15-FEB-1990 17.22
ritish Citizenship be granted to all Hong Kong Eurasians, who do not already possess it through patrial or other grounds.
It has always been our experience that while the British in Hong Kong consider us to be Chinese, the Chinese classify us among the foreign devils! With this background, the experience of Shanghai Eurasians
Eurasians who all had to emigrate elsewhere, and the obvious impermanance of Hong Kong as a British Colony in the post World War II era of decolonisation, coupled with the ease with which members of our Community are able to assimilate into English-speaking western countries without notice, practically all Hong Kong Eurasian families have one or more of their members settled elsewhere. In the light of recent events in China, those who have elected to stay now fear they may be left in the lurch after 1997.
It is our submission that the Eurasian Community of Hong Kong is one community, whether we bear the surname of our European forefathers, or have adopted a convenient Chinese surname usually a derivative of an original European name or person which is no more than a variation of the custom of concubinage prevalent here at that time. Thus at the inaugural meeting leading the formation of The Welfare League the point was stressed "there is no gulf between a Chan and a Smith amongst us". Again, on
on the grant of Inland Lot 1415 (as it then was), at Mount Davis, in 1915, for use as а cemetery for the Eurasian Community of Hong Kong, His Majesty King George V was graciously pleased to select, or accept, Sir Robert Ho Tung and Mr Ho Fook as the Trustees for our Community. From this it will be evident that both the Crown and our Community never considered the surname a relevant factor involving our membership.
The Eurasian Community may be said be be a creation of and an adjunct to the Crown Colony of Hong Kong. We have given to the development and well being of this Territory under British Administration as much as we have derived from it. With
inevitability of. a British withdrawal, we submit that our Community has a better claim than most fox maintaining our British link. We therefore pray that in the special legislation now being prepared all Hong Kong Eurasians who have no other Third Country nationality (ie other than British and Chinese) should be covered.
RECEIVED FROM
(EP HO ) President
2.15.1998
10:59
TOTAL P.02
P. 2