Normally forgotten, lonesome and unreported, the British Chinese Takeaway couldn't keep out of Britain's news columns during the month of March.
At the start of the month, it was reported that the UK will have its first British Chinese musical, set in a Chinese Takeaway.
http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/31320/stratford-east-to-stage-british-chineseThen followed the long awaited news of the government's plan to clamp down on Chinese chef migrants as part of their comprehensive policy to reduce economic migration, this could force Britain's Chinese takeaways to close.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/mar/13/immigration-damian-green-new-restrictionsThroughout the month, there was an avalanche of (UKBA) UK Border Agency raids on Chinese takeaways and restaurants up and down the country, most likely acting on tip-off's, with fines of up to £10,000 for each illegal worker, one business is set to face a total fine of £50,000.
24th March Norwich
http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/five_arrested_in_norwich_takeaway_raid_1_840108
22nd March Dorset
http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/8923743.Illegal_immigrant_swoop__Recent_border_agency_busts/
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/8891321.Five_illegal_workers_discovered_after_raids_in_Dorset/
16th March Lincolnshire
http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/crime/Takeaway-employed-illegal-staff/article-3333695-detail/article.html
7th March Dartford Kent
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/dartford_messenger/news/2011/march/7/illegal_workers_at_takeaway.aspx
There are wider implications of this witch hunt. Given the cliquesque race orientated nature of the Chinese catering industry, it is improbable Chinese would 'tip-off' other Chinese, rather it is the local white community who tipped them off. At the bottom of the newspaper articles, there is a hot line number to call anonymously to tip-off illegal workers, this mob mentality is a propagation of a general vendetta against persons 'the big society' deems not worthy of being British nor worthy of entitlement. These publicised raids will be used to justify a continuing demonisation of the Chinese community and its catering businesses, anti-Chinese press sentiment reached a fervourous peak during the Foot and Mouth Crisis in 2001.
(http://bbczeitgeist.blogspot.com/2010/08/self-hating-chinese.html)On google, there are pages upon pages of news articles detailing crimes committed against Chinese catering workers and their businesses. Min Quan published a report in 2009 examining the extent of racism against the Chinese community, it stated that '61 per cent of their respondents had been targeted for incidents or crimes simply because they were Chinese.'
The following are extracts from the report...
"Most of my friends in the takeaway business have encountered racist incidents. One of my ex-employers had been harassed for several decades; it was not until he retired that racial harassment stopped."
"Customers do not pay bills, complain about food hygiene, pay bounced cheques, snatch food being delivered, smash shop windows, cause troubles in the shop, and more and more."
"Owners and staff of takeaways and restaurants were often targets of verbal
abuse. For example, after refusing to reduce the price of a set meal from £5 to £3, a Chinese takeaway proprietor was shouted and spat at by a 20-year-old white man."
Police were generally ineffective dealing with incidents or crimes against the Chinese, there are examples of Chinese takeaway owners being arrested for protecting their own premises whilst the perpetrators were 'let off.' The latest development in encouraging people to 'tip off' Chinese businesses is just another chapter in the long history of victimisation.
Often perceived as an pariah in a white community, what does the future hold for the Chinese takeaway? Will the Chinese takeaway gradually disappear or will they be staffed and run by non-Chinese similar to many Chinese restaurants on the continent?
I'm Chinese and I think all BBCs/Chinese should return to China or East Asia or Vancouver because there's a huge Chinese population there and it's often rated as the best place to live.
ReplyDelete@laughingGor
ReplyDeletei hear you bro but its that lazy attitude of we lets just enjoy our lifestyle because you worked hard for it and only live once that will never change the karma of the east asian race. money cant buy you integrity.
re the article. got nothing to add to that. we are the next target. its in your face. when will we unite? ever? or just play the rich and poor 'ill mind my own business , you mind yours' game as Chinese always have done.
ReplyDeleteits funny in an age where China is getting all the media attention that still noone wants to speak out about being proud and standing up against this obvious discrimination.
We need to start supporting each other. This blog is a good place to start. But most BBCs are fucking clueless or turn a blind eye unless they are the ones being affected.
They should make this 20yr old skavs to serve behind a takeaway counter as community service then send a gang of triads to spit at them all day long and demand discounted fish and chips
ReplyDeleteThis is another case of the chinese being persecuted, damn them british white people, its time we turn the tables on them by anyway possible, stop them making money in asia, we get sh*t come our way regardless, so theres nothing to be afraid of anymore.
ReplyDelete'stop them making money in asia'
Deleteha. tell that to the hi-culture FOBS only too eager to lick white arse
Nice chinese Takeaways in Asia every one is great that chinese very hard worker thats why their market is becoming high.
ReplyDeleteHumph, I swear one day that china will rule the world and then we will unleash our retribution and all carcussians will perish under the might of the orient
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