The heritage language and graphic landscape of London’s Chinatown

The preservation of minority heritage through language is widely recognised as an important means for safeguarding ethnic identity within multicultural settings. This paper investigates the visibility of "heritage language" through the lens of graphic heritage within the distinctive ethnic enclave of London's Chinatown. Located in the City of Westminster, Chinese identity is officially designated on street nameplates that demarcate geographic boundaries and depict a shift in the cultural influence of this migrant community. In this study, a total of 209 retail signs in Chinatown is analysed with 313 writing appearances (some are bilingual or trilingual) to indicate the extent of heritage language retention within the area, providing the basis for a case study that maps the linguistic codes and spatial distribution of graphic interventions. From this, new insights are gained into the design literacy of Chinese migrants in London to provide a framework for thinking about how Chinese ‘designscapes’ have developed worldwide.