Ambiguous Nationality: British Subjects of Chinese Descent, c.1880-1962
Phyllis Chan’s research looks at the legal nationality of people of Chinese descent born in Hong Kong. Prior to the 1960s, English common law bestowed British subjecthood (which in turn conferred nationality rights) on all those born within British dominion, no matter their colour.
However, due to imperial racial hierarchies, patchy birth registration, and the open border with mainland China, officials often questioned the rights of subjects of Chinese descent, or saw their status as ‘doubtful’ or ambiguous. Her thesis will explore these cases to interrogate the legal and cultural criteria seen as necessary for being ‘British’, and identify the evidence used by subjects who claimed to fulfil them.