The British Chinese: A Typical Trajectory of ‘Integration’?

Abstract

This chapter examines the case of the Chinese in Britain and in particular the experiences of second-generation British Chinese. After a brief history of Chinese migration and settlement into Britain, I focus upon the integration of British-born Chinese (BBCs) and the emergence of British Chinese websites, where important questions about belonging and inclusion in Britain, and diasporic ties to Hong Kong and China, have been much discussed and debated. In doing so, this chapter reflects upon the importance of national specificity in discussions around the Chinese diaspora. As is argued below, the experiences and perspectives of second-generation British Chinese people, while certainly not homogeneous, are distinctive and very much embedded in their experiences of life in Britain.