| Xiqi Village 西岐村 |
|
|---|---|
| — Xiqi Village — | |
| Country | People's Republic of China |
| Province | Guangdong |
| Prefecture-level city | Jiangmen |
| County | Taishan |
| Town | Shuibu |
| Population | |
| • Total | 50 (Still in Xiqi Village) 150 (live in the surrounding area inside Guangdong) 1,000 (moved to the United States) |
Xiqi village (alternative: Saikee/Saykee) (西岐村) is located in Shuibu town, Taishan City, in Guangdong Province. The village had 1000 villagers decades ago, according to a village elder, but was almost completely depopulated by emigration to the United States, with less than 50 villagers today. It can consequently be viewed as the ancestral village of thousands of overseas Chinese throughout the Chinese diaspora, particularly in San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, and Vancouver.[1]
In a 1958 U.S. Justice Department investigation, the village was identified as the source of what was, at the time, one of the largest illegal immigration operations in the United States.[2] The smuggling operation, run by a Huey Bing Dai for over 50 years, involved the transplant of almost the entire male population of Xiqi village, over 250 men, illegally into San Francisco. It became emblematic of countless similar Chinese human smuggling operations in the United States during early to mid-twentieth century.
The village is also known for a typically Taishanese rectilinear layout which strongly adheres to Feng shui principles, as well as its traditional courtyard houses. Its traditional village plan is praised for making economical use of natural sunlight, vegetation screening, and nutrient resources, an efficient system that can still be used as a modern model.[3]
Xiqi village's clan name is 许 Xu as transliterated from Mandarin, but most villagers historically never knew Mandarin. They themselves used the Cantonese or Taishanese transliteration of the surname, Hui/Huey/Huie.
Xiqi village's name is transliterated from Mandarin, but names from other dialects used are Saikee/Saykee Village.