ChineseDiasporaCharityandtheCantonesePacific,1850–1949shedsnewlightonthehistoryofcharityamongChineseoverseasanditsplaceinthehistoryofcharityinChinaandinthewiderhistoryofglobalphilanthropy.Itfindsthatdiasporacharity,besidesservingtraditionalfunctionsofhelpingthesickanddestituteandsupportingdevelopmentinChina,helpedtobuildtrustamongdispersedhometownnetworkswhilechallengingcolorboundariesinhostsocietiesbycontributingtowidersocialcauses.Thebookshowsthatcharitableactivitiesamongthe“GoldRush”communitiesofthePacificrim―alooselyintegratedémigrénetworkfromGuangdongProvinceperhapsbetterknownforitsbusinessacumenandhardworkamongEnglish-speakingsettlersocietiesinNorthAmericaandAustralasia―alsoledthewaywithsocialinnovationsthathelpedtoshapemoderncharityinChina.FitzgeraldandYip’svolumedemonstratesthatcharitylayattheheartofcommunitylifeamongChinesecommunitiesoverseas.Fromremittancesaccompanyingletterstocontributionstobenevolentorganizations,emigrantstransferredfundsinmanydifferentwaystomeeturgentrequirementssuchasdisasterreliefwhilealsocontributingtolong-terminitiativeslikebuildingschoolsorhospitals.Bydrawingattentiontodiasporacontributionstotheirhostsocieties,thecontributorscorrectacommonmisunderstandingofthehistoricalChinesediasporawhichisoftenperceivedbyhostcommunitiesasself-interestedordisengaged.Thisimportantstudyalsoreappraisesthevalueofcharitabledonationsinthemaintenanceofnetworks,anessentialfeatureofdiasporalifeacrosstheCantonesePacific.
