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George meets Doreen and Lynne Ah Foo

Doreen and Lynne Ah Foo share their happy memories with George. They grew up in a loving mixed Chinese family in 1930s and 1940s Liverpool. They recall their happy childhoods, and the thrill of looking forward to Chinese dishes their father would make when he returned from being at sea.

By classifying foreign seamen as ‘Aliens’ under the Aliens act it had three direct consequences for Doreen and Lynne’s family: first their mother Emily had, by law, to take her husband’s ‘Alien’ status when they married (although children would be British). Second, the family were monitored, and had to report to local police station on a regular basis. And third, they all were subject to an 8pm curfew. It was because of this curfew that Doreen missed out on watching one of her early film idols, Shirley Temple, at the local cinema.

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1 minute