Chinese Trinidadian
Encyclopedia
Chinese Trinidadian and Tobagonian (sometimes Sino-Chinese Trinidadian and Tobagonian) are Trinidad
ians and Tobago
nians of Chinese
descent. The group includes people from China
and Overseas Chinese
who have immigrated to Trinidad and Tobago
and their descendants, including those who have emigrated to other countries (especially the United States
, Canada
and the United Kingdom
, but also to other countries including China). The term is usually applied both to people of mixed and unmixed Chinese ancestry, although the former usually appear as mixed race
in census figures. Chinese settlement began in 1806. Between 1853 and 1866 2,645 Chinese immigrants arrived in Trinidad as indentured labour for the sugar and cacao plantations. Immigration peaked in the first half of the twentieth century, but was sharply curtailed after the Chinese Revolution in 1949. After peaking at 8,361 in 1960, the (unmixed) Chinese population in Trinidad declined to 3,800 in 2000.
n Trinidadians and Tobagonians, who have primarily settled in the United States
, Canada
and the United Kingdom
. The Chinese Trinidadian community includes people of unmixed and mixed Chinese ancestry, although the latter usually appear as mixed race
in census figures in Trinidad and Tobago. Most Trinidadian Chinese originate from Guangdong
province, especially among the Hakka people
.
, Penang
and Calcutta. This was the first organised settlement of Chinese people
in the Caribbean
, preceding the importation of Chinese indentured labour by over 40 years. It was intended to be the first step in a plan to establish a settlement of free labourers and peasant farmers in what was then a newly-acquired
British colony. Royal Navy Captain William Layman suggested that it would be cheaper to establish new sugar plantations using free Chinese labour than it would with African slaves. At the same time, British officials concerned in the aftermath of the Haitian Revolution
suggested that the settlement of Chinese immigrants in Trinidad would provide a buffer between the enslaved Africans and the whites.
In December, 1805, a Portuguese
captain recruited 141 Chinese men in Macau and shipped them to Penang where six more men were recruited. Another 53 men were recruited in Calcutta, bringing the total to 200. The survivors of this group arrived in Trinidad eight months later. Kim Johnson reports that 194 men survived the journey, while Walton Look Lai reports that there were 192 men. The group settled at Surveillance Estate in Cocorite, on the western edge of Port of Spain
, the capital. Given the lack of farmland near the city, the group requested permission to hire themselves out as labourers. Fifteen were hired to work as seine fishers, and one worked as a shoemaker. After one year in Trinidad, 17 of the migrants had died. Sixty-one of them departed with the Fortitude in July, 1807. By 1810 only 22 of them remained in Trinidad, and only seven remained in 1834, the last time that the community was mentioned.
The abolition of slavery in the British Empire led to labour shortages in Trinidad. Indentured labourers were imported from various parts of the world including India
and Madeira
. Between 1853 and 1866 2,645 Chinese immigrants arrived in Trinidad – 2,336 men, 309 women and 4 children – on eight ships. These immigrants constituted the second wave of Chinese immigration to Trinidad. The third wave began after the Chinese revolution
in 1911 and continued until the Chinese Revolution of 1949. Most of these immigrants were brought to Trinidad and Tobago through the efforts of earlier immigrants. The fourth wave of immigration began in the late 1970s and continues.
Additional immigrants settled in Trinidad after initially migrating to other parts of the Caribbean, especially British Guiana
which received 13,593 indentured immigrants from China between 1853 and 1884.
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
ians and Tobago
Tobago
Tobago is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located in the southern Caribbean, northeast of the island of Trinidad and southeast of Grenada. The island lies outside the hurricane belt...
nians of Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
descent. The group includes people from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....
who have immigrated to Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
and their descendants, including those who have emigrated to other countries (especially the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, but also to other countries including China). The term is usually applied both to people of mixed and unmixed Chinese ancestry, although the former usually appear as mixed race
Multiracial
The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from multiple races. Unlike the term biracial, which often is only used to refer to having parents or grandparents of two different races, the term multiracial may encompass biracial people but can also include people with...
in census figures. Chinese settlement began in 1806. Between 1853 and 1866 2,645 Chinese immigrants arrived in Trinidad as indentured labour for the sugar and cacao plantations. Immigration peaked in the first half of the twentieth century, but was sharply curtailed after the Chinese Revolution in 1949. After peaking at 8,361 in 1960, the (unmixed) Chinese population in Trinidad declined to 3,800 in 2000.
Community
The Chinese Trinidadian and Tobagonian community is a diverse mixture that includes first-generation immigrants from China, Trinidadians whose ancestors have lived in Trinidad for many generations, and diasporaDiaspora
A diaspora is "the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland" or "people dispersed by whatever cause to more than one location", or "people settled far from their ancestral homelands".The word has come to refer to historical mass-dispersions of...
n Trinidadians and Tobagonians, who have primarily settled in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The Chinese Trinidadian community includes people of unmixed and mixed Chinese ancestry, although the latter usually appear as mixed race
Multiracial
The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from multiple races. Unlike the term biracial, which often is only used to refer to having parents or grandparents of two different races, the term multiracial may encompass biracial people but can also include people with...
in census figures in Trinidad and Tobago. Most Trinidadian Chinese originate from Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
province, especially among the Hakka people
Hakka people
The Hakka , sometimes Hakka Han, are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian in China....
.
History
The Chinese community in Trinidad and Tobago traces its origin to the October 12, 1806 arrival of the ship Fortitude carrying a group of Chinese men recruited in MacauMacau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
, Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
and Calcutta. This was the first organised settlement of Chinese people
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, preceding the importation of Chinese indentured labour by over 40 years. It was intended to be the first step in a plan to establish a settlement of free labourers and peasant farmers in what was then a newly-acquired
History of Trinidad and Tobago
The history of Trinidad begins with the settlements of the islands by Amerindians. Both islands were explored by Christopher Columbus on his third voyage in 1498. Tobago changed hands between the British, French, Dutch and Courlanders, but eventually ended up in British hands. Trinidad remained in...
British colony. Royal Navy Captain William Layman suggested that it would be cheaper to establish new sugar plantations using free Chinese labour than it would with African slaves. At the same time, British officials concerned in the aftermath of the Haitian Revolution
Haitian Revolution
The Haitian Revolution was a period of conflict in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, which culminated in the elimination of slavery there and the founding of the Haitian republic...
suggested that the settlement of Chinese immigrants in Trinidad would provide a buffer between the enslaved Africans and the whites.
In December, 1805, a Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
captain recruited 141 Chinese men in Macau and shipped them to Penang where six more men were recruited. Another 53 men were recruited in Calcutta, bringing the total to 200. The survivors of this group arrived in Trinidad eight months later. Kim Johnson reports that 194 men survived the journey, while Walton Look Lai reports that there were 192 men. The group settled at Surveillance Estate in Cocorite, on the western edge of Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
, the capital. Given the lack of farmland near the city, the group requested permission to hire themselves out as labourers. Fifteen were hired to work as seine fishers, and one worked as a shoemaker. After one year in Trinidad, 17 of the migrants had died. Sixty-one of them departed with the Fortitude in July, 1807. By 1810 only 22 of them remained in Trinidad, and only seven remained in 1834, the last time that the community was mentioned.
The abolition of slavery in the British Empire led to labour shortages in Trinidad. Indentured labourers were imported from various parts of the world including India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
. Between 1853 and 1866 2,645 Chinese immigrants arrived in Trinidad – 2,336 men, 309 women and 4 children – on eight ships. These immigrants constituted the second wave of Chinese immigration to Trinidad. The third wave began after the Chinese revolution
Xinhai Revolution
The Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, also known as Revolution of 1911 or the Chinese Revolution, was a revolution that overthrew China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing , and established the Republic of China...
in 1911 and continued until the Chinese Revolution of 1949. Most of these immigrants were brought to Trinidad and Tobago through the efforts of earlier immigrants. The fourth wave of immigration began in the late 1970s and continues.
Additional immigrants settled in Trinidad after initially migrating to other parts of the Caribbean, especially British Guiana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
which received 13,593 indentured immigrants from China between 1853 and 1884.
Politics and government
- Sir Solomon HochoySolomon HochoySir Solomon Hochoy TC, GCMG, GCVO, OBE was the last British Governor of Trinidad and Tobago, the first non-white Governor and the first Governor General after independence and the first British viceroy of non-European descent.Of Hakka Chinese background, his family emigrated to Trinidad when he...
, last British Governor and first Governor General of Trinidad and Tobago. - Professor George Maxwell RichardsGeorge Maxwell RichardsGeorge Maxwell Richards, TC, CM is the fourth President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. A chemical engineer by training, Richards was Principal of the St. Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies in Trinidad in 1996. He previously worked for Shell Trinidad Ltd. before...
, current President of Trinidad and TobagoPresident of Trinidad and TobagoThe President of Trinidad and Tobago is the head of state of Trinidad and Tobago, and the commander in chief of its armed forces. The office was established when the country became a republic in 1976, before which the head of state was Queen Elizabeth II...
. - Michael J. WilliamsMichael J. Williams (politician)Michael Jay Williams , son of Louis Jay Williams, is a Trinidad and Tobago politician and businessman. Williams attended Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada to study engineering. Mr. Williams was appointed to the Senate of Trinidad and Tobago by A.N.R. Robinson following the National...
, former President of the SenatePresident of the SenateThe President of the Senate is a title often given to the presiding officer of a senate, and is the speaker of other assemblies.The senate president often ranks high in a jurisdiction's succession for its top executive office: for example, the President of the Senate of Nigeria is second in line...
of Trinidad and Tobago. - Gerald YetmingGerald YetmingGerald Yetming is a Trinidad and Tobago politician and businessman. Since 2002 he has served as the Member of Parliament representing the constituency of St. Joseph in the House of Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago for the Opposition United National Congress...
, former SenatorSenate of Trinidad and TobagoThe Senate of Trinidad and Tobago is the appointed Upper House of the bicameral Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. The Senate sits in the Red House in Port of Spain...
, Member of ParliamentMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, Minister of Finance. - Eugene Chen (born Eugene Acham), former foreign minister of China.
- Ronald J. Williams, former Senator, Member of Parliament and Minister of State Enterprises, former Member of the Federal Parliament.
- Robert A. Chee-Mooke, former Deputy Mayor of Port of Spain. (also of African ancestry)
- Lindsay Gillette, former Senator, government minister.
- Brian Kuei Tung, former Senator and government minister.
- Howard Chin Lee, former Senator and government minister.
- Lawrence Achong, former mayor of Point FortinPoint FortinPoint Fortin, the smallest Borough in Trinidad and Tobago, is located in southwestern Trinidad, about southwest of San Fernando. After the discovery of petroleum in the area in 1906 the town grew into a major oil-producing centre. The town grew with the oil industry between the 1940s and 1980s,...
, Member of Parliament and government minister. - Dr. Maxwell Awon, former Member of Parliament and Minister of Health.
- Desmond Allum, former Member of Parliament.
- Eden Shand, former Member of Parliament and government minister.
- Oswald Hem Lee, former Member of Parliament and parliamentary secretary.
- Kenneth Ayoung-Chee, former Senator.
- Alfred Richards, trade unionist and former mayor of Port of SpainPort of SpainPort of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
. - Tito Achong, trade unionist and former mayor of Port of Spain.
- Dr. Edward Lee, former mayor of San FernandoSan Fernando, Trinidad and TobagoThe City of San Fernando with a population of 55,419 according to the 2000 census, is the larger of Trinidad and Tobago's two cities and the second largest municipality after Chaguanas. It occupies 18 km² and is located in the southwestern part of the island of Trinidad...
. - Norman Tang, former mayor of Port of Spain.
- Albert Aleong, former mayor of ArimaArimaThe Royal Borough of Arima is the fourth largest town in Trinidad and Tobago. Located east of the capital, Port of Spain, Arima supports the only organised indigenous community in the country, the Santa Rosa Carib Community and is the seat of the Carib Queen...
.
Business and industry
- John Lee Lum, businessman and oil-industry pioneer.
- William H. Scott, businessman.
- Carlton Mack, grocer and philanthropist.
- Louis Jay Williams, businessman.
Arts and entertainment
- Sybil Atteck, painter.
- André TankerAndré TankerAndré Michael Tanker was a Trinidad and Tobago musician and composer.-Person:...
, musician and composer. - Willie Chen, painter.
- Carlyle Chang, sculptor, painter and designer; designed the flagFlag of Trinidad and TobagoThe flag of Trinidad and Tobago was adopted upon independence from Great Britain on 31 August 1962.-Description:A Flag is red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side to the lower fly side. In blazon, Gules, a bend Sable fimbriated Argent.-Construction:The width of the white...
and coat of arms of Trinidad and TobagoCoat of arms of Trinidad and TobagoThe coat of arms of Trinidad and Tobago was designed by a committee formed in 1962 to select the symbols that would be representative of the people of Trinidad and Tobago. The committee included noted artist Carlisle Chang and the late designer George Bailey...
. - Edwin Hing Wan, painter.
- Raymond Choo Kong, actor, producer, director.
- Patrick Jones, calypsonianCalypsonianA calypsonian , originally known as the chantwell is a musician, from the Anglophone Caribbean, who sings songs called calypso. Calypsos are musical renditions having their origins in the West African griot tradition...
known by the sobriquetSobriquetA sobriquet is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another. It is usually a familiar name, distinct from a pseudonym assumed as a disguise, but a nickname which is familiar enough such that it can be used in place of a real name without the need of explanation...
Cromwell, the Lord Protector and mas' pioneer. - Edwin AyoungCrazy (calypsonian)Edwin Ayoung is better known as Crazy is a Trinidad and Tobago calypsonian.Ayoung was born to Chinese Trinidadian father and a Venezuelan mother. Often called the "Loveable Lunatic of Soca", he is artistically underrated in his native land but one of the most commercially successful artists on...
, calypsonian known by the sobriquet Crazy. - Richard Chen, calypsonian known by the sobriquet Rex West.
- Lenn Chong Sing, Former Editor-in-Chief of the Trinidad Guardian Newspaper
- Tony Chow Lin On, deejayDeejayA deejay is a reggae or dancehall musician who sings and toasts to an instrumental riddim .Deejays are not to be confused with disc jockeys from other music genres like hip-hop, where they select and play music. Dancehall/reggae DJs who select riddims to play are called selectors...
and calypsonian known by the sobriquet Chinese Laundry. - Ellis Chow Lin On, music producer and manager.
- Aubrey Christopher, who pioneered the local recording of calypsos.
- Stephen and Elsie Lee Heung, CarnivalTrinidad and Tobago CarnivalThe Trinidad and Tobago Carnival is an annual event celebrated on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago is the most significant event on the islands' cultural and tourism calendar, with numerous cultural events running in the lead up to the street parade on...
bandleaders. - Chris Wong Won, better known as Fresh Kid Ice; founding member of 2 Live Crew2 Live Crew2 Live Crew was a hip hop group from Miami, Florida. They caused considerable controversy with the sexual themes in their work, particularly on their 1989 album As Nasty As They Wanna Be.- Early career :...
. - Stephanie Lee Pack, Miss Trinidad & Tobago/Universe 1974
- Anya Ayoung-CheeAnya Ayoung-CheeAnya Ayoung-Chee is Miss Trinidad and Tobago Universe 2008 and was a contestant in the Miss Universe 2008 pageant, and also the winner of Project Runway's ninth season in 2011.- Early life :...
, Miss Trinidad & Tobago/Universe 2008 and winner of season 9 of Project Runway - Matthew Soong Bouchard, Trinidad guitarist
- Raoul Garib, mas' man
- Boyzie Chee-Mooke, co-founding member Maple Social Club
Science and medicine
- Dr. Bert AchongBert AchongBert Geoffrey Achong is best known for co-discovering the Epstein-Barr virus through use of electron microscopy. After excelling in school in Trinidad, Achong enrolled at University College Dublin, where he received his medical degree...
, co-discoverer of the Epstein-Barr virusEpstein-Barr virusThe Epstein–Barr virus , also called human herpesvirus 4 , is a virus of the herpes family and is one of the most common viruses in humans. It is best known as the cause of infectious mononucleosis...
. - Dr. Joseph Lennox PawanJoseph Lennox PawanJoseph Lennox Pawan M.B.E. was the first person to show that rabies could be spread by vampire bats to other animals and humans.-Education and career:...
, discoverer of the transmission of rabiesRabiesRabies is a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis in warm-blooded animals. It is zoonotic , most commonly by a bite from an infected animal. For a human, rabies is almost invariably fatal if post-exposure prophylaxis is not administered prior to the onset of severe symptoms...
by vampire batVampire batVampire bats are bats whose food source is blood, a dietary trait called hematophagy. There are three bat species that feed solely on blood: the Common Vampire Bat , the Hairy-legged Vampire Bat , and the White-winged Vampire Bat .All three species are native to the Americas, ranging from Mexico to...
s. - Dr. David Picou.
- Dr. Theodosius Poon-King.
- Dr. Oswald Siung.
- Fr. Arthur Lai Fook, educator and cleric.
Sports
- Ellis AchongEllis AchongEllis Edgar Achong was a sportsman from Trinidad and Tobago in the West Indies. He played cricket for the West Indies and was the first person of Chinese descent to play in a Test match...
, first Chinese test cricketer. - Rupert Tang Choon, famous test cricketer, 1940s to 1950s
- Bert Manhin, winner of Trinidad and Tobago's first medal in shooting (1978 Commonwealth Games1978 Commonwealth GamesThe 1978 Commonwealth Games were held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, from 3 to 12 August 1978, two years after the 1976 Summer Olympics were held in Montreal, Quebec...
) - Richard Chin A Poo former National Footballer
Other
- Kwailan La Borde, sailor; together with her husband Harold La BordeHarold La BordeHarold La Borde is a famous Trinidadian sailor and adventurer who in 1969 to 1973 circumnavigated the world in his 40ft ketch, 'Hummingbird II'. He was accompanied by his wife, Kwailan, and his five year old son Pierre...
and son Pierre, the first Trinidadian to circumnavigate the globe.
External links
- http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=Trinidad+and+Tobago