Category: News

MP strives for HM Government to acknowledge forced repatriations

In Liverpool, many of us are aware of the forced repatriation of hundreds of Chinese seaman in the 1940s.

We have stumbled over community stories of families left behind. We have shaken our heads at the inconcievable and overt injustice of a governmental act that denied people their fathers, husbands and friends and we have empathised over the loss. These passive acts are by-products of a lack of evidence and an inability to comprehend the impact. It is a mystery that seems entirely unbelievable and yet men that were there suddenly weren’t; creating ramications that have carried on for seven decades.

Context

In 1945-6, hundreds of Chinese seamen were ’rounded-up’ and deported; sometimes back to China, Singapore or other locations. Official evidence has been hard to come by; with documents strewn across the world and often deliberately hidden from view, making the story difficult to confirm.

Around that time, many of Liverpool’s Chinese seamen met and married English and Irish women; leading to Anglo-Chinese and Chinese-Irish communities; a legacy that continues today.

What of those left behind? Of the men severed from their families and homes? Where did they end up and how did it affect the communities involved? Dan Hancox has written an indepth piece on this very subject: The secret deportations: how Britain betrayed the Chinese men who served the country in the war available in The Guardian (published 25 May 2021; it is also worth noting that there is a follow up article comprising of reader’s comments and thoughts, here).

Action

At 2.30pm, on Thursday 3 June 2021 -marking the 75th anniversary of the deportations- Kim Johnson MP will visit Liverpool Pagoda Chinese Community Centre to meet the children of the forcibly repatriated Chinese seafarers. The intention is to raise awareness and to reissue the request that HM Government formally recognises what Kim Johnson calls “one of the most nakedly racist incidents ever, taken by the British government”.

You can read more about this in press releases, presented in English and Chinese/中文 (click links).

Engage

The Liverpool Pagoda Chinese Community Centre welcome the media to attend, to interview those who are willing to be recorded. The event will be live-streamed on Zoom in the hope of including half-siblings in Singapore -and others- affected by the forced deportations.

MP Kim Johnson, Zi Lan Liao (Pagoda Centre Director) and the Pagoda Centre team invite all ‘left-behind-children’ to attend. The event will allow each to stand in solidarity with the community that shares and bears witness to their experience. If you have a connection to this experience you will be welcomed, whether you have made yourself known previously or not.

To learn more, you are invited to contact Zi Lan Liao, Pagoda Centre Director on +44 (0)7769 330440.

Collaboration and support

The Liverpool Irish Festival have positive connections with the Liverpool Pagoda Chinese Community Centre. We share communities and have mutual membership of Creative Organisations of Liverpool (COoL). First Take, another COoL member, and Pagoda worked together to create this film, which introduces Peter’s story, which Dan touches on in his article.

We have worked together on a number of projects, most notably when we commissioned The Sound Agents to work on a film (Liverpool Family Ties: The Irish Connection). This documentary shared community stories that arose from a #LIF2018 event that invited dual- and multi-heritage Irish people to share their experiences. Chinese-Irish stories emerged, affected by the forced repatriation. Although details are to be released, it is highly likely you will see this story play out, in some way, at #LIF2021, memorialising the actions and remembering the people affected.

We highly recommend reading Dan’s piece and to supporting Kim Johnson’s -and the Chinese community’s- request for official acknowledgement of this dark chapter in Britain’s immigration control. It is time we recognised and remember the work and legacy of our Chinese community. We seek to put an end to the injustices they face on a daily basis; some historic, some new; all misplaced.

Can you help?

If you would like to support Liverpool’s Chinese community and/or you can offer Kim Johnson MP support in her request, please write to your MP using these government guidelines.

Please feel free to like and share information using the information here on your social media pages or websites. Links to our social media posts are below, which you may share or retweet.

Image credit: Detail of still taken from Granada Reports feature, broadcast 17 Feb 2018 (link here).

#BlackLivesMatter: a collective reflection

#BlackLivesMatter (c) Billy Vitch

Context

Liverpool Arts Regeneration Consortium (LARC) and Creative Organisations of Liverpool (COoL*) together represent over 30 cultural organisations in the City Region.

Both groups are committed to racial justice and to making meaningful change within their member organisations and in the work they do. Reflecting on the past year, we are now issuing the following shared statement, accompanied by [organisational] links so you can find out what organisations have individually been doing and future plans.

* Liverpool Irish Festival are a COoL member.

Statement

Over a year ago, the cry for racial justice was amplified. Many came together to demand change following the murder of George Floyd. The words “Black Lives Matter” were echoed globally, and people of Liverpool were galvanised to commit to the work of ensuring that Black lives/communities, and the experiences of all those within our diverse communities were fully valued and included. The urgency of this global human right had never been greater, and has been a catalyst for cultural organisations to go through a necessary process of self-assessment and change.

#BlackLivesMatter called for action that would bring about real structural change, not just words or performative social media posts. We are therefore reflecting on our own practices and policies of equality, diversity and inclusion. We acknowledge that harm has been done by previous failings and inaction, and as a sector we are working towards a more inclusive and representative future.

Change is continuous and there is still much to do if we truly want to achieve equity in a society that is impacted by institutional racism. Please click on the links below to see what Liverpool’s cultural organisations have been working on as part of their commitment to change – and what is planned for the future.

See this statement on the Culture Liverpool site.

Signed

20 Stories High / Africa Oyé / BlackFest / Bluecoat / Bluecoat Display Centre / Brazuka / Collective Encounters / Culture Liverpool / DaDaFest / dot-art / FACT / First Take / Homotopia / Kitchen Sink Live / Liverpool Arab Arts Festival / Liverpool Biennial / Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse /Liverpool Irish Festival / Liverpool’s Royal Court / March For The Arts / Merseyside Dance Initiative / Metal / Movema / National Museums Liverpool / LUMA Creations / Open Culture / Open Eye Gallery / Pagoda Arts / Paperwork Theatre / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic / Squash Nutrition / Tate Liverpool / The Atkinson / The Black-E / The Windows Project / Tmesis / Unity Theatre / Wired Aerial/ Writing on the Wall

Where links are provided, they lead to the organisation’s work on equality, diversity and inclusion.

#BlackLivesMatter. #SayTheirNames (USA and UK).

#GlobalGreening 2021 and St Patrick’s Day

Each year, the Liverpool Irish Festival seeks the support of city centre and regional landmarks to turn emerald in honour of St Patrick’s Day.

#GlobalGreening was set up by Tourism Ireland and operates internationally. International sites have included: Sydney, Venice, Milan, Hong Kong and Washington DC -and many more- celebrating Irish communities across the world. Turning emerald honours the influence, assimilation and impact Ireland has had and reminds us all of the time, effort and labour of the Irish diaspora.

The Liverpool Irish Centre, Irish Community Care, language and music groups, dance schools and others all have their own activities. As well as these, the Irish Government and Embassy provide various offerings alonside huge events in London, Glasgow and other centres of activity.

To find out more on social media, search the hashtags #GlobalGreening, #StPatricksDay, #FillYourHeartWithIreland and #FeiliePadriag.

We had to wait until the evening of St Patrick’s Day to take our pictures and send our accompanying celebratory messages. Sunset was at 18:19 GMT on 17 March 2021, afterwhich we travelled the region (60+ miles!) taking images of the landmarks that are turning green in honour of the day. Featured in the film below, these sites included:

  • Woodside Ventilation Station
  • St George’s Hall and Radio City Tower
  • St Luke’s/ The Bombed-out Church (still to confirm)
  • Steve Prescott Bridge, Warrington
  • Greystone Footbridge, St Helens
  • Sefton Park Palm House
  • Campanile
  • Cunard Building, Port of Liverpool and George’s Dock Building
  • Liverpool Town Hall
  • Wallasey Town Hall.

For younger readers

However, if you have a young one at home and are looking for some post-school fun, My First Focail (Irish Language Learning: https://irishlanguagelearning.com/) have shared some useful play sheets, which you can download here.

Lá Fhéille Pádraig Sona Daoibh go léír!