Our Stories: Collecting the oral histories of the Chinese community in Wales
To coincide with a very special year for the Chinese Communities, The Year of the Dragon. The Chinese In Wales Association (CIWA) is running a very exciting community heritage project.
The Chinese In Wales Association has successfully been awarded a £99,968 National Lottery Heritage Fund grant to carry out a Wales-wide oral history project.
The testimonies of multi-generational ethnic Chinese individuals and those with mixed heritage will be collected along with photographs of interesting items and documents.
To upskill all those involved, all of the project team and volunteers will be professionally trained by Museum Wales and National Library-Peoples Collection.
The findings of the project and raw material will be uploaded on to the online Peoples Collection and raw material archived within Museum Wales. This means that this invaluable history will live on for future generations.
Mrs. Shirley Au-Yeung, Founder and CEO of CIWA, expressed :
“With heartfelt enthusiasm for the Our Stories project, I am thrilled to witness this vision materialise. Connecting with the older generation is paramount before their invaluable stories fade away. The Chinese community’s profound impact on Wales, shaping friendships, health, education, industry, technology, food, fashion, and community celebrations, deserves to be preserved. I eagerly anticipate immersing myself in the diverse individual experiences of life in Wales, uncovering the evolution of perspectives over the years.”
Ms Sioned Hughes, Head of Public History and Archaeology said:
“Amgueddfa Cymru is happy to work in partnership with The Chinese in Wales Association. The oral history gathered will be a valuable addition to the national oral history archive, helping to diversify the collection of personal histories, and ensuring that it is more representative of the diverse communities that live in Wales today.”
Thank you to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and to our Partners: Museum Wales, National Library of Wales People’s Collection , Swansea University for your generosity and support.
