You Have Been Loyal Wah Kiu

The huaqiao are often seen as loyal to the Chinese motherland, but for many in the qiaoxiang loyalty had a narrower focus. Despite this, not everyone who moved between the Pearl River Delta and the Pacific Ports in the generations after 1849 had been “loyal wah kiu” (huaqiao), and it has not been the purpose of this study to argue they were. It has been argued, however, that a concept such as “loyal wah kiu” and the history of the movement of people from the Pearl River Delta over the period are best understood within the context of the qiaoxiang connections. It has also been argued that a nation-state perspective and the conceptions and assumptions that have been characterized as “border-guard views” have failed to understand the significance of the “loyal wah kiu” and the role played by the qiaoxiang links. By interpreting the history of the overseas Chinese, the huaqiao, through the perspective of their places of origin, the qiaoxiang, it is hoped that a successful attempt has been made by this study to improve this understanding.