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THE ORIGINAL CHINATOWNERS

By Connie and Leslie Hoe
The first Chinatown was established by the docks of East London around the turn of the 20th century.

The inhabitants of Limehouse Chinatown mostly comprised of seamen who, for various reasons, stayed on in Britain. On a few occasions Chinese crews on British tankers and vessels were torpedoed in British waters and were put up in boarding houses in Limehouse to await new ships.

For some, staying in Limehouse was more of an attractive option than going back to sea. Many of the Chinese men had children with English women and the first generation of children who were half Chinese and half British were born. Connie and Leslie have fond memories of growing up in Limehouse in the 1920s/30s as part of London’s first Chinese community.

The couple have become keepers of its history, holding many of the records, photos and memories.

Links
Chinese Communities Film-making Project
China Now

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