When she came to Ireland from Fujian province aged 25, it was Chenchen He’s first time abroad. Her best friend had moved here after school, and after studying business English at college in China, He joined her. “That’s why I know Ireland. Otherwise, I never heard of this country!” She says that when she told people back in southeast China that she was going to Ireland, they said: “What is it?”
Her intention was to return home after improving her oral English, which would mean better job prospects and income, but “sometimes when you plan, and after, always change”. By 2015, she and her husband, also from Fujian but whom she met in Ireland, decided “to go back home forever”, and even booked flights. But as they thought about it and departure loomed, they changed their minds. Today they have settled in Dublin city with their three daughters, aged 12, six and three.
China is “very high pressure. It’s not easy to get a good job”. Opportunities to improve spoken English were sparse, and she was “very shy to speak out. When I came to Ireland, you don’t have any chance to speak Chinese, so you have to speak English”.
Chenchen means “treasure” – “my mother just picked it from a dictionary”. In Chinese “He” sounds like “huh”, “but here everybody pronounces it hee”.
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She grew up in a village with her grandparents, while her parents lived in Fujo city where her father had a business, returning to the village to see their children for Chinese New Year – not uncommon in China. She’s the eldest of four, two girls then two boys. In villages, she says, it was “allowed to have two children if your first one is a daughter. It’s very common that everybody wants a boy. Sometimes, because they thought boys were much more important, they will give everything to the boys. But my parents were okay”. Her mother treated all four children the same. She laughs. “My little brother always said my mum loved me more than him!” This brother came to Ireland last year, and is a chef in a Chinese restaurant.
In 2009, “the first year for me, it’s hard, because everything I find is too expensive”. She concentrated on studying full time at Griffith College and improving her English, choosing not to work part time. But her money did not go far. “The first year, I was usually eating biscuits or bread, because that’s cheaper.” Aware of the pressure on her parents funding her, she made light of her needs. Also, “in the beginning, you don’t really enjoy the study, because you worry too much: how can you survive in this different country? I just try to do my best”.
At first she found “when Irish people speak slowly, I can understand. If they speak fast, I don’t really get them. I have so many words to try to speak out, but I’m afraid to make mistakes”. After a year she moved college and looked for a part-time job. She says that, whereas locals in China don’t regard cleaning as a good job, here working as a cleaner, “you will be so happy, because they have good pay per hours and the hours are less”.
Here you can study and play. Sometimes in China, there’s just too much homework, so children are afraid going to school
Working in Beshoff’s takeaway in Howth for two years, her spoken English improved, but it took time. At first, she says, “I was afraid to pick up the phone! It’s very busy there. All day, ‘Do you want salt or vinegar?’ So when I go to sleep at night-time, sometimes when I dreamed it was: ‘Salt or vinegar?’”
She met her husband “because we have the same best friend. She introduced us. After that we just fell in love”. Their first daughter was born in 2012. Because they planned to go home, and because they were both busy, working and studying, “I sent my first daughter to back to China” to her in-laws. “That is very common in China, looking after the grandchildren.”
The couple jointly decided to stay (well, “he wanted to go, and I wanted to stay”), and sorted out Stamp 4 visas, which give permission to stay for a specified period, subject to conditions. “I really enjoyed Irish life after 2018,″ she says, when their second daughter was born. She recalls bringing her to the library, and Hill Street Resource Centre. “We really like that.” The multicultural centre in the northeast inner city has many children’s services. She made friends there, learned more about Ireland and enjoyed outings to museums and the Gate Theatre nearby. The centre hosts a one-day Lunar New Year community festival: this is Year of the Snake; there are performances, workshops and food on Sunday afternoon, February 2nd.
She was visiting her first daughter in China when Covid hit, and stayed a month. “It’s a good time for us, because we really enjoyed each other.” After years with her grandparents, and video calls with her parents, their first daughter joined them in Ireland. The then 10-year-old was reluctant, accustomed to her life with her grandparents, worried about the language and the small flat. Adjusting was hard.
Three years on, it’s going well. “I’m so surprised for her English. She’s an outgoing person. She likes to join the social life,” and multiple school clubs. “Here you can study and play. Sometimes in China, there’s just too much homework, so children are afraid going to school.”
They’ve lived in Dublin city, aside from a period in Wexford, where her husband ran a burger shop with friends, which failed during Covid. “Rent every year is very expensive now,” she says. Her husband runs a Chinese/Thai takeaway, where she works. Childcare is shared with other parents, or her friend or brother. “We have a new business now. You start from zero, and three children. For us, it’s hard to apply for a mortgage.”
Her parents have visited twice. “They really enjoy here, especially summertime.”
“Irish-style Chinese food” is different. When we are at home, we usually like to go to restaurants to have dinner and chat with friends, rather than takeaway shop. And I love street food in China.”
“My dream is to be a teacher,” she says. Inspired by bringing the children to the Hill Street centre, she would like to work in a creche, and hopes to study childcare. Back in China it would be difficult for her to be a teacher, because they’re “looking for high people” and “I’m not tall”, she says.
“In Ireland, it’s easy to get on [in] life, and it’s not that high pressure” to find jobs at your education level; plus there’s on-the-job training.
She misses how “in China, night-time, when you go out, all shops are open, street food, meet friends. That’s a totally different lifestyle”.
She may apply to become an Irish citizen this year. “I’m happy to live here. That’s why we try our best. Even in Covid, we didn’t look for any social welfare. In our Chinese tradition, we try to work hard for ourselves, to give ourselves a good life. We want to show our children, every reward you want, you need to work hard for yourself. You study hard now [so], in the future, life is not that hard. But if you give up your study when you find it hard, in the future, you have to work hard because you don’t have options.”
The Hill Street Family Resource Centre Lunar New Year community celebration is on Sunday, February 2nd, 2-7pm, and is a free family-focused event, including performers, workshops and food.
