About the Book
Only My Brothers the Patriots is a historical examination of the overseas Cantonese sworn brotherhood, the Hung Mun Chee Kung Tong. Established in the mid-nineteenth century, the Chee Kung Tong brought together Cantonese migrants across the Americas, Western Europe, Southern Africa, and Australia and New Zealand for the purpose of mutual aid and protection. Building on its size, geographical spread, and financial resources, the brotherhood maintained transnational social and political connections that gave it considerable influence within local Chinatowns and demanded the attention of politicians in China and Taiwan. Fredy González studies the Chee Kung Tong as a window into the global spread of the Cantonese diaspora, arguing that humble migrants were willing and capable of forming transnational connections on their own, without the help of outside figures from mainland China.