The political convulsions that seized China in the 19th century triggered developments with ripple effects that are still being felt today. In 1842, Hong KongIsland was ceded to Britain by the declining Qing dynasty, one of the terms of the Treaty of Nanking – now called Nanjing – that concluded the first opium war.
Seeking escape from unrest and poverty, waves of emigrants from China’s southern coast set off for foreign lands. Some crossed the ocean to the United States; others stayed closer to home, heading to nearby Southeast Asia. Many of Singapore’s ethnic Chinese citizens are descendants of these immigrants and others who followed in their wake, similarly propelled by China’s shifting political tides.
Seeking escape from unrest and poverty, waves of emigrants from China’s southern coast set off for foreign lands. Some crossed the ocean to the United States; others stayed closer to home, heading to nearby Southeast Asia. Many of Singapore’s ethnic Chinese citizens are descendants of these immigrants and others who followed in their wake, similarly propelled by China’s shifting political tides.
