Occupational specialization of the Chinese community

Occupational specialization


The majority of the Chinese immigrants to Kolkata are laborers, both skilled and unskilled. The Chinese communities were majorly engaged in "three or four business ventures," including restaurants, manufacturing units, retail souvenirs, and dental services.


1. Carpentry Business:-


The Cantonese subgroups migrating to the South appear to primarily work in the carpentry industry in Asia. They worked in Calcutta (now known as Kolkata) and other South Asian cities after learning their carpentry skills in China. The Cantonese carpenters were in high demand due to their reputation for being diligent, friendly, and skilled craftsmen. At first, they were work in part-time jobs but slowly they started working in interior wormwood companies and carpentry factories.


2. Shoe-Making Business:-


Another of the most significant jobs was in the shoe and tannery industries. The Chinese Hakka immigrants lacked specialized knowledge of their line of work when they arrived on the Indian continent. The majority of Hakka immigrants, however, accompanied them on the basis of their abilities and industry expertise in an Indian shoe company.


3. Dentists and paper flower makers:-


Dentists and paper flower artisans make up another important subgroup of the Chinese community. In China, the Hubeinese were regarded as famous tooth setters. More than 80 clinics were operated by residents of the Tianmen area of Hubei province in Kolkata. Indian customers were attracted because of their good skills and low fees.


4. Silk trading business:-


Another subgroup, commonly referred to as silk traders, includes immigrants from Shandong, as well as immigrants from the Changyi and Weifang regions, 30 percent of whom came from Pingdu and about 20 percent from Yantai. Through the establishment of numerous markets throughout India, these immigrants engaged in the marketing and sales of silk products from Shandong.


The increase in these traders in India led to the creation of the Shandong Silk Common Business Corporation in 1920. This group facilitates communication and information sharing among Shandong silk traders, which helped the industry grow.


5. Laundries:-


There appears to have been just before World War II. Two laundromats in India, one each in Bombay and Calcutta, are owned by the Chinese. Many laundries, including the Chunking Laundry and the Shanghai Laundry in Calcutta, are still open and well-liked today.





6. Restaurant:-


The most well-known and successful Chinese-run businesses in Calcutta are without a doubt restaurants. South Asia saw a rise in the number of Chinese eateries during the Second World War. Chinese refugees from Southeast Asia started their own restaurants in India. Although the conflict between China and India was noticeable in the Chinese restaurant industry, Chinese cuisine, and the taste that combined Chinese dishes and Indian spices to suit the needs of the South Asian palate had already ingrained themselves into South Asian eating customs.



Sources:

https://www.lensculture.com/projects/416640-the-chinatown-of-kolkata

https://lbb.in/kolkata/sen-fo-esplanade-for-customised-handmade-leather-shoe/

https://www.shoestringtravel.in/2020/08/chinese-in-kolkata-food-history-culture.ht

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