Series Classification: G (General Audiences) | Find the series here.
Born in 1905, Fong She (also known as Chin Fong She) was from a Fong clan village in the Sui Nam district, Canton. Her husband, Chin Moon Ock, first arrived in New Zealand on the Moeraki on 16 March 1920, aged 17. Poll tax no. 1025.
Fong She lost three children to poverty before enduring a perilous journey across land and sea to be reunited with her husband in Dunedin. Fong She and her husband toiled in their laundry at 35 Hanover Street. While helping in the laundry, she also gave birth to six children: Peter (1941), May (1942), Mabel (1944), Reta (1945), Joyce (1947), and Marjory (1948). After Peter's birth, the family moved from living on the laundry premises to a house at 7 Hanover Street.
Eldest son Peter Chin became the first Chinese Mayor of Dunedin (2004-2010). Peter recalls growing up in his home city during the 1940s, and his mother's cheerful disposition.
"My mum was a smiley, happy person, generous with her time and I suppose a bit overweight. I have always described her as being 5 x 5 x 5 feet!
"Even when she retired, she was always on the phone and had many conversations with people whose lives seemed more troubled than hers. They probably talked about the same things over and over again, but she was very patient and just listened. I don't know what advice she gave them, but they must have enjoyed the comfort of chatting to her.
"Of the refugee wives, many were illiterate and did not speak much English during their whole lives, so they had very limited social integration with Europeans -- except through the business -- so life was concentrated around the family.
"But the benefit of that was the children had to keep on using Chinese -- so in that way, it resulted in the maintenance of the spoken language. None of us ever spoke to our parents in English."
Richard Leung's (Grandson) Chinese New Year speech at the Beehive in 2020:
"At the Chinese New Year Parliamentary celebrations attended by the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, and five other MPs, Richard spoke on behalf of NZCA and the Chinese community: "This country deserves recognition as the only western nation to take in Chinese refugees from this war.
"This group of refugees was tiny -- 256 women and 244 children -- yet they were the seeds for what would become a living and thriving community. Wives were reunited with husbands, children with their fathers.
"The Chinese community was transformed. However, it took until 1951 before those refugees and other Chinese already resident here could apply for New Zealand citizenship... A number of those who applied for New Zealand passports would have arrived as child refugees who knew no other home than New Zealand."
- Record no: C. 33/24/1200: Two-year temporary permit approved 12 February 1940.
- Arrived: 7 May 1940, aged 35, in Wellington on the Wanganella.
- Granted permanent residence: Fong She and her five children, Peter (Wing Ho), May, Mabel, Reta and Joyce, on 29 August 1947.
- New Zealand citizenship: October 1961.
- Husband: CHIN Moon Ock 陳文鐸 from Sui Nam Bou, Sui Bei Chuen, Toi Shan; laundry owner.
Photo: NZ On Air
