DS: What were your experiences growing up in the UK?
I grew up in Ilford, Essex, where there were not many Chinese-I was the only Chinese in my class at infants/junior school. My siblings and I did experience racial taunts both inside and outside of school but this went no further than name-calling. I think my experience was better during secondary school, probably because it was an all boys grammar school and there were a few other BBC students in my year. Virtually all my school friends were white. In my sixth form this changed as I undertook science-based A levels for medical school and most of my white friends left school, My new set of friends were mainly Indian, and most were pursuing medical school.
Of course I went through the usual identity crisis concerning my peer group-Chinese or white? In addition, not being from Hong-Kong meant I could not speak Cantonese. Also, as my parents were born in Mauritius, only my dad could speak Chinese and this is Hakka, a language virtually unknown outside Mauritius. Therefore, we as a family could also not identify with the majority of Chinese living in London who are Cantonese. We therefore experienced poor treatment in Chinese restaurants and shops and still do to this day. Either they think I choose not to speak Cantonese or that I am so anglocised that I cannot speak Cantonese. Socially therefore, were attended events organised by the Anglo-Chinese Society, which caters to mainly Chinese from Mauritius though everyone is made to feel welcome. My parents are on the organizing committee.

DS: What were your experiences when you went to college where there was a higher level of overseas Chinese students?
At Manchester University, I again found it difficult getting along with the other Chinese students as the majority of them BBC or not were Cantonese speaking and were not really receptive to a non-Chinese speaking BBC. My experience of overseas Chinese was positive however, the majority of them were from Malaysia or Singapore and were in general a more friendly and receptive bunch. At the time I was at University I did not meet many Overseas mainland Chinese though from the few I did meet, they generally kept themselves to themselves. At University the majority of my friends were non-Chinese and non-Medics.

DS: Have you ever felt that being Chinese has caused problems in the work place?
There was a study conducted in Manchester, which found that if you had an ethnic sounding family name, your were 33% less likely to get into Medical School irrespective of your Academic potential. Therefore, on this background and from my own experience, I can say that racism is prevalent in Medicine. The senior doctors are white and this will always be the case. If you are Ethnic you have to study/work/perform harder to reach the same level as someone white. In the specialty in which I am training, I would have succeeded far quicker if I was white. On the otherhand, of the ethnic minorities, being Chinese is far better than being black or Indian, as in Medicine it is even harder for these ethnic groups. Chinese have a reputation for being diligent and hard-working and trouble-free-this works in my favour in the work-place.

DS: What are your perceptions of the Chinese community in the UK?
The Chinese community in my opinion is quite integrated into British society. I think the Chinese assimilate well into society, maintaining important Chinese cultural aspects while at the same time adopting certain British ‘foreign’ ideals. However, this may be because the numbers of Chinese are far less than somewhere like Toronto where there are so many Chinese, that they form their own exclusive shops/residential areas and do not assimilate into society as well. Perhaps, if the numbers of Chinese in the UK were greater, we as an ethnic group would experience far more racism than we do currently.

DS: What are your views on the gender stereotypes towards Chinese men and women?
The embedded gender stereotypes in my opinion are less instilled in England, where opportunities are available for all, and most of us have adopted Western attitudes regarding sexual equality, though my wife wouldn’t agree when she is doing the housework or cooking! Ironically, the Communist society from where my wife came from, gender equality is rigorously enforced, in the cities anyway, such that when my wife was brought up she never learned to cook and do housework, that duty was intended to be met by her future husband.

DS: You met your wife in China. Can you tell us how this came about?
As a fourth year medical student I undertook my elective in Beijing studying acupuncture and herbal medicine. Like many BBC, I think I was wanting to rediscover my Chinese roots/heritage at that time. My wife to be was a friend of one of the interpreters at the school/hospital. My wife then came to study for a MA in Linguistics the following year. We then got married a year after that.

DS: How does this affect your sense of Chinese identity?
My sense of Chinese identity was quite strong before I met my wife, having been heavily instilled into my psyche by my father. Though there was an initial culture clash between my wife and I and our respective families, but no more than would be expected.

DS: How do you view yourself – what is your identity?
I am proud to be a BBC and I consider myself to be in a unique position to benefit from both cultures-I can utilise the best of both worlds as each culture has its good and bad points. I am fiercely proud of my Chinese heritage while at the same time I am eager to adopt Western ideals and opportunities. I think these benefits far exceed my inability to truly identify with either culture. I consider myself a fusion between these two cultures. Of course by marrying a mainland Chinese, I have been able to pursue further the Chinese side of my identity.

However, as a non-Cantonese speaking BBC, I believe my experience in the UK is more difficult than a Cantonese-speaking BBC, as the majority of Chinese in London are Cantonese-speaking. In addition, mainland Chinese also have a hard-time in London, from my wife’s experience.