This is a quite sensitive and serious topic about the sense of identity between Hong Kong locals and Chinese, it may be offensive for some of you if so please don't click the title.
Most of my flights to Shanghai or Beijing (the only two ports in China my working airline fly to), I experienced the same situation and made me think more who I actually am. On my flight to Singapore, one Chinese man asked me if I’m Singaporean when I was serving him meal and speaking Mandarin. (FYI according to my company’s guideline, for me, English is the first language and the second language is Cantonese. Company didn't recognize my Mandarin when I first joined. Once I said something besides English and Cantonese, it means I am not professional enough and I do not respect my passengers.)
I answered him nicely, “I’m from Hong Kong and grow up there. I learn Mandarin because I think it’s beneficial to my job and you can’t understand English, can you?” He laughed loudly and I thought the back zone of passengers could hear his voice clearly, then he said, “ Hong Kong? Huh! They are Chinese. Why still claim yourself as ‘HongKongese’?” I just gave him my big smile and said ‘thank you’ in Mandarin (Cantonese: 多謝;Mandarin: 谢谢 xiexie) and left.
Even last time I travelled to Maui Hawaii, few people came and asked about my opinion of the relationship between Hong Kong and China. That’s pretty interesting for me and always reminded me my time studying political and social issues and relationship between HK and China in university. Until now, after Hong Kong returned back to China in 1997, this is still a hot topic we discuss and analyze here.
Also one thing funny is - in 2014, the words ‘Hongkonger’and 'Hong Kongese' added to the Oxford English Dictionary and it’s kind of like strengthen the dividing line among us.(source:http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1451929/finally-hongkonger-arrives-world-stage)
What is ‘the sense of identity’?
It consists of four basic elements:
Ethic identity(種族認同/种族认同): identify one’s own and others’ racial or ethnic group by face, language, behaviors etc. The understanding that racial and ethnic categories do not change.
Cultural identity(文化認同/文化认同) : is a sense of belonging. A Community is sharing the sense of companionship, beliefs and interests. It also links a person to their heritage to identify with others who have the same traditions and basic belief systems.
Legal identity(法律認同/法律认同) : identify your citizenship objectively based on the law of your country
Geographic identity(地理認同/地理认同) : A community/a group of people attach in a city, county and people there have their own power to contend against the neighbor’s power.
Why ‘Hongkonger’ insists their own identity instead of saying themselves as ‘Chinese’ even after 1997?
Ethic identity(種族認同/种族认同): nothing we need to doubt. We are both Asian and have same color skin. But we are speaking different languages. Cantonese is the mother tongue for Hong Kong locals and even now some of the locals can’t speak Mandarin. In China, different provinces have their own dialect, but most of them can speak Mandarin. Just like Guangdong(廣東省,广东省), people there can speak both Mandarin and Cantonese, however, the grammar and the wordings of Cantonese are quite different from how Hong Kong local says.
Cultural identity(文化認同/文化认同) : Hong kong is capitalism(資本主義/资本主义) and China is Socialism with Chinese characteristics(中國特色社會主義/中国特色社会主义). This is a very brief definition but it’s not accurate enough.The locals in Hong Kong always mentions they have their ‘netivism’ (本土主義/本土主义) which is quite unusual and tricky. Hong Kong’s political/education system/social structures/economic development are combined with British and Chinese features. Hong Kong has its own self-governance and independent international identity but it’s not identified as an independent country. Before 1997 Hong kong returned to China, the life style, values and interests are westernized and influenced deeply by British government like people can experience human right, freedom of religions/speech/collective/publishing, also respect and acceptance of the law system (I’m not here to discuss about law is the rule of man or the rule of law and which one is fairer). And if you read many news from China, you may know briefly about the limit of freedom of speech and publishing.
- Legal identity(法律認同/法律认同) : Hong Kong people are holding Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Passport mainly, but some of them who were born before 1997 may be still holding British passport or we called it BNO (British National (Overseas) Passport; Chinese are holding The People's Republic of China passport basically.
- Geographic identity(地理認同/地理认同): Hong Kong and China. That’s simple.
Brief conclusion
I just tried to explain a very brief social conditions between Hong Kong and China now they are going through neutrally with my knowledge and researches I had done beofore. I didn’t go too deep with my own experience - I was born in Hong Kong in 1980s and I can definitely feel the changes and difference before/ after Hong Kong returned back to China. I will talk about it in my next post probably if you guys would like to know more. Hope it isn’t too boring for you.
Have a good day guys.
Cheers,
Gladys
- Pictures are captured from Google.