrate.
“I think efforts should be made from both ends for the Chinese community,” says Manchester Chinese Consulate general Liu Wei. “They should learn from their neighbourhood and be a part of it, and also be brave enough to show the outside world their own culture.” He adds that the Chinese should work towards being equal contributors to society.
In this case, it’s the typical scenario of an “easier said than done” situation. The older generation will not be able to do so if they are unable to converse in English.
All in all, funding seems to be at the root of the issue with Britain in its economic low. Schemes like Lychee Red, the LCCA, and the LCCS are all stuck in a limbo of the constant search for both public and private funding in order to survive. This is stunting their abilities to expand or organise activities for the community. Despite celebrations of multi-cultures and integrations of communities, the aging Chinese are still being marginalised.
There is still much work to be done to strengthen ties within the Chinese community itself, and more effort has to be made to build up their stance in Leeds' society. But we can remain hopeful with the presence of passionate hearts serving in the Chinese community school, church, association and student organisations.
Perhaps new associations will spring up to champion the representation and care of the Chinese, or new blood will continue to champion the legacies left by the heroes of Leeds' Chinese. Perhaps not.
In the words of Richard Moss, we’ll just have to see how it evolves and move with the changes.
By Shin Yiing Lee
李欣颖