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Jeffrey Andrews turned a teenage arrest into a life of advocacy and change

The third-generation Hongkonger discusses being easy prey for triads, the ‘subtle bias’ of locals, and why Chungking Mansions isn’t ‘a scary horror house’

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Social worker, activist and former Legislative Council candidate Jeffrey Andrews poses for a portrait on the staircase of Chungking Mansions, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. Photo: Eugene Chan
Andrew Sun
MY GRANDPA CAME to Hong Kong in the 1960s. My dad followed suit in the 70s. I was born here in 1985 so I’m a third-generation Hongkonger. We lived in Hung Hom then To Kwa Wan, two very grass-roots districts.

I’m of Indian descent but have never lived in India. I’m a minority even among Hong Kong Indians; they are predominantly northerners. We come from the south. I speak Tamil, I have darker skin, plus I’m a Christian.

Baby Jeffrey Andrews with his mother, Nirmala. Photo: courtesy Jeffrey Andrews
Baby Jeffrey Andrews with his mother, Nirmala. Photo: courtesy Jeffrey Andrews
I WENT TO a segregated local school. Growing up, the discrimination I saw was painful. I was called “ah cha” (a derogatory Cantonese term for Indians) and a black “gweilo”. People would yell at me, “Go back home!” This caused me to have a rebellious nature, which led me to join a gang because I didn’t think society cared about me. I was lost, angry, had low self-esteem and no sense of belonging. Triads welcomed me with open arms. That’s the reality. Even today, when I do school talks, I can see gangs outside ethnic-minority schools because they know these kids are easy pickings. They say, “Join us. We accept you for who you are.” To a struggling misfit, that was like, “Cool.”
Jeffrey Andrews with fellow social workers Fermi Wong (right), who helped him stay out of jail and inspired his career, and Ansah Malik. Photo: Edward Wong
Jeffrey Andrews with fellow social workers Fermi Wong (right), who helped him stay out of jail and inspired his career, and Ansah Malik. Photo: Edward Wong

I WAS ARRESTED at 18 and that was my wake-up call. It was like, “Oh my God, this is real.” In a prison cell in Wan Chai police station, the only person I felt I could call for help was a social worker named Fermi Wong. Lo and behold, she came and saved my life. She bailed me out and talked to my parents. At my trial, I remember getting goosebumps when the judge said, “Young man, why are you wasting your life?” Fermi had told me that a lot of members of ethnic minorities, when they get arrested even for the first time, it’s jail or a criminal record that follows them for the rest of their life. But this judge gave me a chance.

I REALISED THESE gangs aren’t my real brothers. I had friends who were already in jail and I was so close to being another negative statistic for my community. I knew I needed to change my life. Now, when a youth comes here and says, “I’ve been arrested,” I’m as passionate about helping them as Fermi Wong was for me.

Jeffrey Andrews (top right) always wanted to be a footballer. Photo: courtesy Jeffrey Andrews
Jeffrey Andrews (top right) always wanted to be a footballer. Photo: courtesy Jeffrey Andrews
CHRISTIAN ACTION IS a huge organisation. We’ve been serving refugees since the 1980s. The office in Chungking Mansions opened about 22 years ago, when our executive director, Cheung-Ang Siew Mei, saw the desperate plight of the early wave of refugees from Africa and South Asia and decided we needed a centre to serve this community. We started with one room downstairs. Now we’ve grown into three separate apartments with a drop-in centre, open six days a week, serving 700 clients. We call this Centre for Refugees, a home away from home. Our clients are made up of 80 nationalities and it’s a long wait for refugee resettlement. Our centre offers classes, meals and a space where people can come and feel some dignity, because many live in harsh places around the city.

WHAT I REALLY wanted to be was a footballer, and still do, even today. But there were no opportunities for ethnically diverse kids in football here. It’s hard to get into any sports programme. Seeing the work that Fermi did, I thought, “Why aren’t there social workers that look like me?” We would understand our community even better. This became the path for me to be who I am today.

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