It is with great pleasure that I write the foreword to Dr Yit Seng Yow’s book The Chinese Dimensions: their roots, mindset and psyche.

The first Chinese person to arrive in Western Australia was a carpenter called Moon Chow, who arrived in 1829, a few months after the Swan River Colony was first proclaimed. He was unique until the mid 19th Century when Chinese indentured labourers were recruited to alleviate severe farm labour shortages and then in the 1880s free Chinese settlers came to seek their fortune in the goldfields.

In more recent times many Chinese have come to Western Australia as we expanded and deepened our relations with Asia.

At times Chinese Western Australians have experienced prejudice and discrimination but that has not dented their commitment to Western Australia and its future.

Through their energy, enthusiasm and hard work our Chinese community has helped build the thriving, vibrant and multicultural State we live in and enjoy today.

Our State’s cultural and linguistic diversity is arguably our most valuable asset, and I am very pleased that Dr. Yow’s book adopts a bilingual approach. Language is central to culture. Through this book, the wider community will be able to learn about Chinese language, its importance to and reflection of Chinese culture, and the beauty and intricacies of Chinese culture as a whole.

Our proximity to Asia has helped enrich our State in many ways – it has expanded our economic and cultural horizons and breathed fresh life into our creative processes.

We have benefited in numerous ways from our close ties with China, and I am very pleased that we continue to strengthen this bond through initiatives such as our Sister-State relationship with China’s Zhejiang Province.

Dr. Yow has long been a respected member of our State’s Chinese community. Active in the Chung Wah Association, Dr. Yow has also published material dealing with the challenges minority group’s face in our community. In this context, The Chinese Dimensions: their roots, mindset and psyche plays an important part in educating the wider community about our Chinese community’s unique identity and cultural heritage. Through this sort of understanding we can continue to move forward, together, into a positive and productive future.

                                           Dr Geoff Gallop MLA