British Chinese compose nearly one per cent of the British population, but they are culturally and politically ignored with precious little representation in politics or television.

In this Origin Story special edition, we trace the history of the British Chinese community, from the days of Roman Britain to the present day. Along the way, we see the construction of the first Chinatown in London's Limehouse, at the height of Empire, when ports function as joining-places for the world. We witness the racism that hit Chinese communities during the wars, when fear of 'Yellow Peril' and miscegenation resulted in deportation programmes against the very people who had helped Britain in the fight against Germany. And we follow the second triumphant wave of immigration in the 20th Century, in the restaurant business, as Chinese food helps democratise the practice of eating out in Britain.

We then look at the extraordinary accomplishments of the British Chinese in the modern era, particularly in education, culture and the economy. And we start to tease apart a richer, deeper story about multicultural Britain, one which is much more varied and surprising than people allow for in the barren conversation about immigration we read in the newspapers every day.

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Reading list

• William Poole, The Letters of Shen Fuzong to Thomas Hyde, 1687-88, British Library Journal, volume 2015, article 9

• Earle Gale, Chinese pathfinders paved the way in UK hundreds of years ago, China Daily

• Marc Horne, Extraordinary tale of first Chinese Scotsman, The Times

• Anonymous, William Macao

• Sylvia Hahn, Stanley Nadel (eds) Asian Migrants in Europe: Transcultural Connections

• Gregor Benton and Edmund Terence Gomez, The Chinese in Britain, 1800–Present 

• Anonymous, Liverpool Chinatown History

• Jody-Lan Castle, Looking for my Shanghai father, BBC.co.uk

• Anonymous, London by ethnicity: Analysis, The Guardian

• Emily Thomas, British Chinese people say racism against them is 'ignored', BBC.co.uk

• John Hills et al, An Anatomy of Economic Inequality in the UK: Report of the National Equality Panel, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, LSE. 

• Tze Ming Mok and Lucinda Platt, All look the same? Diversity of labour market outcomes of Chinese ethnic group populations in the UK, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies

• Zain Mohyuddin and Sophie Stowers, Minorities Report: The Attitudes of Britain's Ethnic Minority Population, UK in a Changing Europe

• Anon, Chinese ethnic group: facts and figures, Gov.uk

• Anonymous, Ethnicity pay gaps, UK: 2012 to 2022, ONS• Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume One

Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey and Ian Dunt. Produced by Simon Williams. Music by Jade Bailey. Art by Jim Parrett. Logo by Mischa Welsh. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Origin Story is a Podmasters production

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