Nationality, citizenship, birth, race or ethnicity: Which element makes someone a Bahamian, above all else?
For immigrants seeking to call The Bahamas home, one fundamental question persists today, as it did over one hundred years ago: How many years of residency and civic contribution are required before someone, born elsewhere, can truly be considered Bahamian?
In 1968, Luis (Louis) Telmo Chea, had come to a firm decision that despite his family’s complicated migration history, the Bahamas was his only home; and therefore he was a Bahamian.
Luis concluded that he should not be artificially excluded from any aspect of Bahamian life or higher pursuits. This conviction persisted despite the prevailing political rhetoric that made him feel he would always be viewed as a foreigner in The Bahamas—the only place he called home.
And so, as a naturalised Bahamian (British) citizen, he would offer himself as a political candidate, in the April 10th 1968 General Elections, to the only political party that would accept him.
which I am proud, makes me no less a Bahamian than anyone else.”
When the Chea family initially came to New Providence, in 1922/23, they faced immense prejudice and discrimination on every front.
They were not considered white, and so were not accepted in Nassau’s hierarchical elite local society. This meant that they could not live in white areas.
They were also not negro, and therefore faced equal prejudice and discrimination from black Bahamians.
The Chea family settled in the community of Chippingham in Nassau, and that is where Luis Telmo Chea lived, in 1968, exactly where his father had settled, almost fifty years prior.
Chea, a proud Chinese-Bahamian, offered himself as a candidate for the United Bahamian Party (UBP) in the constituency in which he had lived for almost fifty years – Fort Charlotte constituency.
which I am proud, makes me no less a Bahamian than anyone else.”
Luis Telmo Chea – Family Migration History
Luis Telmo Chea was born in Guantanamo, Cuba on 14th April 1922, hence the Spanish/Portugese names of Luis and Telmo.
At some point after the family’s migration to The Bahamas, they became British Bahamian citizens by naturalisation.
Luis Telmo Chea was born to Louis (Luis) Chea (1883- died on 4th December 1968 in New Providence, Bahamas) and Maria Josefa Wong (1913 est. – died 2nd November 1945, St. Mathew’s Parish, New Providence, Bahamas death notice for Mary Chea, house worker died of meningitis) aka Mrs. Louis Chea aka Mary Shea.
Louis (Luis) Chea, the father, was born in 1883 in Guangdong, China. Maria Josefa Wong is said to have been born in 1897 also in China, however this date does not correspond with the date of recorded death which had put her age as only 32 years old. Her name is also fully Spanish in keeping with the customs of Cuba. Maria Josefa Wong may have been Chinese Cuban by birth.
Luis had only brothers. Charles Chea (first brother born in Nassau, Bahamas in 1923 after parents emigrated to The Bahamas – died 2016), Joseph Peter Chea (1929 – died 2011), Edward Chea (1932-2003)
Excerpt from the research paper Ethnic Minorities in The Bahamas by Patrice M. Williams notes arrival of Louis Chea to the Bahamas in 1920s (pdf link below)
“The presence of the Chinese was problematic in the Caribbean at this time. Reports from Jamaica implied that the Chinese were replacing local merchants. Their frugality, work ethics and discipline made them very successful businessmen. In addition they were “willing to sacrifice present comfort for future security.” The entire family was involved in the business and they worked long gruelling hours opening their stores when others were closed.”
Louis Chea was the father of Luis Telmo Chea.
Excerpt: https://cdn.bahamas.gov.bs/tenant/tenantbahamasnationalarchives/documents/Ethnic-Minorities-in-The-Bahamas-20250704141449.pdf.
“In an editorial in The Tribune dated 15 August, 1928 complaints were being made that the Chinese kept their business opened on Fridays, which in the Bahamas was a half business day as shops closed at noon, Sundays and Public Holidays while indigenous merchants were forced by law to close. These practices were unacceptable to Bahamian merchants and therefore steps such as the enactment of the Immigration Bill 1928, the Commission Merchant Registration Act 1930 and the Shopkeepers Bill 1933 were taken. All these were attempts to control the business activities of foreigners in the country. The Chinese who came to the Bahamas in the 1920s arrived via Guantanamo, Cuba. The first known Oriental was Louis Chea who had lived for a time in Cuba and had adopted a Spanish first name.”
Chinese Bahamians – A problem of Cultural Invisibility
Chinese Bahamians have been part of the fabric of The Bahamas for over 100 years, yet their contributions to Bahamian culture, economy, and society have often been overlooked in national narratives, making their community’s history and experiences less visible.
This pattern reflects broader Caribbean dynamics where Chinese communities, despite being established for generations, have faced what scholars call “perpetual foreigner” status – always somewhat seen as outsiders regardless of their deep roots and contributions to their adopted countries.
Asians were often positioned as a “middle minority” between the white colonial elite and the Black Bahamian majority, facing prejudice from both groups while not fully belonging to either.
This pattern was common across the Caribbean, where Chinese immigrants often faced what historians call “racialized exclusion” – being seen as perpetual foreigners regardless of how long they had been in the islands.
The situation began to improve gradually through the mid-20th century, but the early decades were marked by significant challenges and systematic discrimination.
Luis Telmo Chea, a proud Chinese-Bahamian and UBP Candidate for Fort Charlotte 1968
Luis ran against the PLP candidate Dr. Curtis MacMillan in the Fort Charlotte constituency. There were 1,468 registered voters.
Luis Telmo Chea received 120 votes; Curtis MacMillan 1096
