Chinese Refugees
For much of the last 100 years, Britain has been a place of refuge for people fleeing trouble in their homelands. The result is a country where many of the major cities are home to a rich fabric of cultures and identities. At surface level this deserves to be celebrated, yet the associated welfare and social issues have led to tension at street level, and a repeated use of the ‘immigration card’ for political gain.
Somewhere, beyond the political rhetoric and right wing sensationalism, are the refugees themselves. Based in the UK legally (if sometimes temporarily), a large number of refugees are among the ‘invisible’, doing the jobs at which we snub our noses – the Iraqi man with a university degree washing dishes in your local restaurant, the Colombian lady who cleans your office when you are at home watching TV, or one of the thousands of migrant workers who process the food that you buy on the way home from work.
Every year, over 1500 Chinese refugees arrive in the UK, with many more applying for political asylum. Often placed into accommodation prescribed by the authorities, integrating into British society is a daunting task. Many refugees have little grasp of the English language, and will struggle to find regular employment. This project examines how three Chinese women have adjusted to life in the UK. By observing their domestic environments and personal belongings, I’ve attempted to document the sense of dislocation and melancholy that I encountered, yet at the same time honour the underlying dignity realised in the organisation of personal space.
