‘Look past the darkness and into the light’: British Chinese caterers’ experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic1

Abstract

In Western societies, there has been a long history of scapegoating Chinese communities during public health crisis. While current historiography on the Chinese community in Britain has examined their racialised experiences in the early twentieth century, it has yet to engage with the vast reservoir of oral histories created by British Chinese communities themselves from the late twentieth century onwards. When the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-Chinese hostility surged in many parts of the world, creating a pivotal moment for understanding their perspectives. This article draws on six oral histories of Chinese caterers in Britain, collected through the community-led project Life in the Time of Corona, to examine the micro-level impact of epidemics on their businesses and personal lives. It highlights the urgency of documenting everyday pandemic experiences and explores the challenges posed by both COVID-19 and anti-Chinese racism. This article argues that the Chinese caterers faced a dual crisis: the economic and operational challenges brought on by the pandemic, compounded by emotional distress stemming from a surge in anti-Chinese racism. In response to COVID-19 restrictions and rising operational costs, Chinese caterers demonstrated resilience by utilising transnational ties, raising food prices, and shifting to takeaway and online services. The oral histories captured their frustration with the government’s handling of the pandemic, underscoring the broader inequalities experienced by ethnic minorities during the pandemic.