righton-&-Hove

The Brighton and Hove Dream: A Chinese Family’s Journey to Home

Li Wei, a Chinese immigrant from Shenzhen, arrived in Brighton and Hove in 2008 with only his savings and a single suitcase. Like many Chinese immigrants during that era, he faced significant challenges: language barriers, cultural isolation, and limited job opportunities in the UK. After working temporary jobs at a local fish market and a warehouse for two years, Li Wei secured a role as a delivery driver for a small British company. This became his lifeline, allowing him to save money while learning English and navigating British life.

In 2010, Li Wei opened a small Chinese grocery store in the historic market district of Brighton—a location chosen after researching community needs with the Brighton and Hove Chinese Community Group, founded in 2007 to support immigrants. Initially, the store struggled with low foot traffic and unfamiliar customers. But Li Wei persisted: he spent evenings studying English with local volunteers, adapted his products to British tastes (like adding spices to traditional Chinese snacks), and built relationships with neighbors. By 2012, the store had expanded to include a small café, becoming a social hub for the growing Chinese community in Brighton and Hove.

His efforts paid off. In 2015, Li Wei’s business employed five local workers, including two young Chinese immigrants who later became his children’s friends. He also started a community initiative to help new arrivals, inspired by real events like the Brighton and Hove Chinese Festival (held annually since 2009). By 2018, Li Wei had built a permanent home in Hove with his wife, Mei, and their two children—a family that now represents over 20% of Brighton and Hove’s Chinese community.

Li Wei’s story is a direct reflection of real challenges and triumphs in Brighton and Hove. The city’s Chinese population grew from 500 people in 2005 to over 2,500 by 2020, largely due to immigrants like Li Wei who started small businesses. His journey mirrors the broader narrative of Chinese immigrants in the UK: resilience, community-building, and the ultimate goal of “home” in their new land. As Li Wei often says: “In Brighton and Hove, home isn’t just a place—it’s the effort you make to build it, one store, one family, one day at a time.”