How We Investigated Secret Deportations Of Asians From UK & Australia: The Making Of The Exiles

CNA’s award-winning two-part documentary The Exiles highlighted the racially-motivated deportations of Asian men from post-World War Two Australia and the United Kingdom. Series producer and director Tom St John Gray talks about what went into the team's year-long investigations, and how he followed the trail of maritime records - including previously classified government records. They also had to track down family members and descendants of the missing across the world.
The series picked up awards including Best History and Personalities/Portraits (Silver) at the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards 2023 and the Best Factual Programme Made In Asia For Multiple Markets at the ContentAsia Awards 2023.
00:00 Intro
00:38 How I came across the story of the exiles
01:18 Who were the Liverpool Chinese seamen
02:13 Why Chinese seamen mysteriously disappeared in the 1940s
03:18 Meeting their British descendants
04:59 A breakthrough during filming
05:55 Finding evidence on eBay & in maritime logs
07:40 Declassified documents from Britain’s National Archives
07:59 A twist in the research: ‘White Australia’ deportations
08:55 Rare footage of deported Chinese and Malay seamen
10:08 Tracking down Singapore descendants
11:09 Filming an emotional family reunion in Australia
12:47 A granddaughter’s story
14:29 Lessons for today’s racism issues
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WATCH MORE of The Exiles
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[@razzahling8951]

jesus christ, the guy searched ebays for identification logs, and tracked it down?!?! what a mad man respect

[@iamavaenergy]

Wow, that sounds like a really interesting project! What kind of stories did they uncover?

[@toms6189]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWO4fniYbd52jbs

[@Tan92lfc]

I noticed a few Senior aged Chinese mixed people in Liverpool.

[@dawayeaung2694]

thank you it is really great history. don't find them in books

[@littleowlbooks8514]

If I lived in China or Singapore and I was there illegally would I be deported if caught?

[@giovannichao4154]

So did they sue the gov?

[@liverpix]

No, they have tried to get an apology from the government to no avail.

[@metalkokorea]

why? why did it happen?

[@lastChang]

The Chinese population in Singapore 🇸🇬 is a *big problem* for Singaporean national security when they - connect with the authoritarian expansionist regime in China and - subscribe to their version of world views.

[@Vampybattie]

Singapore is majority of Chinese lol

[@AhmetTekin101]

​@@Vampybattie Not true! One third speak Mandarin. Many are from Taiwan. So, Chinese are less than one third.

[@icet6665]

@@AhmetTekin101 no differemce

[@AhmetTekin101]

@@icet6665

[@icet6665]

@@AhmetTekin101 Tell me the difference? Taiwanese and mainland Chinese are Han Chinese

[@ArabicReja973]

They have no issues with Asians, but just with the 🇨🇳Chinese.

[@icet6665]

so says the racist.

[@user-cr6yp7vx9r]

It's kinda true, Asians except Chinese are all following white Americans' orders, do whatever Americans ask, are obedient good boys and girls.

[@dongiovanni8899]

White Taiwan policy🤣🤣🤣