Madam Chairperson Distinguished Members of the Executive of the Chinese Association of Guyana Ministers of Government Former President Arthur Chung Honourable Zhao Yang, Vice Minister of Overseas Chinese Affairs of the People’s Republic of China Special invitees Fellow Guyanese

Today, I have a special delight in acknowledging the significant and enduring contributions of Chinese immigrants and you, their descendants, to the building of Guyana and the shaping of our nation. In significant ways, the coming of your fore-parents altered this landscape and contributed a portion of the rich fabric that has been so neatly woven into the national tapestry in the creation of a unique Guyanese society.
What we have become and what we are is indeed the result of the amalgamation of our peoples; the merger of cultures, the fusion of our identities, the synthesis of our philosophies, history, customs and practices transported across the seas and blended together over time and through interactions, pleasant and challenging, in the creation of a hitherto unknown entity we call home.
I believe that the currents of history and the necessity of industry were unaware that they were in delightful conspiracy in the creation of a new society in the new world. A society that was capable of achieving greatness through the strengths of the members of each diverse group, by way of an industrious, determined and dedicated people and through the transfer of their affection and allegiance to a new homeland. I believe that it was then unknown that people of varying backgrounds and origins can live together in productive harmony, dispelling the prejudices that originate from outward differences, or language and culture.
Here in our country, Guyanese of African, East Indian, Portuguese, Chinese, and European ancestry have joined with our Amerindian brothers and have defied the odds and forged and remained a single nation in spite of a turbulent history and created adversarial competitive relations. We have confronted many challenges along the way to forging the bonds of a united nation. It is true that this process is on going and progressively and we must emerge a political, economic, and social system in which there will be equal opportunities and equity for all our peoples.
Today, in celebrating the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the first Chinese immigrants to this country, we are confirming and reminding ourselves that we are a nation descended of immigrants. Our fore-parents may have left for economic opportunities but stayed on to fashion a new home; they may have set sail for the plantations but remained for the potential they saw in this land; some may have been wrenched from their places of birth only to find and develop a homeland built on diversity and fashioned by care and consideration for each other.
Fellow Guyanese, this occasion permits us to reflect upon and celebrate our diversity and differences while simultaneously admitting that we have affected and have been affected by each other for our good and that of our homeland.
Immigrants and their descendents must be lauded for the contributions to our society. Guyanese of Chinese descendents like others have every reason to be proud. These citizens enriched this land and have excelled in every conceivable area of human endeavour - in the Arts, in the productive sectors, in technology in sports and culture, and in politics.
In the Arts our own internationally renowned pianist Ray Luck has reached the pinnacle of his profession. There are indelible marks of Guyanese of Chinese descent in the field of Education as verified by a cursory view of the roll of Guyana Scholars and the recorded history of secondary education in the capital where the name and pioneering work of J.C. Luck stands unrivalled. In Agriculture; in Medicine; in Commerce the names and contributions of many prominent sons and daughters of Guyana of Chinese ancestry are inscribed.
In the Politics of Guyana, and as early as the 1930s Guyanese Chinese had become Members of Parliament. In more recent times, Mr. George Fung-On served his country as Minster of Public Service. However we must remember that Former President Arthur Chung as our first and only titular Head of State, performed vital services to this nation while we were on our way to fashioning an appropriate constitutional arrangement for our country.
Additionally, we must not forget the religious fervour that led our Guyanese Chinese to give expression to their deeper spiritual needs in the establishment of Saint Saviour’s Church. The pastoral work of Catechist Paul Chan-A-Sue and more recently that of Benjamin Ho, tell of the determination of our brothers not to merely be immigrants but to seek and find their life-purpose here: In the arena of Sports, your dominance in Hockey, Lawn Tennis, Squash, and Motor Racing, among others, is well known.
I may go on to enumerate fields and functions; persons and accomplishments; in speaking of our Guyanese brothers and sisters and yet I will never be able to capture all their achievements in 150 years. But we must not loose sight of other equally important accomplishments in the legal profession and numerous social endeavours.
I have made reference to a few significant milestones in your history to draw the logical conclusion that Guyanese Chinese do not inhabit the periphery of our society but are at the core of their country. You are a necessary and indispensable part of this nation. Your contributions have exceeded your numerical representation. In terms of immigration, less than 12,000 Chinese immigrants arrived in Guyana but the contributions of their descendants prove that, energised by industry and a will to succeed, numbers is not a constraint to achievement. You have brought a distinct social, cultural, religious tradition, woven in your former homelands over centuries and transported to the new shores.
Chinese immigrants and first generation Chinese Guyanese were required to make the greatest adjustments and succeeding generations built upon the achievements of preceding generations. These citizens surmounted the challenges posed by a new language and parents were anxious to see their children achieve academically. It is hardly surprising therefore that this group of Guyanese performed admirably and distinguished themselves.
I believe that Guyana must remain a caring society if we are to benefit from the traditions and achievements of each other and build upon past achievements. Our country must therefore guarantee each citizen, irrespective of group-size in the population, the protection and constitutional guarantees to which each citizen is entitled. Only in such a national environment will the weak be secure and the strong be safe and a people dwell in safety. Inter-group rivalry must never be allowed to make any of our citizens fearful and insecure in this land.
As we celebrate the noble heritage of Guyanese Chinese brothers, let us reflect on the contributions of each group of Guyanese to making our country a proud land and one secured from ethnic strife. Let us rededicate ourselves to building a future that is just and equitable and to living harmoniously together as we continue our efforts to building a country that will endure and a nation that will last.
Congratulations to our Guyanese Chinese brothers. The nation recognizes you indomitable spirit and salutes your contributions you have made to your country: Madame Chairperson, I now have the distinct honour to declare open this Grand Chinese Fair and wish that all participants will through this means be informed of your rich culture and traditions.
Thank you.