|
Mr
Andrew Fong was born in Canton, China in 1944. When he was a week
old, his father left for Brunei. His mother went to Brunei to join
his father when Andrew was six years old.
He
was brought up by his grandmother in China. His grandfather was
a businessman and he emigrated to Jamaica when Andrew was a few
years old.
In
December 1972 Andrew arrived at Worcester and worked as a waiter
in his cousin's restaurant.  |
| Our
Untold Stories |
After
he had finished his secondary education, he went to Hong Kong in
1962 where worked as a foreman in an electronic factory. Although
his sister and brother were there, he lived on his own.
Five
years later his mother, concerned at the riots then taking place
in Hong Kong, asked him to join her in Brunei where he got a job
in catering business.
Off
to foreign shores
Due
to political reasons, Andrew could never be granted permanent residency
in Brunei and anyway he did not like living there. So, when his
cousin offered him the chance to work in England, he accepted it
immediately.
Knowing
that his parents would object to him coming to England, he lied
and told them that he was going to Hong Kong.
However,
when later he plucked up the courage to write and tell his parents
the truth, they were not angry at all and firmly encouraged him
to stay and work hard in England.
In
December 1972 Andrew arrived at Worcester and worked as a waiter
in his cousin's restaurant. He worked very hard and even offered
to help during his holidays. He was a very adaptable person and
he settled down very quickly. There were not a lot of Chinese take
aways or restaurants in Worcester in the early 1970s compared to
nowadays.
Andrew
kept in touch with his family and girlfriend Christine in Brunei.
During his leisure time, he liked going to the pubs and made friends
with the local people and never felt bored or homesick. His goal
was to work hard and save enough money to start his own business.
Marriage
In
March 1977, he went back to Brunei to marry Christine. They did
not have a big reception because Christine's father passed away
unexpectedly and according to the Chinese custom, funerals and celebrations
cannot be held at the same period of time. Therefore they only invited
relatives for a meal after registration.
 |
| Andrew
married his long-term girlfriend Christine in 1977 |
Andrew
and Christine came back to Worcester after the marriage. To her
England was not a "strange" country at all. She came in 1975 to
visit her sister who was studying in London. She
found it too quiet here when comparing to her home country.
After
four months they started their own Chinese restaurant in Tewkesbury.
Initially it was hard work and they worked seven days a week. They
lived in accommodation above the restaurant.
Children
In
January 1978 their daughter Jenny was born followed by Peter three
years later. They both went to the primary school opposite to their
restaurant.
In
1985 Andrew and Christina started working six days a week so they
could spend more time with the children.
Jenny
and Peter did very well in school, especially Jenny. She was very
good in English and was always asked to make speeches at various
functions.
In
the late 1980s, the Fong family moved away from the accommodation
above the restaurant to a house in Tewkesbury.
Jenny
and Peter used to go to Sunday Chinese school in Birmingham to learn
Chinese language. There was no provision of Chinese school in Gloucestershire
at that time. However,
they stopped going after a while because they were not too keen
to learn the language.
The
children were very close to their parents despite the fact that
Andrew and Christine worked in the restaurant most of the time.
They went out for meals and holidays together.
Education
Both
Andrew and Christine think the education system here is good. Children
are not only encouraged to work hard academically, but also to join
in other activities like sports, drama and music.
When
Jenny and Peter were in junior school, they did not feel they looked
different from their white counterparts. However, when they started
senior school, they started to realise that they looked different.
Jenny
is now 22 and Peter is 19. The relationship between them and their
parents is still very close.
Andrew
has been in this country for nearly 28 years. Both Andrew and Christine
like living here. A few months ago Andrew went to visit his home
town in China, and the villagers treated him like stranger which
made him feel uneasy.
In
Tewkesbury racial discrimination is quite rare. Local residents
are very friendly and they all know Andrew well. |
| Our
Untold Stories |
In
Tewkesbury Andrew is always greeted warmly by local residents wherever
he goes. If health permits, they would like to continue working
in the restaurant. They find it hard to occupy their time once they
retire.
Both
Andrew and Christine think that people age more quickly when they
have nothing to do. They have no regrets about migrating to this
country.
They
did not like living in Brunel because there are a lot of restrictions.
Here is a democratic country where the citizens are given choices
and freedom of speech.
In
Tewkesbury racial discrimination is quite rare. Local residents
are very friendly and they all know Andrew well.
Andrew
commented that if everybody respects and treats each other well,
there will not be any conflicts or discrimination. Obviously the
world will be a better place to live.
|
