鄧永鏘（DavidTang）中國會、上海灘創辦人
TheChinesediasporahashadacurioushistory.EvenwithallthewealthofknowledgeoftheMiddleKingdom,withoutanycolonizationformillennia,manyChinesebecameeffectiveslavestotheWesternworld.ManyofusweresenttothewestcoastofCanadaandAmericatobuildthegreatrailwaysthere.Bythetimetheyfinishedlayingthetracksinintolerableconditions,theyweresentontotheCaribbeanorAfricaasslavestotheWesterncolonialpowers.
Ihaveinmylibraryanextraordinarydocumentthatwasarecordofadiplomaticmission,directfromanImperialEdict,undertakenmostamazinglybytwoBritishandaChineseofficials,toHavanainCuba.Thepurposeofthemissionin1873wastoascertaintheconditionsofChineseslaves,ofwhomtherewerenearly2,000.Theconclusionwasthat,withoutasingleexception,thetestimonyofeachoftheChineseslavesmentionedtheuntoldhorrorandappallingtreatmenttheyreceivedfromthehandsoftheCubans!SomeoftheseslaveshadnotevencomefromAmerica.TheyweresimplykidnappedinSouthernChinaandshippedacrossthePacificOceanandthensentonbylandandseatotheisland.TothinkthatsomanyChinesehadalreadybeenslavesattheendofthe18thcenturyisaveryuncomfortablethought.Toimaginethattherewerealreadydreadful"snakeheads"isanevenmoredisturbingfeeling.HowIdetestthem!HowIabhorthosewhoprofitfromhumantrafficking!Eveninourowntimes,wefindthemlurkingintheshadowsofshameandobscenity,peddlinghumanmiseryandmakingmoneyentirelyattheexpenseoftheweakanddestitute.Rememberthosecockle-pickerswhodiedinMorecambeBayinEnglandafewyearsago?TheywereallillegalimmigrantsfromChina,broughttoBritaininutterlyunimaginableconditions,andendingupasslaves-forthereisnootherwordforthem.
Yet,therearealsomanyChinesewhoaremulti-billionaires,andlotsofotherswhoareexceedingwell-to-do.Andweoftentakeprideinoursuccesses-notonlyinfinancialterms,butalsoinotherareassuchaseducationandintellectualachievements.JustlookatthewayinwhichChinahasinrecentyearsemergedasaveryproudnation,excellinginsportattheOlympics,andnowcreatingbillionairesataratewhichisgoingtocatchupwiththeWesternworldinthenottoodistantfuture.WewanttobragaboutourChineseheritageandourChinesefuture.
Soitisjustcuriousthatwedon'ttalkmuchaboutthoseChinesewhohavenotbeensofortunate.It'saveryChinesewayoftreatingthosethingswedon'tlikeasiftheydon'texist.Wefeelashamedtotalkaboutthemiserableandlowlypast.Wedon'twanttoadmitthatwewereenslaved.Wedon'twanttorememberthenefariouswaysinwhichweweretreated.Butitisimportantforustolearnfromhistory,andtomakesurethatitdoesn'thappenagain.Evenmoreimportantly,wemustnotsubjecttoothersthesameappallingtreatmentwhichsomeofuswereunluckyenoughtoreceive.Perhapsitiswishfulthinkingthatwewouldactuallylearnfromourpastmistakes.Sadly,historyrepeatsitself,andweneverseemtolearn.
BarbaraTuckman,myfavouritehistorian,wroteabookcalled"TheMarchofFolly"inwhichshedemonstratedhow,throughouttheagesofman,weremainstupidenoughtocommitthesamekindofmistakes-weallowfollytomarchoninourlivesasifthereisnostoppingit.Howstupidwereallyare!Tominimizeortoavoidthis,wemustnevertrytoforgetourpast.Wemustconstantlyremindourselvesthemistakeswemadeandlearnfromexperiences.Aboveall,weshouldbearinmindthattheenslavementofanypeoplemustbeeliminated,andthatifitdoesnothappentousanymore,wemusthelpotherstoridofit.
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