Chinese in the English-Speaking Caribbean - Kinship



The Chinese in Guyana have been described as "scarcely Chinese" in matters of culture. In the realm of kinship, for instance, although a broad range of kin ties was recognized and kin were scattered throughout the colony in separate households, there were no clans, no attempt to trace lineages or to keep genealogies, no ancestral tablets or ancestor worship, and no common burial ground. There was no Chinese newspaper, nor were there Chinese schools to teach Chinese language and culture or to provide other features of a formal Chinese education. There was no Chinatown nor a concentration of Chinese businesses. There were very few voluntary associations and only one or two recreational clubs. Given the absence of descent groups, it follows that there is now no corresponding kin terminology based on principles of descent. Chinese in the English-speaking Caribbean use English terms of reference and terms of address that reflect the kindred principle such as "aunt," "uncle," "cousin," and so forth.

User Contributions:

1
Norman A Mathews
My grandmother, Nellie Agnes Allum Poon (nee Chin) lived in Trinidad nearly all of her life. Most, if not all of the family thought she was born in Trinidad. In 1976 she informed me, Norman A. Mathews (her grandson) that she had been born in British Guiana and had come to Trinidad as a young girl. Until then all of her children thought she had been born in Trinidad. So I would like to get my hands on documents that would confirm or disprove what she told me. Her DOB was 9-15-00. Her mother was Ann Chin. Her father was Look Sue Chin. I would like to find documents pertaining to my grandmother leaving British Guyana and entering Trinidad.

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