Twenty years ago, childhood sweethearts Philip and Munira Huang moved to Australia from Kolkata, India. Together with their four children, they are part of a tight-knit Indian Hakka Chinese community in Campbelltown, NSW. While it remains uncertain what traditions and languages will continue with the new generation, the Huang family cherish their connections to their heritage.

Prior to the pandemic, the community would reunite every three months, connected by a Whatsapp group. This evening, a novena for Our Lady of Fátima, was the first gathering marking a gradual return to normalcy. Embraces and kisses were exchanged, as were greetings in Hindi and Hakka. Most of the older generation grew up together and hope to pass on a sense of community, Hakka dialect, and cultural traditions.