Vivienne,

I assume that the occupation "Alien Trader" was written in Polish (although sometimes the occupation was written in Polish and French.)  What words were written in the directory exactly?  Perhaps you've gotten an inaccurate translation?

Regards,

Sherri Bobish

In my private message, I asked whether it is possible that the great great uncle was involved in foreign trade in some capacity.
Frank Szmulowicz

Although my background is Jewish from Staszow poland and has been for 7 generations. However, my DNA (recent.within 300 years) is 2.5% Vietnamese. My great Grandfather listed his father on the 1921 Toronto Census as being born in China. China may have been a 'catchword' for Vietnam, as Russia was the catchword for Belarus or The Ukraine. That means that my 3rd Great Grandfather was a trader in the Far East. Some traders would stay for many years and sometimes they entered into an agreement with a local Vietnamese family. Morals were different and Fathers would offer their (reportedly) willing daughters to live with the trader for the purpose of making light sknined baby girls. Fair skinned women were regarded as highly beautiful..but not the boys. When the trader would leave for Europe, sometimes after a decade or more, the girls would go home to their Vietnamese family and any boys that were born would go back to Europe with the trader. This must be how!
Were the names of these traders ever documented? Any info regarding traders would be appreciated. How they got from a small town in Poland to Vietnam in the early 1800's is really a mystery.
Please e mail me at ericwarren@... if you need privacy.
Thanks,
Eric Warren

Eric,

Vietnam was known as Indochina, so it makes sense that in 1921 he may have listed China as his father's place of birth.  Perhaps he told the enumerator Indochina, but it got written as just China.

From Google:


And, there is a wiki page:
History of the Jews in Vietnam
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Vietnam

Also: 
A genetic contribution from the Far East into Ashkenazi Jews via the ancient Silk Road  https://www.nature.com/articles/srep08377

Good luck in your search,

Sherri Bobish