Oral history interview with Wai Leung Law 羅偉娘

00:00-03:02 Naming, family structure and early death of her father, mother and father meeting via film industry and following the film industry for work and her father’s life as an actor.

03:03-10:59 Education during the 1940s including subjects taught and school surroundings. Description of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Mother hiding valuables in the house. CCP raid of house looking for Kuomintang members and CCP army staying in their village.

11:00-12:52 Hardships of mother having to raise two children alone in war time and the work she undertook to support them. CCP starting the ‘anti five movements’ which decreased her mother’s earning potential from gold brokering

12:53-13:53 New CCP ‘returning to the production movement’ and other CCP legislation that outlawed activities.

13:54-22:57 Mothers plan to send son to Hong Kong to work in uncle’s restaurant. Her interest in Chinese opera. Application to Government’s actors team but too young. Brother reluctant to go to Hong Kong but Wai Leung Law keen to go and mother finally agrees.

22:58-24:24 Background of the CCP and Soviet Union. How people lived, intellectuals sent to farms and migration to Hong Kong. Routes to get to Hong Kong including being smuggled via Macau.

24:25-30:15 Remembrances of her mother, her mother’s childhood where her mother was kidnapped and her father a middle class farmer for a father died when she was aged 12 leaving her an orphan. Her mother then started with the Cantonese Opera crew and meet her husband.

30:16-33:04 Cantonese Opera industry and types of contracts including ‘selling deeds’

33:05-42:54 Wai Leung Law ‘s journey to Hong Kong including being smuggled in on a junk boat

42:55-45:27 Living at her aunt’s house looking after her aunt’s baby. Family in Hong Kong including those who sold opium and ran gambling dens.

45:28-52:55 Realities of Hong Kong in 1957 and how the ‘big escape’ immigration surge increased unemployment and many women became dancing girls, deportations and deaths on the journey. Living between relative’s homes, poor living conditions, illness, purchasing hot water, meals and her mother joining her.

52:56-57:13 Renting a bed shared with her mother, financial hardship. Friendship and generosity of woman who later become Wai Leung Law’s godmother. Mother learning the printing business although illiterate

57:14-01:07:36 Wai Leung Law wants to learn Chinese opera. Joins the Cantonese Chinese Opera Academy. Various appearances and detail of Cantonese Opera organisation. Worked in this industry from age 16-24.

01:07:37-01:14:40 Marries and comes to the UK. Husband previously a mini-bus driver in Hong Kong, opened a takeaway shop in Liverpool, 1977. Meeting friends at Wah Sing Chinese Community in Liverpool and performing at their National Day celebration

01:14:41-01:22:14 Development of community organisations in Liverpool and organising Cantonese Opera training in Manchester. Death of son leads to a move to Manchester where continue in takeaway business.

01:22:15-01:39:45 Setting up a women’s support group, types of support offered and her involvement with Wai Yin.

This is an edited index. For the full index and summary of the interview see the bound volume in the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Library.