Chinese Association celebrates 75th anniversary

THE National Trust has extended congratulations to the Chinese Association of TT as it marks its 75th anniversary.

The association was founded on October 10, 1945, and one of its major objectives was to work for the cultural, social, educational and economic upliftment of the Chinese community. Its building, at 7 St Ann's Road, is recorded on the National Trust’s register of heritage assets.

A release from the National Trust said, "Throughout our history, buildings of this type, apart from their architectural features which remind us of our shared history, have served as a core part of building communities and transmitting cultural practices to younger generations."

The arrival of Chinese immigrants to TT on board the Fortitude, the release said, began on October 12, 1806. Some of them subsequently returned on the Fortitude to their country and the remaining took up jobs in the towns as artisans, shopkeepers, and market gardeners.

Between 1853 and 1866, after the abolition of slavery, more Chinese immigrants came to TT in search of better opportunities.

After the Chinese revolution, in 1911, which resulted in the establishment of the Republic of China, more immigrants came to join their relatives who had come on earlier voyages. During the late 1970s, as the Republic of China opened its borders to the external global community, TT saw another influx of Chinese migration.

"Many developments occurred in the Caribbean Chinese community as time progressed. In the mid-1960s the evolution of the second and third generation of Chinese offspring chose another path from that of their parents, which was taking up small shops. The children of those generations sought education as the means for social mobility and this led them to become professionals in various fields and owners of major establishments in the country," the release said.

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