Introduction

Abstract

This book traces successive waves of Chinese migration to Britain from the early nineteenth century through to the present and assesses the economic and social standing of Chinese in this country over the past two centuries and more. By the beginning of the twenty-first century, a new generation of British-born Chinese had emerged that can be classified as middle class in terms of educational qualifications and earning capacity, a development that reflects the community’s greatly improved economic position.¹ The emergence of this new generation of British Chinese — together with similar developments in other ethnic minorities — has generated new debates about the implications for British society of ‘identity change’ among migrants and their descendants.²