ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the growth and development of the Chinese community in Britain. The time-span and pattern of their settlement differs markedly from that of other substantial ethnic minority groups living in Britain, notably those from the West Indies and the Indian subcontinent. The earliest record of Chinese people living in Britain may be found in an 1814 medical report indicating that two had settled in London having served as seamen in the British East India Company. In comparison with other groups from the former Commonwealth who have migrated to Britain, there is a relative dearth of studies of Chinese people. Nevertheless, some worthwhile sociological studies have begun to emerge. In terms of economic adaptation and upward mobility they are the most successful of immigrant groups in Britain. Traditional family values are maintained, with loyalty to parents and to elderly people in the culture of origin.
