Many of the first Chinese immigrants to Britain were seamen, who naturally settled around the ports with which they were familiar. Liverpool has an historic Chinese community dating back to the early 19th century. This was in part due to the establishment of the first commercial shipping companies to focus on trade with China. From the 1890s onwards, small numbers of Chinese began to set up businesses catering to the Chinese sailors working on these lines, and some of these men married British women who then had Eurasian children.
By the beginning of the World War II, there were up to 20,000 Chinese mariners in Liverpool and in 1942, there was a strike for equal pay to that of local seamen. The strike lasted for 4 months and earned the Chinese a reputation as "troublemakers" with ship owners and the Government. The strike was ultimately unsuccessful, resulting only in the Chinese being forbidden shore jobs and being offered one-way voyages back to China. Hundreds of men were forced to leave their families, but many of their descendants still live in and around Liverpool's Chinatown.
London’s Chinese community also started around the riverside at Shadwell, and by the mid 1850’s, many Chinese seamen were housed at the 'Oriental Quarters' by the riverside at Shadwell. They were located off the High Street, near the present day Wapping Underground Station.
These Oriental Quarters consisted of lodging houses frequently run by English women who often spoke Oriental languages, and went by names such as Chinese Emma or Canton Kitty. Their premises were often used as gambling houses and opium dens.
Some of the Chinese community consisted of stranded seamen who were allowed to work at the docks. They unloaded huge amounts of tea from China in the mid -1870’s until India replace China as the main source of tea for Britain. Some of them also worked at sea and even enlisted the British Navy, and on British Steam ship lines. Chinese women became popular as “Amahs” or children’s nurses brought back by English missionaries to China.
By the beginning of the World War II, there were up to 20,000 Chinese mariners in Liverpool and in 1942, there was a strike for equal pay to that of local seamen. The strike lasted for 4 months and earned the Chinese a reputation as "troublemakers" with ship owners and the Government. The strike was ultimately unsuccessful, resulting only in the Chinese being forbidden shore jobs and being offered one-way voyages back to China. Hundreds of men were forced to leave their families, but many of their descendants still live in and around Liverpool's Chinatown.
London’s Chinese community also started around the riverside at Shadwell, and by the mid 1850’s, many Chinese seamen were housed at the 'Oriental Quarters' by the riverside at Shadwell. They were located off the High Street, near the present day Wapping Underground Station.
These Oriental Quarters consisted of lodging houses frequently run by English women who often spoke Oriental languages, and went by names such as Chinese Emma or Canton Kitty. Their premises were often used as gambling houses and opium dens.
Some of the Chinese community consisted of stranded seamen who were allowed to work at the docks. They unloaded huge amounts of tea from China in the mid -1870’s until India replace China as the main source of tea for Britain. Some of them also worked at sea and even enlisted the British Navy, and on British Steam ship lines. Chinese women became popular as “Amahs” or children’s nurses brought back by English missionaries to China.