When you ask Hong Kongers where are they from, you will get a very typical answer of “I’m from Hong Kong”. You barely hear them say “I’m a Chinese”. Even though Hong Kong has been returned to the sovereignty of China for almost 14 years, Hong Kong people still consider themselves separately from Chinese regarding language, culture and living standard. Why don’t Hong Kongers think of themselves as Chinese? What’s wrong with being a Chinese for them?
Different Languages Used
Imagine, Cantonese is harder to learn than Mandarin (9 tones in Cantonese vs. 4 tones in Mandarin) and less people speak Cantonese than Mandarin, so Hong Kong people think Cantonese is a more exclusive and prestigious language and it creates some kind of language pride to Hong Kong-ese because they’re speaking their “own” language. (Although Guangdong people also speak Cantonese)
Hong Kong was much Richer than China
Hong Kong is a capitalist economy while China is a (partially) socialist one. The economic system had made Hong Kong economically more affluent than China in the old days. Hong Kong was doing well at making clothing, watches and jewellery in the 1960′s-1980′s, though the main economic sectors have been switched to retail, banking and real estate after because of the rising wages and rents in factories. Hong Kong people’s higher income and living standard created their mentality of being more high-status than “Chinese”.
Hong Kong is still continuously using the old law and tax systems as it was when being a British colony, which are different from what China is using. Hong Kong people also think that their economic and political systems are one that is more “civilized” as there are less corruptions and black-market transactions. Hong Kong’s being less corrupted and more transparent has also made Hong Kong people to think that they’re more superior.
Hong Kong People Had Whiter Skin
Don’t laugh, they do think it’s important. White skin represents being more rich in the Greater China (and also Asia) because people with whiter skin don’t need to work outdoor and do physical work where they would expose themselves under the sun. As China was still an agriculture-based economy before, people in rural provinces usually worked in a field and got tanned easily.While in Hong Kong, people usually worked in a factory (in the old days) or office with little exposure to the sun so people in Hong Kong had white skin.
However, tanned skin is getting more popular these days (although white skin is still a predominant measure of beauty and wealthiness) and Chinese people are getting less and less exposed to the sun. Hence, this reason is getting less important in contributing to Hong Kong people’s unwillingness to consider themselves as Chinese.
Fear of Change: Self-identity Crisis before 1997
Before the important year 1997 – where Hong Kong’s sovereignty was returned to China – approached, many Hong Kong people started to migrate to other countries like Canada, Australia, the United States and New Zealand before of the fear of a chaos created by the big political change. During that time they always questioned about their identity, but the more they doubted about it, the more they reckoned themselves as a Hong Kongese because Hong Kong was still much more wealthy than Mainland China which was still developing at that time. The fear of change and the pride of their own economic development only reaffirm Hong Kong people’s identity as being a “Hong Kongese” but not Chinese.
How About Now? China is Doing Good!
Nowadays, Hong Kong people still regard themselves separately from China. But, interestingly, a lot of surveys found that Hong Kong people would be more willing to say they’re Chinese when China performs well in its international image. For example, around the time of the Beijing Olympics Games in 2008, more Hong Kong people were willing to say they are Chinese. But when China was having troubles in issues like food hygiene and human-rights, Hong Kong people wouldn’t say they’re Chinese.
In essence, Hong Kong people’s self-identity is based on the mutual benefits and influence between Hong Kong and China. When China is having good reputations, they don’t mind being a “Chinese”, otherwise they stick to their old “Hong Kong-ese” pride.
Now, more people are learning Mandarin and migrating to China for opportunities, Hong Kong will be likely to greatly benefit from this change. Would Hong Kong people become more willing to regard themselves as a Chinese? It’s still a question.
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I’d say that part of the identity of HK is “not China” (pre-97) or “different from the rest of China” (post-97). In a way, this is the reason HK even exists. I think that HKers relish the choice of being able to say they’re Chinese or they’re from HK, depending on the situation. Culturally, they see themselves as Chinese, with a 5000-year history and a beautiful language. But in terms of living habits and politics, HKers will not say they’re from China because of the negative connotations. China has a long way to go if it wants HKers to be willingly patriotic.
Hong Kong people’s recognizing themselves as a Chinese is often associated with pragmatism, like as you said, they are unwilling to do so because of all those negative connotation in the international political realm. I agree that Hong Kong people enjoy the fact that they have choices to choose – to be Chinese or Hong Kongers, it’s the options that make them feel more prestigious and high-status. They enjoy being a Chinese (with a long history and deep culture roots) and a Hong Kong-ese (more open economy and society with less censorship), it’s the shifting of identities that make them feel good.
We also have to take into account the demographics of HK. Very few people have ancestors who lived in Hong Kong more than 5 or 6 generations ago. The vast majority of the HKers are from families who only moved to HK from China within the past 100 years or so. There were reasons people tried so hard to leave China to go to HK, even risking their lives. For some of these people to say they’re from China, it would be like saying their grandparents risked their lives for nothing.
You are very right. There were only approximately 300,000 population in Hong Kong before it was open for foreign trades. Also, lots of Mainlanders (especially those from Shanghai) moved to Hong Kong during the World War II. So there are very very few real Hong Kong people. Most of the Hong Kong people are originally from Guangdong province.
My grandparents and parents, and me were born in Hong kong. We are pure catonese. We are hong kongese. We are also chinese. That is how we identify ourselve. When we say hkgese,it simiply means we have our own hk cultures, languages, tradition, law system, and ways of lives..which is very different than people in China. Comparing hk to china, it’s like comparing hk to Taiwan. Or comparing China to Korean. Which is really not exactly the same. We all have our own little culture differences and we live under different government system. People who ancestry were not from Hk would not know hk culture and wouldn’t understand what I am telling them.
Is it similar as in Taiwan, where most people would think of being culturally Chinese or 華人 and politically or by nationality Taiwanese or 臺灣人, not 中國人. Or would that be going too far for Hong Kongers and they would still use the word 中國人 instead of 華人, when they choose to be Chinese?
Thank you for your comment.
When Hong Kongers choose to be Chinese (when China is performing well in the international political and economic stage), they regard themselves as a 中國人 (the general term of Chinese) or “a Chinese from Hong Kong”. The term “華人” is more applicable for Taiwanese I guess, or those Chinese who live overseas. But generally, I think Taiwanese mostly use 臺灣人 to identify themselves.
I guess Hong Kongers can choose based off of how China is doing in the world and that is what will be what several of them do. If China does well, I guess Hong Kongers will say they are Chinese. If China does poorly, then Hong Kongers will say that they are Hong Kongers. It is a matter of perspective of the local people and how the other countries view the East at any moment in time.
The trick is that Hong Kong people always relate their self identity to external image – or what we call “faces” – where what others perceive them is of utmost important than what they see themselves as a person. The success or not of China in economic development or political strength will affect Hong Kong’s image, hence the emergence of this kind of thoughts by Hong Kongers.
I guess this idea of “face” occurs kinda across Asia. Koreans are very much like that as well. Being able to look and do well is very important; going against the norms or doing poorly tends to be looked down upon.
Having “face” and avoiding losing “face” are very important in Asia especially China. Because it is not just about you but also your family, because your family means your blood and your ancestors, and so your pedigree.
It’s always related to family in the end, or at least partially related.
I understand that feeling. Good names are important. It takes just one person to ruin the name for an entire family.
Having dated some Koreans, one can notice how big of a deal being able to look good to others and having a good name is. I would imagine that the Chinese would go through a similar thing as well.
In way, it happens here in the USA as well. Not as forward or direct, but on a subconscious level of sorts.
Like what other readers said, “in Korea, fashion is the king”. Korean girls need to look good for them to feel good.
But in Hong Kong and China, you have to look good because you want because to think that you are a good person. Funny huh?
In a way, that’s kinda ironic. Kinda a matter of “faking until you make it” (or basically, trying to look good until things get better) syndrome.
It’s more like “because things get better, it’s time to look good in that way”. ;P
I see. Interesting perspective. Not sure I follow that mindset. But if it works for them, all the power to them!
It would be interesting to see the change of Hong Kong people’s self identity.
Is because they afraid to admit their original roots. HK people, especially young girls, afraid to lose that fragile mask of cutie-beautie angel girl. Or “High Status” girl. They afraid people to see their real nature, that’s why they hate to be called chinese, because it is what they truly are. There is nothing wrong with being chinese or have chinese roots or any other nation. Seems many HK people just hate their true origin.
Thanks for your comment Jeff. It’s no doubt that Hong Kongers are Chinese in nature, what make them different is the ever-changing political status and economic development because of the colonial effect. It might just be an excuse for Hong Kong people to try to appear as high-status, or they are just afraid of being a Chinese because of China’s fluctuating image on the international relations. I guess this is what the “fear” you said comes from. In the capitalism economy, everyone wants to be high-status and prestigious, Hong Kong people are also under great influence of capitalism.
Not necessarily, it is not because of ‘high status’ or ‘shame/face’ etc.
It is because when they come to Hong Kong they do not follow our rules, even if we warn them. it happens all the time. they spit on the floor, they eat in the trains when clearly, there are dozens of ‘please do not eat or drink in the train’ and when the subway/train opens its doors they do not wait for the people to come out, they charge in not caring. They even called us dogs and bastards etc. (it was broadcasted on the news and to youtube) so tell me, if someone trashes your country and insults you, would you like them?
Thanks for your comment, Nicole.
No one would like people who don’t obey our laws.
Bear in mind, Hong Kong-ese sometimes don’t follow rules either, but the point is, “we can break the law, you Mainlander can’t”.
So the point here is, while we HK-ese blaming Mainlanders on breaking the law, we ourselves should think about what we should do rather than what others should do.
I trust that you’re a great HK citizen. What I refer to above is those who aren’t.
I’m not saying we can break the law, let’s put it this way, an person barges into your home, and does whatever he wants and when he has had enough he leaves. Do you see where I’m getting at?
Even animals, such as dogs for examples, when they enter another dog’s territory they won’t do what they usually do in their territory. I know not all Mainlanders act like the stereotypical mainlanders i suppose? but in terms of generalizing the majority of them, sadly it’s true.
I once went to visit China because of a school trip for 7 days, I believed. On the first few days i arrived, I got scammed quite a lot and, people pointed, at me and started whispering for some apparent reason. But my main point is that, most people don’t actually hear the HKer’s side of the story to why we detest the mainalanders so much and assumes we are snobby and arrogant people.
I’m sorry that you had bad experience.
Well, experiences do affect people’s sentiment. Good luck to you.
Hong Kong original population is very diverse. You can meet different kinds of people, different mentality, styles, views, backgrounds. Some of them would correct you each time you call them Chinese in context that they live near China. Not Korea or Japan. Some take it without any sub-meaning and big emotion. It is good to be proud of your place and culture you are born into. Face it, many HK people are born in Mainland China. Maybe it is that “Style” thing that then don’t feel comfortable with. People are so concerned what others with think about them in some situation, when in fact others don’t really think much about it..
They are very diverse. Most of them don’t really “come from” Hong Kong, de facto, they are Chinese technically because Hong Kong is now a part of China. When people say something god about China in conversations, they would probably admit that they’re Chinese, otherwise they say they’re Hong Kongese. I think they not only have different mentality in expressing their self-identity, but also different ways to express this identity, and it is very much dependent on the situations where they need to express it. Whatever it is beneficial for them to show that they’re doing better and they’re high-status, they would do it. Hong Kong is very status-oriented.
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Thank you for this interesting post! I’m living in Guangzhou and have been to Hong Kong only twice which obviously isn’t enough to know or understand Hong Kong. I just found your blog today and hope it will open up Hong Kong for me (or atleast a part of it).
Thanks for stopping over my blog and your comment Sara.I’m glad that you like reading my blog. I think there are a lot of cultural phenomena that is worth exploring in Hong Kong. I also took a look of your blog, interesting writings and perspectives of a non-Chinese.
Even though HK is technically part of China, people would still consider themselves from HK and not China. It’s only natural to do so because that’s where they are from.
Ask someone from Scotland whether they consider themselves to be British or Scottish? I’m a Scot will be more than likely the answer. And I don’t see a problem with that.
That has nothing to do with pride or supremacy. Surely there are people who think like that, but it’s not as black and white as you portray it. That HK people are lost, hypocrite and suffer from identity crisis, that’s rubbish. That’s what YOU (and your know it all gweimui point of view) make of it.
Thanks for your comment, Nick. I think Hong Kong people just try to be specific about where they are from. It’s natural that people from an independent region would distinguish themselves from people in other provinces. Just like Shanghai people would say they’re from Shanghai because it’s a municipality city. I also don’t see a problem with that, I’m just saying why Hong Kong people are like that.
I don’t know if it is what I made of it, but HK people are still HK people, nothing can change them.
I think the people from shanghai ,zhejiang and jiangsu are more white than HK People besides shanghainese think hkers are rich , tanned and shorter people
And Ive been in HK most of the people are tanned skin and the color skin is not about because they work indoor or outdoor is because the fujian and guangdong heritage most of hong kong people have
Thanks for your comment. Yes, a lot of people in China think that Hong Kongers are rich, but Hong Kongers are shorter indeed. For the skin tone, I think that Zhejiang and Beijing people are very white, it might be because of the whether (which is more cold than that in Hong Kong). The reason who Hong Kong people’s skin colour is more tanned than people in the northern region is obvious – Hong Kong is a sub-tropical region where there is more sunlight.
For the Fujian and Guangdong heritage part, I’m not that sure. Fujian and Guangdong people are less white than Zhejiang and Beijing people genetically anyway. But what I’m try to say in the article is that in the old days where Mainlanders still worked in the field, Hong Kong people were indeed way more white physically, now it might not be the case.
I dont understand. When a New Yorker says, ‘I am from New York’, no one makes a fuss about it. When a Honger says, ‘I am from HKG’, everyone (well, those who bothers to care) raises their eyebrows.
Most people would agree that ‘New York is not the US’ (in terms of representation); why can’t Hong Kong fill the comparable spot for China?
Isn’t such sensitivity a sign of an inferiority complex of those over-reacted?
At the end of the day, who cares? The mainland Chinese nowadays are in charge of livelihood of Hong Kong. Everyone here does know who the BOSS is.
Thanks for your comment, Cal.
Hong Kong people think that they’re more superior because that is the tradition created by the old Chinese society before when China was still very undeveloped. Now Mainland Chinese people don’t care anymore because some of them are getting even more rich then Hong Kong people. It’s just that HK people still want to appear as high-status as always so this mindset won’t be changed in a short time.
New York might not be the US, and so HK is not China as well.
I think that you might be right that HK people are over-reacted, the boss is the Chinese people of course, but HK people are still proud of their being superior in the old days.
This is a really good post, HKgirl, and you sum things up really well. HKers generally look down on mainlanders but yet take pride in being “Chinese” when things are going good. This is a really major issue that’s frustrated me, being HK-born, because it seems quite hypocritical. I get that HKers have enjoyed a lot higher standard of living than mainlanders (and still do), but it doesn’t make them intrinsically superior. For instance, all these efficient laws, standards and institutions were developed by the British which HKers as loyal subjects benefited from.
As I said, you sum up the complexity of the issue really well, so I’m not taking issue with you. I really wish HKers can be more openminded and more tolerant of mainlanders. On the other hand, I can sense some slight feelings of insecurity with HKers over China’s growing power, such as linguistically with the increasing importance of Mandarin or the decreasing standards of English.
Thanks for your comment CP. I think that HKers have mixed feeling being a Hong Kong citizen with the Chinese nationality. You’re right that they take credits of China’s being good and avoid being a ‘Chinese’ when China is not doing well. I think what makes the whole thing sad is that HKers are being too insecure about their own identity. There’s no needs to care about the labels that much as long as you’re proud of being who you are being.
Thanks for your comment again. I will write more articles. I feel like there are not a lot of blogs in HK having discussions like this.
Culturally and linguistically, people of Hong Kong are Chinese. I think they just hate to be associated with the People’s Republic of China. Because of Hong Kong’s British colonial history, they somehow consider China to be foreign and beneath them. “Chinese” doesn’t only refer to the People’s Republic of China, it applies to everyone who has Chinese heritage. It’s just sad when people abandon their ethnic identity because of politics.
True. I agree that to define a nation, it’s people’ blood and original heritage that matter. Hong Kongers’ not recognizing themselves as Chinese is to show their superiority and separation from the criticisms borne by China. It’s like a self-defence. However, when there’s any comprises enjoyed by China, Hong Kong also wants to take the credit. Sometimes I doubt that if Hong Kong people know who they are. I believe that time will tell.
This is a very true and insightful post. I live in BC Canada and we now have a very large hong-kong chinese population, especially in vancouver and richmond. The majority of these people came in the early 90′s as they feared the hand-over of Hong Kong to Mainland China. They felt they would have lost freedoms or their capitalist ways of living.
And, for the longest time, in class or other places, when asked, they would say they are from Hong Kong. This was because China was still poor and the cities were not as developed as Hong Kong. But now, Beijing, Shanghai are better than Hong Kong, and the economy of China is the strongest in the world, and now everyone says they are Chinese and they love China.
During the Beijing Olympics, they openly cheered for China, and yet during the Winter Olympics, they cheered for Canada. I am not against this, but it seems, Hong Kong Chinese only show love for the Mainland when it is for their benefit or suits them.
Thanks for your comment Harold.
I think in exactly the same way as what you think. Hong Kong Chinese only recognize their “Chinese” root when the Chinese government is doing well in the international stage, for example during Beijing Olympics. It’s not that they hate being a Chinese, it’s just that Hong Kong’s culture has long been developed into one that status is of utmost important to everyone. When there’s something HK people can use to show their status, they would do it. Self-identification is a way to show their status. That’s why HK people especially like showing their status by bringing down Chinese, or not recognizing themselves as Chinese.
But as the Chinese economy becomes stronger and stronger, HK people’s thinking may change. Whether it’s good or not? Who knows. HK people are still who they are. Status is still very important for them. As China is gaining status, their self-identification will also exchange accordingly.
Yes that is true Jin, however, unlike Taiwan which is a regional governmental split, this has to do with a cultural/intellectual split.
Hong Kong people actually think they are better than people from the Mainland. Although many people in Taiwan say they are from Taiwan, they always say they are Chinese first. I’ve never heard anyone say “I am Taiwanese”…
I remember in one of my poli sci classes at university, we were talking about how it is beneficial for people from BC to learn Mandarin or Hindi for the future and not French since China and India will rise, and most of the HK people in class, even though they are now Canadian-born or raised, said that Mandarin is for lower-class worker Chinese and that the rich and elites speak Cantonese and that if you wanted to do business in China or HK, Cantonese would get you further.
This seems extraordinary no? You would hardly see anyone disassociate themselves with their own country/cultural group simply because they perceive it to be below them. And yet, if there is a Beijing Olympics they are carrying the PRC flag, but when it was Olympics, they would say we are Hong Konger/Canadians etc.
I agree that eventually the Mainland China will surpass Hong Kong in all aspects from living standards, eventually more open/democratic government, but if they are so rooted in their ways, I think there will always be a “we are cantonese hong konger” mentality no? Hong Kong itself is being less associated as a separate entity, but most HK people still believe they are somehow separate.
Please let me know what you think. All the HK people I have met, have led me to believe they are “chinese for convenience” meaning that they are Chinese when the government or mainland is doing good, but HK when it is doing bad.
Thanks for your comment again, Harold.
Hong Kong people consider themselves as “Hong Kongese” because they have been historically more rich than Mainland Chinese and Taiwainese. In the old days, when Mainland China was still under developed with limited travel facilities, Hong Kong people always went to Taiwan for a short trip where they found the money were in good value (because they earn a lot for them to spend in Taiwan).
Now China is growing fast while Taiwan is also doing good, Hong Kong people’s insecurity emerge. The more they’re scared of being surpassed, the more superior they want to appear before outsiders. When outsiders ask HK people where they are from, they would then say “I’m from Hong Kong”. For Taiwan, it was not a colony after all. Also, Taiwan’s political separation from China is originated from the defeat of the other political party before China got united in 1949. So Taiwanese are Chinese in nature.
While for Hong Kong, it was under the governance of the Great Britain, there were lots of cultural influx and inter-cultural exchange. Meanwhile, Europe and America were considered strong countries historically, so it was a natural result for Hong Kong people to consider themselves a bit more international and hence, “superior” than Mainland Chinese or Taiwainese.
Hong Kong’s economic prosperity has created lots of status-conscious people. To lift up their status, HK people make use of every time they can, hence the mentality of “I’m a Chinese” when China is doing good and the “I’m a Hong Kongese” when China is not doing well.
Hope that answer your questions.
I don’t quite agree with that statement in which Taiwanese are still considered Chinese or that Hong Kong people are considered chinese, because then you would have to apply that same rule to Americans and British. Most Caucasians in North America originated from Europe, why are they not called British or French?
The way I see it is, people seem to forget that nations are found and destroyed every once in awhile, and most people are originated from the same root if we track our DNA deep enough. The whole Hong Kong Taiwan Chna thing is best seen as Australia, British, Americans. Each with different accent, culture and lifestyle standards despite them all speaking the same language. Taiwan;s mandarin is very different than China’s mandarin just like how british’s english are different than aussie’s or americans. Now with Hon Kong cantonese is actually a different language, it’d be like French instead of English. The way I see it now, Hong Kong nowadays is sort of like French Canadians.
Also I forgot to say that time changes people, 100 + years are significant enough to change the way of people. I mean if we track deep enough, maybe most asians are originated from the same place, maybe Japanese was once part of Chinese in another era or time that got cut off from our historical understandings. We pretty much have to map our DNA really deep to find out.
Exactly. Our identity is just a “language”. We can interpret the same meanings of different languages in different ways.
Chinese, Asian, Japanese, HK-ese. Taiwanese. These are just words.
Exactly. Our identity is just a “language”. We can interpret the same meanings of different languages in different ways.
Chinese, Asian, Japanese, HK-ese. Taiwanese. These are just words.
I think that a person’s identity is defined by the way he lives, the culture he believe it and the life he’s been living.
If you’re Chinese in root but live in Canada for your whole life, you don’t consider yourself as Chinese. You think of yourself as a Canadian. That’s how you express yourself to people in general.
Deep down, you might still want to embrace the culture of your root country and so sometimes you call yourself “Chinese” even though you don’t even speak Chinese and live in other country for your whole life.
Because of the different ways of presentation, others find it confusing as to who you are. In the end, self-identification is an issue you need to solve by yourself. We all have different judgement and opinions. There is no absolute answer. We represent ourselves in different ways to make it more efficient for the society to understand and support.
My opinion here is that Hong Kong is still Chinese in root, but the cultural and historical background make them unique in some sense so it’s hard for them and for others to tell who they really are.
Dear Harold, let me comment on your part about Taiwanee. Maybe you haven’t heard anyone say “I am Taiwanese!”, but you can’t base your argument on that fact. I live in Taiwan and believe me, majority of my Taiwanese friends and coworkers would say “I am Taiwanese!” before “I am Chinese!” when it comes to nationality. Many would say they have Chinese roots, heritage, parts of culture, but it goes beyond the identity crisis of Hong Kongers. Taiwanese vs. Chinese is for me similar to what happened to Austrians after 1945. They saw themselves as Germans and gradually developed their own identity. The difference is, that Germany has no issues with that, but Taiwan/China is too complex to explain in a comment, even in an essay. I’m living in Taiwan and observing all these contradictions and still trying to understand how Taiwanese think and function. One day I hope I can write an in-depth analysis, but for now I’ll leave it at this.
To me, Taiwanese are less against to being a Chinese but they would still say that “I’m a Taiwanese” first. That would be cool if you write an in-depth article about how Taiwanese recognize their identity.
Jin, Taiwanese idenitity is a very complex issue full of contradictions, whether a person is pro China as PRC or pro China as ROC or pro Taiwan – there are usually no simple answers. I hear “We Chinese” or “We Taiwanese” interchangeably, but when they say Chinese, they don’t mean it as Nationals of PRC or even ROC,, but as 華人 or even 漢人, more in a cultural way. I’d say majority of Taiwanese are in this area, but there are also extremes, very pro Taiwanese or very pro Chinese. Not sure I will ever be able to relate to this complexity as a foreigner
Thanks for the insightful explanation! Sometimes I don’t know how to distinguish between 華人 or 漢人, not to mention how Taiwanese refer themselves to PRC or ROC. I feel like when people recognize themselves as Chinese, they relate it to a cultural way as you say. After all, China is a huge country with 5,000 years of history. That’s also what makes things complicated in China
I am from Hong Kong, the 1 country 2 system is more or less running, but China is violating this contract bit by bit. Our government is not democratic, only 50% of the legislation council is democratic.
15years after the handover, a recent poll conducted by HK University (http://hkupop.hku.hk/english/popexpress/ethnic/eidentity/poll/datatables.html) for People’s Ethnic Identity shows that :
HK Citizen: 37.7%
HK Citizen (of China): 25.3%
Chinese Citizen (of HK): 17.8%
Chinese Citizen: 16.6%
Others: 0.6%
Unknown: 2.1%
Note that HK Citizen sector (sum of 63.0%) is way higher of the Chinese citizen sector (sum of 35.4), in which Pure HK Citizen is more than double of the Pure Chinese citizen shows how much we DON’T recognize with China.
China cannot become the next superpower by replacing USA, it must not happen.
Look at what they (note that I used “they”) are doing to the people in Tibet (non-Han origin), what do you think they are going to do to the world once they don’t need to fear or care about your country.
Thank God that Obama finally realized it and is moving the USA focus from Middle East to East Asia. We need to keep them Chinese govt in check.
Chan From Hong Kong
I absolutely agree with you. I am from hk. I see how the china gov’t are violating the one country two systems in Hong kong. It is important that USA remain as one of the superpower to keep China in check. Both China and USA need to keep each other in check to avoid either one country from complete dominance.
I have to say, the 7 millions population in Hk..only 5 millions are hongkongese, the rest are foreigners from china, india, and other countries. So there are only probably a little less than 2 millions hk women to give birth to the next hk generation..and which now they claim hk women has one of the lowest birth rate in the world. The china women comes in flock to give birth using hk benefits for free and getting citizenship. Hong kong people and our cultures are facing extinction.
I hope that Hong Kong people will try to preserve our culture. While blaming on others’ cultural invasion, we ourselves should try to appreciate our own culture rather than just adapting other people’s culture, e.g. the way of dressing, the dining culture and the language used for daily conversation (some HK-ese speak English with fellow HK-ese).
chan is absolutley right. the reasons that HKers dislike mainland china is the same reasons the rest of the world dislike , fear or are suspicious of china in general. the PRC wants EVERYONE to kkowtow to beijing , look at the way they treat their own people, imagine what they would do to the whites and “the lesser races” of the world if they were in charge…our children would be defecating and pissing in the street, malls.airplanes…
Hk peeps think they are white ( british) and want to hide the fact that beneath the shadow of tall steel towers, mighty financial centers, they were once just exactly like the mainlanders, poor, unwashed and uncouth..the world sees the chinese as such – now its the hongkongers turn to look down on someone (since the hongkies have been looked down upon by the colonial masters for so long) its just ironic that the HK peeps are looking down upon thier own race…they also forget that HK success story was written by the white people -…the pot calling the kettle black s they might say..
Maybe some of the HK people think that they’re white, but deep down, there are still a lot of uniqueness in terms of culture, social stability, language etc. that are different from Mainland China. You can say that every person who has a Chinese root is Chinese, of course. But when you see them as a person who grows up in different culture compared with the ones who grow up in Mainland China, the former might not even sound like a Chinese (the type of Chinese in China).
So, I agreed with you in some points, but also think that you should judge the world more precisely and consider the contexts of each situation rather than the big picture.
i think the hkers are proud to be hkers (and thats ok)- and yes i do see how hkers want to =have a distinct identity than the mainland chinese if i were a hker i would not want to be associated with mainlanders who make me look bad – having said that i have been to hk for over twenty years on business and pleasure i can assure you – you will not find any other place where the people are so rude!!! ask anyone whos been to hk shops and they will tell you the shopkeeper will get mad at you if you ask price and not buy!
the hk people only want to see you spend, if you cant spend your useless!
another useless debate is identity – to the whole world you are chinese wether or not you come from hk or taiwan or mainland – your generation should start learning manners before its too late for hk..
Thanks for sharing your experience, Lola!
I’m sorry that you have bad experience with the shop staff here. In my own experience, they’re usually quite nice. Of course there are bad ones. I have to say sometimes the customer’s manner matters as well. (don’t take it personal)
But to be honest, the society in HK is quite extreme now. People are either so nice, so rude or so crazy. I’m not sure if it has to do with the widening income gap and immigrant influx. It does make HK more interesting for me to write about, though!
that has a lot to do with a less developed sense of honour. lacking sense of honour, one could easily resort to cheat, abuse and vulgarity for short term gain.
i think the chinese in general are so out of step with what is moral, polite and classy being wealthy does not buy class.
The super local Chinese? I think in general, yes – even those living in top-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou. In Hong Kong, I can’t judge. I think I just get used to it, sometimes wealthy people are very rude and un-classy, but I noticed those educated overseas are of better manners.
interesting self-stereotyping of hk ppl. for the much loaded cantonese pride, it just happens that i came across a comment about cantonese ppl: “…every negative Western stereotype about asians can be attributed to the Cantonese: thick lips, buck teeth, flat nose, stout and dark, ching chong language, dirty, uncouth, spitting, blowing snot rockets, you name it…”
Hong Kong people should stop feeling superior to the mainland Chinese and to Westerners who are not British because they are not superior to anyone. Compared to the Chinese Hong Kong people are short, fat and/or ugly. Hong Kong is not less corrupted than China, and if HKers are poorer now they should blame it on their speculation economy. Those who are with China when China performs well and against China when China performs bad are turncoats. If Hong Kong people do not like China then why don´t they all leave to Britain.
feeling superior? good for hk ppl. given the world is made up of differences for us to make judgement upon, its mere human to be discriminatory and thats how we human have progressed. one key feature of our intuition is to discriminate ppl based on their look and we are intuitively attracted to good look.
for those who have had the experience of living in china, they are probably aware of the disregard for the cantonese clan by other chinese, especially the northerners. call it superficial but look has always been super important in our perception of ourselves and other ppl. that is also why hakka ppl(origined from central china but moved to live in the south) prefer to differentiate themselves from the cantonese. from my own personal encounters, hakka ppl tend to look more refine, taller and of lighter skin tone. even with the cantonese’ economic affluence in the last few decades(merely becoz of early headstart and china’s political misfortune rather than anything intrinsic of cantonese origin), this “looking down at the cantonese” sensation persists. with this understanding, one should be able to easily empathize with some hk ppl’s need to indulge in this precious sense of betterment before hk’s “exclusive and prestigous” glory becomes a nostalgia backflash.
genetically many cantonese are actually more connected to viets and thais than to chinese of central or northern origin, which explains the physical resemblance between cantonese and other SE asians(the accents as well). from my personal encounters, if i run into a cantoense-speaker who looks more refine, tall and of fairer skin tone, it turns out his/ her recent ancestral root, more likely than not, is from outside the cantonese area.
A 3rd party’s(non-Chinese) view on difference between southern Cantonese and northern mainlanders:
“Regarding the superficial references….this has nothing to do with tv/movie stars. I live in San Francisco where theres a large Cantonese population and growing numbers of mainlanders. I dont deny that the lines are extremely blurry, but for the most part, its not very hard to tell the difference between Cantonese speakers and Mandarin speakers.
I dont have the luxury of actually comparing the features of people in China. I can only base my assumptions on those who migrate to my area. Those who speak Mandarin have a look much more similar to Koreans and Japanese compared to their Cantonese counterparts. Those in the North tend to have larger nose and noseridges, more of a “white” skin color, small slanted eyes and taller in height… As for the Cantonese people, for the most part, there are a mixture of “pure” Chinese blood and tribes of South Asia or a more malayan look”
Oh, I guess this article is all about the self-identity of Hong Kong people. Based on what I’ve found, even though Hong Kong dislike being associated with Mainland Compatriots, or called Chinese whenever the negative image of Mainland China comes up, but they still worry their compatriot across the border, like Taiwanese people do (especially for Taiwanese people who fled to Taiwan from Mainland China including Hong Kong, after World War 2 (台灣外省人)).
However, unlike Hong Kong people and Taiwanese, it seems like most ethnic Chinese people from Southeast Asia (excluding the new Chinese immigrants from their ancestral homeland), chiefly Chinese Singaporeans, are indifferent to their ancestral homeland like it is none of their business.
Cantonese people are actually of a different ethnic group than those from the northern due to China having been constantly invaded by northern tribes such as the Huns, Jin, Mongols, and Manchus. Cantonese people are a lot more closer in relation to those in Vietnam because the ancient 南越國 spanned from Vietnam to southern Chinese provinces such as Guangdong and Fujian until it was annexed by ancient China around the Han Dynasty onwards.
因为香港人跟越南人是一个种群，所以说长的很难看，跟越南人一样，眼窝深陷，高颧骨，蒜头鼻。曾经站在旺角，看了一小时的来来往往香港本地女孩，惨不忍睹！
jinwong图片头像是典型的广东或香港长相。因为眉骨高，像jinwong那样把尾端眉毛刮掉实在是大败笔。