Eugene and Agatha Chen

Story of a Trinidadian (Black) Hakka Chinese, and French Creole Family

Eugene and Agatha Chen both born in 1878 married in 1899 and had four children.  Agatha Alphosin Ganteaume was born in Trinidad of a white man and an African servant.  Although she was considered an illegitimate or bastard child, her father Alphonse Ganteaume obviously treated Agatha like the rest of his white children. When you look at the pictures of Eugene and Agatha you will see a Chinese family in Trinidad, a marriage of a Chinese son to a biracial daughter (referred to as a bastard child in the estate records of the Ganteaume family whose french ancestry is evident to one of whom was an official in Napoleon’s Navy).  You will see four children of this marriage whose ambitions took them to China, Russia, the UK, back to Trinidad and the US. You will read about desertion, Russian and Chinese governments and revolution, various officials, military careers, multiple marriages and other things. Each picture takes you further into the very complex but fascinating story.

Eugene and Agatha Chen

The Chen children in 1920s Moscow Percy, Sylvia (Silan), Yolanda (Yulen), & Jack.  Percy, Sylvia and Jack became authors.

 Jay Chen, grandson of Eugene and Agatha and son of Jack Chen and website owner Yuan Tsung Chen.  Jay has gone through great lengths to find his relatives who are all a variety of nationalities and races, found on several continents.