Hongkongers still torn between two identities

• Source: Global Times
• [08:28 October 19 2009]
• Comments

The institutional distinctions buttress the claim that they are different. Therefore they struggle and oscillate between the national identity and its local counterpart.

The quest for a typical Hongkongers, across nations and races, has always been propelled by the emotional need for belongingness and the practical demand for protection offered by the collective body.

It is perfectly natural for a group of people in a specific locale to exhibit both nationalism and localism, and consequently to recognize themselves in a big picture and reflect their role in a geographic and societal niche.

Like Shanghainese, Hongkongers enjoy a sense of superiority from economic prosperity.

However, they also have another factor missing form the Shanghainese mind: insecurity.

They worry about the number of mainland visitors, view Shenzhen and Yangshan as rivals in the logistics industry, and fear that Shanghai would replace Hong Kong as an international financial hub.

At the same time, they also care about the economic performance of the mainland. They welcome the high speed railway project connecting the city to the vast Pearl River Delta, and, most locals I met speak at least conversational Putonghua.

The shaping of a previously non-existent national identity takes time.

When about 80 percent of the population was educated under colonial rule, the subconscious swings between and the calculative leverage of old and new self-portrayals become understandable.

Brought up in a free market system and speaking their own dialect, Hongkongers remain unfamiliar with the central government and are tied to the municipality.

The lack of mobility prevents them from tapping opportunities elsewhere, and thus causes them to feel insecure and hampers the fusion of local and national identities.

So next time, when you visit Hong Kong, during the National Day holidays, don't marvel at the grand parade and the spectacular gathering, they are Chinese, and don't frown if they call you northern folks on some electronic bulletin board, since they are also Hongkongers. It's just complicated.

The author is a graduate student at the University of Hong Kong. He can be reached at yizhong@ hku.hk