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Chinese Students in Great Britain
Then there is another type of Chinese student union- namely, the C. S. Christian Union, which exists for religious and social purposes.
In fact, the C. S. Christian Union is the oldest union, though it really is not very old as it happens to be the same age as I am! It was first on the scene, rather in the same way that missionaries and other Christian organizations with their superior zeal have paved the way in other fields, so that for many years many of the social activities of Chinese students were undertaken by that union. Now, however, the non-religious unions have properly undertaken this work, and it has turned its attention more to the religious side. One of its most delightful functions is the annual Christmas party which it organizes in the East End of London for the poor Chinese children there. In this connection, I might add that the London C.S.U. also helps these children in that they are supporting the Chinese language classes recently organized for them.
I have perhaps spent an unwarrantable part of my time on telling you of these unions, but, believe me, for those who interest themselves in their welfare and administration, such work plays a very large part in their days spent abroad. Such work is at once useful and pleasant-useful in that, besides achievement, it is the best training ground for getting invaluable experience for the future, and pleasant in that not only does one develop from acquaintances in co- operation some of the firmest friendships possible; but one can also expect in such work the willing co-operation of the Legation, the Consulate, the Bank of China, Chinese busi- ness men and other bodies in London as well as of Anglo- Chinese societies such as the China Society.
CONTACTS
I will proceed at this stage to discuss a matter which touches more closely the China Society-namely, the con- tacts between Chinese students and the people of Great Britain. Of the contacts with British students, I have already mentioned that fortunately there is not, as a rule,
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Chinese Students in Great Britain
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the difficulty of mixing badly in the social sense. In fact, it has often amazed me in comparison how differently some students from the slightly darker races of mankind have fared in their contacts. I cannot help feeling, however, that a very appreciable obstactle, beyond racial, is the language factor. No one with ears and eyes can fail to observe at once what a difference an unorthodox accent makes in everyday life in this country; in the light of such estimation, the unfortunate foreign student who cannot speak the language well, even with the wrong accent, is truly at a disadvantage. But, in spite of all these difficulties with their source thousands of years back in the Tower of Babel, there is some special affinity between Chinese and British which has expressed itself not only in the existence of the China Society here in London, but in the Sino-Scottish Societies of Glasgow and Edinburgh, and the Anglo-Chinese Society of Cambridge. Then, besides, Chinese students receive many invitations from private individuals to teas and social functions, while there are other types of invitation-viz., for international student gatherings, for League of Nations Union meetings, and for Church functions. Many of these invitations are sent through our Student Union, and it is our experience that the difficulty is usually to get a sufficient number of acceptances. And yet, many a student arrives in London full of the joie-de-vivre, then feels lonely, only to end up by stagnating in his lodgings. Many a student, it seems, declines such invitations because the name of his host or hostess is unknown to him; still more are shy of their lack of a knowledge of English etiquette or of fluency in the language. Most are only human and decline out of apathy; while there are a few with an antipathy against religious or commercial or colonial governing persons, types which may have been encountered in unfavourable circum- stances out East. On the whole, then, there are many who should have more of the proper contact with proper English people, a contact which should not be too impersonal or formal, for the reason that they will soon return to China,
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