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The Place I Call Home
‘My mother would have been very proud of me if had I been a secretary in the Northern Ireland Assembly, working in the majestic Parliament Buildings at Stormont; she would have been ecstatic to see me elected as the first ever China-born legislator in Europe.’
Anna Lo was born in Hong Kong in 1950. When she arrived in Belfast in 1974 she initially worked on Chinese language programmes for the BBC before starting the first evening class for Chinese immigrants living in Northern Ireland in 1978. A qualified social worker, she worked for the Chinese Welfare Association in Belfast and was later the first vice-chair of the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities. She was made an MBE in 1999 for work with the Chinese immigrant community and entered local politics in 2007, standing for the Alliance party in the assembly elections. She was elected to the Stormont parliament and re-elected in the South Belfast constituency four years later, when she topped the poll.
In her memoir, she writes for the first time about her extraordinary journey – how it was to arrive in Belfast at the height of the Troubles; her work with the Chinese community from the early 1980s and the difficulties its members faced, including access to health, housing and other public services, as well as racist harassment; her time as a social worker; her children’s experiences of life in Northern Ireland; her extraordinary political career, including the racial harassment she experienced; and her life away from the spotlight.
Anna Lo was born in Hong Kong in 1950. When she arrived in Belfast in 1974 she initially worked on Chinese language programmes for the BBC before starting the first evening class for Chinese immigrants living in Northern Ireland in 1978. A qualified social worker, she worked for the Chinese Welfare Association in Belfast and was later the first vice-chair of the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities. She was made an MBE in 1999 for work with the Chinese immigrant community and entered local politics in 2007, standing for the Alliance party in the assembly elections. She was elected to the Stormont parliament and re-elected in the South Belfast constituency four years later, when she topped the poll.
In her memoir, she writes for the first time about her extraordinary journey – how it was to arrive in Belfast at the height of the Troubles; her work with the Chinese community from the early 1980s and the difficulties its members faced, including access to health, housing and other public services, as well as racist harassment; her time as a social worker; her children’s experiences of life in Northern Ireland; her extraordinary political career, including the racial harassment she experienced; and her life away from the spotlight.
192 pages, Paperback
Published October 13, 2016
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About the author
Anna Lo
1 bookAnna Manwah Lo was an Alliance Party politician in Northern Ireland. She was a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Belfast South from 2007 to 2016. She was a former president of the Alliance Party.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 6, 2017
One of the things I remember, during one of our many elections, was the clever campaign for Anna Lo. 'Aim High, Vote Lo" will always stick in my mind and indeed I did vote Lo.
Her story was incredibly inspiring, she worked hard to achieve all that she did and with a genuine passion. She did not 'pick a side', had to deal with disgusting racists and bigots, and focused her attention on the people.
She fought hard for women's rights, to allow women the choice when it came to abortion. Laughably, Iris Robinson shot down one of the attempts based on 'moral grounds', something Iris isn't overly familiar with.
I'm sorry she stepped down but we now have the fabulous #gingerninja Naomi Long who shares the same ideals as Anna.
Definitely a read for admirers of strong female role models. I'm glad I read this.
#IStandWithAnna
Her story was incredibly inspiring, she worked hard to achieve all that she did and with a genuine passion. She did not 'pick a side', had to deal with disgusting racists and bigots, and focused her attention on the people.
She fought hard for women's rights, to allow women the choice when it came to abortion. Laughably, Iris Robinson shot down one of the attempts based on 'moral grounds', something Iris isn't overly familiar with.
I'm sorry she stepped down but we now have the fabulous #gingerninja Naomi Long who shares the same ideals as Anna.
Definitely a read for admirers of strong female role models. I'm glad I read this.
#IStandWithAnna
February 26, 2017
“Women should not be criminalised for wanting to decide what to do with their bodies, for not wanting to have children at the right time and under circumstances of their own choosing."
Anna Lo was the first woman from an ethnic minority background to be elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly. She is also the first person from East Asia to be elected to any legislature in the UK. She served in office from 2007 to 2016 and has lived in Northern Ireland since 1975.
I've always been a fan of Anna. She's a powerful advocate for abortion rights and an outspoken critique of racism in Northern Ireland. At one point she was the only pro choice MLA in the NI Assembly. Anna's work goes farther than that though. Before she was an MLA she was awarded an MBE for Services to Ethnic Minorities. She's always been an impressive lady. The NI Assembly is worse off because she's not there anymore.
In 'The Place I Call Home' Anna describes her childhood in Hong Kong and her journey to Northern Ireland. She talks openly about her family, her marriages and the ups and downs of working in Northern Ireland. Anna is frank about getting a cancer diagnosis the breakdown of her marriages and her experience with domestic violence. This isn't a political tell all, however, or an expose, but a beautiful account of one woman's life. There's a lot in here for Northern Ireland politicos too: Anna details her time as Chair of the Environment Committee, her time in the Standards and Privilege Committee and the aftermath following her comments to Stephen Nolan that she supported a United Ireland.
There were parts of this book that made me laugh out loud. The pages are littered with lots of funny stories about life in NI and beyond. Anna recounts how, at the age of four, she drank all the rice wine her mother set out to commemorate their ancestors. She talks about meeting Ian Wright when she was getting her MBE and mistaking him for a community worker. My favourite anecdote is from a canvassing experience in the Belvoir Estate during the 2007 election. One voter opened the door to tell Anna, 'We only vote DUP here,' before adding, 'but good luck to you love!'
Anna's book is important because it addresses her experience as a woman of colour in Northern Ireland. Her experience is mostly positive but there were sections of this book that made me feel ashamed of my fellow populace. Anna's sons experienced racism in school and she details how, when the Chinese Resource Centre was being built, leaflets were circulated opposing the centre entitled, 'The Yellow Invasion.' The police even informed Anna that, if the centre was built, local paramilitaries planned to firebomb the building. She's received death threats and abuse in the street and acknowledges that this is a sad fact of daily life for many.
Race, as Anna details, is something Northern Ireland still struggles with. While race relations legislation was in place in GB from the 1960s, it didn't come into Northern Ireland until the 90s. Anna goes into detail about her work campaigning for Race Relations Legislation from 1990-1997 and the fact that the ethnic minority population in Northern Ireland was ignored for a long time. Because of The Troubles, issues about race didn't come under the radar. As the ethnic minority population of NI is so small, politicians didn't consider race relations legislation as something worth bothering about, a shocking position to take and an ignorant one as well. Even talking about racism was seen as a tabooo, Anna details, because it was seen as "talking the country down." I was shocked to learn that the Northern Ireland census didn't record ethnicity here until 2001. It's notable that, in 2017, Northern Ireland still doesn't have a racial equality strategy. It's shameful and should be viewed in the context of Northern Ireland's failure to address race issues for decades.
In one chapter Anna talks about the odious Pastor McConnell and the aftermath of his horrific comments about Islam. Anna details how, before McConnell's comments, she received threats against her life following comments she'd made on the radio about paramilitary violence. She talks about the escalation of violence against ethnic minorities in Northern Ireland and details how, walking home one day from Stormont, a woman hung out of the back of her car to shout racist abuse at her in East Belfast. Pastor McConnell's comments came after this and were followed by First Minister Peter Robinson supporting him and adding that he would trust a muslim,'to go to shops for him.' McConnell was backed by many members of the DUP. For many people, those comments can't be confined to debates about free speech. McConnell's comments gave voice to the bigots and racists that made/make life hell for ethnic minorities in Northern Ireland.
Anna is humble, but her achievements can't be overstated enough. She's the founder of the All Party Group on Ethnic Minorities. The first person from an ethnic minority background to qualify as a social worker in Northern Ireland and was the Director of the Chinese Welfare Association in NI, her work there still having a lasting impact years later. She's responsible for the Chinese sheltered housing scheme (Anna believes it's the first in the UK) and helped to get the Chinese Resource Centre up and running. Anna also set up the first English class for Chinese people in Northern Ireland and recalls one of her pupils recognising her 40 years later at a restaurant and paying for her dinner.
This is a must read for anyone looking to read about Anna's life and Northern Ireland politics.
Anna Lo was the first woman from an ethnic minority background to be elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly. She is also the first person from East Asia to be elected to any legislature in the UK. She served in office from 2007 to 2016 and has lived in Northern Ireland since 1975.
I've always been a fan of Anna. She's a powerful advocate for abortion rights and an outspoken critique of racism in Northern Ireland. At one point she was the only pro choice MLA in the NI Assembly. Anna's work goes farther than that though. Before she was an MLA she was awarded an MBE for Services to Ethnic Minorities. She's always been an impressive lady. The NI Assembly is worse off because she's not there anymore.
In 'The Place I Call Home' Anna describes her childhood in Hong Kong and her journey to Northern Ireland. She talks openly about her family, her marriages and the ups and downs of working in Northern Ireland. Anna is frank about getting a cancer diagnosis the breakdown of her marriages and her experience with domestic violence. This isn't a political tell all, however, or an expose, but a beautiful account of one woman's life. There's a lot in here for Northern Ireland politicos too: Anna details her time as Chair of the Environment Committee, her time in the Standards and Privilege Committee and the aftermath following her comments to Stephen Nolan that she supported a United Ireland.
There were parts of this book that made me laugh out loud. The pages are littered with lots of funny stories about life in NI and beyond. Anna recounts how, at the age of four, she drank all the rice wine her mother set out to commemorate their ancestors. She talks about meeting Ian Wright when she was getting her MBE and mistaking him for a community worker. My favourite anecdote is from a canvassing experience in the Belvoir Estate during the 2007 election. One voter opened the door to tell Anna, 'We only vote DUP here,' before adding, 'but good luck to you love!'
Anna's book is important because it addresses her experience as a woman of colour in Northern Ireland. Her experience is mostly positive but there were sections of this book that made me feel ashamed of my fellow populace. Anna's sons experienced racism in school and she details how, when the Chinese Resource Centre was being built, leaflets were circulated opposing the centre entitled, 'The Yellow Invasion.' The police even informed Anna that, if the centre was built, local paramilitaries planned to firebomb the building. She's received death threats and abuse in the street and acknowledges that this is a sad fact of daily life for many.
Race, as Anna details, is something Northern Ireland still struggles with. While race relations legislation was in place in GB from the 1960s, it didn't come into Northern Ireland until the 90s. Anna goes into detail about her work campaigning for Race Relations Legislation from 1990-1997 and the fact that the ethnic minority population in Northern Ireland was ignored for a long time. Because of The Troubles, issues about race didn't come under the radar. As the ethnic minority population of NI is so small, politicians didn't consider race relations legislation as something worth bothering about, a shocking position to take and an ignorant one as well. Even talking about racism was seen as a tabooo, Anna details, because it was seen as "talking the country down." I was shocked to learn that the Northern Ireland census didn't record ethnicity here until 2001. It's notable that, in 2017, Northern Ireland still doesn't have a racial equality strategy. It's shameful and should be viewed in the context of Northern Ireland's failure to address race issues for decades.
In one chapter Anna talks about the odious Pastor McConnell and the aftermath of his horrific comments about Islam. Anna details how, before McConnell's comments, she received threats against her life following comments she'd made on the radio about paramilitary violence. She talks about the escalation of violence against ethnic minorities in Northern Ireland and details how, walking home one day from Stormont, a woman hung out of the back of her car to shout racist abuse at her in East Belfast. Pastor McConnell's comments came after this and were followed by First Minister Peter Robinson supporting him and adding that he would trust a muslim,'to go to shops for him.' McConnell was backed by many members of the DUP. For many people, those comments can't be confined to debates about free speech. McConnell's comments gave voice to the bigots and racists that made/make life hell for ethnic minorities in Northern Ireland.
Anna is humble, but her achievements can't be overstated enough. She's the founder of the All Party Group on Ethnic Minorities. The first person from an ethnic minority background to qualify as a social worker in Northern Ireland and was the Director of the Chinese Welfare Association in NI, her work there still having a lasting impact years later. She's responsible for the Chinese sheltered housing scheme (Anna believes it's the first in the UK) and helped to get the Chinese Resource Centre up and running. Anna also set up the first English class for Chinese people in Northern Ireland and recalls one of her pupils recognising her 40 years later at a restaurant and paying for her dinner.
This is a must read for anyone looking to read about Anna's life and Northern Ireland politics.
August 16, 2019
Anna Lo writes with a crisp and concise manner, demonstrating her fine skills in English that she makes reference to in her memoir. The Place I Call Home is a chronological story, from her childhood to current retirement. It gives a valuable, firsthand insight of the experiences of an immigrant to Northern Ireland.
Lo’s inquisitive nature shows, for example, when she described some of her employment as a journalist: “I got out and about, interviewing Chinese chefs, students, academics and medical doctors, probing into their life stories and finding out how and why they had ended up in this far-flung corner of Europe.”
After ten years stewarding the development of the Chinese Welfare Association, Lo entered politics and became the first China-born parliamentarian in Europe. The chapters about her ten years at the Northern Ireland Assembly are succinct, highlighting her quick learning curve and major accomplishments, particularly on the Environment Committee and in progressing race relations legislation. One lesson she learned was the change in relationship with the media, from being a sought after voice of a local ethnic minority community, to a politician that must be rigorously scrutinised.
Lo shares the personal dimensions of her life with consideration and respect, but she doesn’t hide the truth in her dealings with her immediate family and her two marriages. She grew from these and other experiences of life, which she relays well in her own words.
The Place I Call Home is a personal story of persistence, hope, and action, one which anyone can appreciate, regardless of background or origin.
Lo’s inquisitive nature shows, for example, when she described some of her employment as a journalist: “I got out and about, interviewing Chinese chefs, students, academics and medical doctors, probing into their life stories and finding out how and why they had ended up in this far-flung corner of Europe.”
After ten years stewarding the development of the Chinese Welfare Association, Lo entered politics and became the first China-born parliamentarian in Europe. The chapters about her ten years at the Northern Ireland Assembly are succinct, highlighting her quick learning curve and major accomplishments, particularly on the Environment Committee and in progressing race relations legislation. One lesson she learned was the change in relationship with the media, from being a sought after voice of a local ethnic minority community, to a politician that must be rigorously scrutinised.
Lo shares the personal dimensions of her life with consideration and respect, but she doesn’t hide the truth in her dealings with her immediate family and her two marriages. She grew from these and other experiences of life, which she relays well in her own words.
The Place I Call Home is a personal story of persistence, hope, and action, one which anyone can appreciate, regardless of background or origin.
October 19, 2017
What a great read. The story of the life of Anna Lo, daughter, sister, wife, mother, Alliance MLA and champions of rights for women, minorities and migrants. The flow of the book is totally engaging and the honesty with which Anna shares her ups and downs is a reflection of the fabulous person she is. It is great to read some of the inside stories of how she was treated by fellow politicians on the hill. Anna has so much resilience and has bounced back yet again with this lovely book.
October 12, 2023
this was an interesting and inspiring read, I hope more people are inspired to be like Anna and make the changes we need to see in the world
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December 16, 2024Definitely feels more like a political memoir in the way that it sometimes feels like a rundown of events
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews