Battling prejudice with awards plan
IN MAY 2015, I completed a journey which nobody else had ever made. It began in York where my parents settled, leaving behind poverty and Communism in China.
As entrepreneurs, they started a takeaway business, which we lived above, and encouraged me to pursue my interest in politics as I worked alongside them. That led to me taking my seat in Parliament as the first MP of British-Chinese heritage two decades later.
It’s a journey only made possible by the warmth and support of my family – and our friends, neighbours and customers in York.
The family next door to us who ran the fish and chip shop. The publicans across the road. The local newsagent who gave me my first paper round. And the many neighbours on Gillygate and Portland Street in York who rallied round when our shop was attacked by armed robbers.
Growing up in York in the 1980s and 1990s, we were the only BritishChinese family on our street. My sister and I were amongst a small handful of British-Chinese children at our local state schools. Despite being members of a very small minority, we always felt welcome and I know this remains the case today.
Undoubtedly, coronavirus is testing all of us. It’s bringing out the very best in most, from our heroic NHS staff and others working on the frontline to the communities coming together to get through the lockdown.
But, in others, it’s triggering the worst possible prejudices, with BritishChinese people (and others of East Asian background) often the target of hostility and racism.
Some have told me they’ve been shunned or shouted at in the street, at school or on public transport. Others have said they feel like outsiders for the first time in their lives. We need to be clear and firm: the 400,000-strong British-Chinese community, many born and bred in this country, have nothing to do with the outbreak of coronavirus in China, and no connection to Beijing’s handling of it.
In fact, the British-Chinese have made Yorkshire – and our country – their home for decades, and have long contributed to our national life with diligence, patriotism and little fanfare.
Whilst first generation immigrants toiled away night and day in take-aways, restaurants, grocery stores and laundries, their British-born sons and daughters have flourished in an impressive range of fields unimaginable to their parents. Today, the creativity, entrepreneurialism and energy of Chinese-heritage Britons is everywhere, from our screens to our shops.
Actress Gemma Chan rose to global fame whilst astrophysicist Kevin Fong has unravelled the mysteries of the cosmos. Millennial trendsetter Susie Lau runs the influential Style Bubble fashion blog, and Jimmy Choo-protégé Beatrix Ong received the MBE aged just 34 for her award-winning shoe designs.
Those are the famous faces, but there are many others. In fact, there are thousands of other British-Chinese making a big difference away from the limelight. These unsung heroes are our teachers inspiring the next generation, our entrepreneurs creating new jobs, our NHS staff caring for the sick, our scientists searching for cures and vaccines, and our patriotic Armed Forces personnel keeping our country safe.
British-Chinese people – fellow Yorkshiremen and women – are our friends, colleagues and neighbours. To counter the prejudice against them from a senseless minority – and it is a minority – we must shine a light on their endeavours so that the BritishChinese are recognised for more than the outdated stereotypes and lazy clichés.
Instead of a vulnerable minority open to attack in tough times, we must present a more accurate picture of the BritishChinese community today: a modern community of diverse talents whose contributions to our national life are varied and valued.
That’s why I’m launching The Blossom Awards to celebrate the work of brilliant individuals from the BritishChinese community. We’re looking for inspirational, unsung figures from Yorkshire and beyond who have achieved outstanding success or made a difference to society. I hope the awards will bring to light stories of determination, courage and accomplishment that inspire us all in these challenging times.
■ Nominations for The Blossom Awards are now open online: www. TheBlossomAwards.org.uk