The Cantonese are from a region of southeastern China, once known as Canton, now referred to as Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province. Traditionally, they were regarded as one of the 30 Han Chinese groups, but some consider them to be from the Tai groups.
The large southern city of Guangzhou, which has been continually inhabited for 2,200 years, has always been the center of Cantonese civilization. The Cantonese often migrated to other parts of the world, either as merchants or as common laborers. Today they live in 36 countries, including the United Kingdom, where they blended in with other Chinese people since the 1600s. In the early 1800s, most of the Chinese were seamen who lived in British seaports like Liverpool and married English women. There was much resentment against the Chinese, especially among British sailors who thought they were a threat to their jobs. By the early 1900s, the Chinese were largely restricted to the laundry business as their primary available employment opportunity. Thousands of Chinese worked as sailors for the British but were forced to leave after the war. Others were allowed to settle in the United Kingdom during the 1950s-1960s. Cantonese Chinese opened restaurants or worked on farms, but Chinese arrivals from Hong Kong outnumbered them. The largest Chinese migration to the United Kingdom happened in the 1980s. Today, the Chinese population in the United Kingdom is most likely to be found in either Liverpool or London. They also live in several other cities.
Cantonese Chinese individuals in the United Kingdom run small businesses, supported by strong community ties. Some are involved in the informal economy. Unfortunately, many were smuggled in as cheap labor. Such people work in food processing, catering, construction, or farm work.
Some Cantonese are non-religious or they adhere to traditional Chinese religious practices. Others are Roman Catholic or Evangelical.
Regardless of where they live, the Cantonese people need a deeper spiritual hunger. People who own businesses typically have little time or energy to consider eternal matters.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to do mighty things in Chinese churches in the United Kingdom.
Pray for Cantonese in the United Kingdom to have a spiritual hunger that will lead them to Jesus Christ.
Pray for Cantonese Christians to evangelize and disciple those who are willing to find their way to the one who is the Truth.
Scripture Prayers for the Han Chinese, Cantonese in United Kingdom.
Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted Used with permission.
https://sacu.org/ukchinese
https://minorityrights.org/communities/chinese-7/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Chinese_immigration_to_the_United_Kingdom
| Profile Source: Joshua Project |
