Hong Kong people
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| List of notable Hong Kong people: Bruce Lee, Louis Cha, Chow Yun-fat John Woo, Maggie Cheung, Leslie Cheung Jackie Chan, Marco Fu Ka-chun, Wong Kar-wai Sir Donald Tsang, Eric Tsang, Li Yundi |
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Hong Kong people (Chinese: 香港人), also known as Hongkongese, Hongkie or Hongkonger, usually refers to people who originate from Hong Kong. The term is legally defined by the Government of Hong Kong in either English or Chinese, but may mean Hong Kong permanent residents with identity cards, or those who have spent an extensive period of time in Hong Kong (which is open to personal interpretation). The term conveys a civic identity, and doesn't simply mean an individual of han Chinese ancestry having permanent residence in the territory.
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[edit] Terminology
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| Traditional Chinese: | 香港人 | ||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese: | 香港人 | ||||||||||||
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Han Chinese[citation needed] residents of Hong Kong generally refer to themselves as Hèung Góng Yàhn (traditional Chinese: 香港人; Cantonese Yale: Hèung Góng Yàhn), literally "Hong Kong people".
Most Hong Kong Chinese have ancestral roots from Guangdong Province and the Yangtze River Delta, as these two main Chinese groups inter-mingled. Few Hong Kong Chinese have partial European ancestry[citation needed]. As Hong Kong continues to remain as a separate, sub-national territorial entity, under the Basic Law, many long-term residents of the SAR continue to distinguish themselves from mainland residents. A comparison can be made to the Taiwanese people. However with the hand-over, gradual improvements in relations with the mainland and government initiated cultural schemes caused a resurgence in the number of people in the territory referring themselves solely as Chinese. But yet, the issue regarding identity in the former British colony is very complex. After all, the SAR had experienced a great exodus of people in the years leading up to the handover, and yet migration from mainland China in recent years have brought about migrants who would prefer to refer themselves as Chinese.
It's interesting to note that despite the anti-racism legislation implemented in Hong Kong, there has been considerable condemnation in regards to its decision to assimilate recent Chinese residents and local (or overseas) Hong Kong Chinese residents into the same category. The long overdue legislation ignores for numerous reasons, which could be speculated, the discrimination faced by mainland Chinese residents.
[edit] Variation
The terms Hongkonger (or Hong Konger), Hong Kong People, Hongkongese, Hongkie are all translated into the Chinese term Hèung Góng Yàhn (traditional Chinese: 香港人; Cantonese Yale: Hèung Góng Yàhn). As a result, the above terms are different only as far as English language usage is concerned. People from Hong Kong in Western countries are also referred to colloquially as Hongers or Honkies (sometimes spelt Hongkies). The terms embodies a civic identity as opposed to one based upon race or ethnicity.
Hongkonger is used more often by native speakers of English,[citation needed] while Hong Kong People, a more direct translation of the term Hèung Góng Yàhn, is used to a greater extent by Chinese native speakers in Hong Kong when writing or speaking in English.[citation needed] Hongkongese is a relatively recent term coined by the North American press.[1]
The term Hong Kong Chinese was used more often in the 19th to early 20th century in Hong Kong[citation needed], where the British population residing in Hong Kong made up a higher percentage than what it comprises now. One used to refer to an individual as Hong Kong Chinese in order to differentiate the person from a Hong Kong Briton.
[edit] Ethnic groups in Hong Kong
[edit] Han Chinese
Han Chinese make up the majority of Hong Kongers, most being from Guangdong from the 1930s to the 1980s. There are also the indigenous inhabitants of the New Territories. Others were formerly from Shanghai, many being successful businessmen who shaped the economics of Hong Kong.
The majority of the new addition to the population are people from the mainland China[citation needed]. Ever since Hong Kong was a British colony, many mainland Chinese have immigrated to Hong Kong, and there is now a daily quota of 150 for those wishing to reside in Hong Kong[citation needed].
Cantonese people represent the largest group in Hong Kong. Beside the Cantonese, people of other Han Chinese groups also reside in Hong Kong. However, the Cantonese remains the largest group even amongst other Han Chinese groups in Hong Kong. As such, Hong Kong culture is highly Cantonese-influenced. Together with the fact that Cantonese is most commonly used as the language of both everyday and formal conversations, as well as its use in the media and education[citation needed], other Han Chinese groups in Hong Kong, such as the Hakka, the Hoklo (Hokkien), the Shanghainese, or the Teochew, in particular those who are Hong Kong born or raised, often assimilate into the mainstream Cantonese identity of Hong Kong.
Shanghainese people in Hong Kong have played an important role in Hong Kong since 1949. Following the Communist rule in China, many Chinese businessmen from Shanghai fled to Hong Kong. Some brought their business to Hong Kong and helped shaped the business power of the territory. A few prominent business people and actors are from Shanghai. Former Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Tung Chee-hwa hails from Shanghai, as was for Chief Secretary for Administration Anson Chan and former Chief Justice Yang Ti-liang. Other well known Hong Kong people who have family origins in Shanghai include the film director Wong Kar-Wai (王家衛), singer and actor Daniel Chan (陳曉東), Miss Hong Kong 1997 First Runner-Up Vivian Lee (李明慧), Miss Hong Kong 1998 Winner and former TVB actress Anne Heung (向海嵐), Miss Hong Kong 2003 Winner and current TVB actress Mandy Cho (曹敏莉), Miss Hong Kong 2005 Winner and current TVB actress Tracy Ip (葉翠翠), and former contestant of Miss Hong Kong 2005 and current TVB actress Erica Yuen (袁彌明).
[edit] Ethnic minorities
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[edit] Southeast Asians
Filipinos, Indonesians and Thais comprise the bulk of this group, with Filipinos in the lead. The vast majority are female migrant workers[citation needed], employed as domestic helpers[citation needed]. They speak fluent English with some picking up fluent Cantonese[citation needed]. Most such domestic helpers are only in Hong Kong until they earn enough to support their families and have no permanent plans in Hong Kong. A very small fraction are married to local Hong Kong Chinese men[citation needed]. As of 2005, there were 130,000 Filipinos and 110,000 Indonesians in Hong Kong[citation needed].
[edit] South Asians
South Asians mainly consist of Pakistanis, Indians and Nepalese. Many Nepalese are former Gurkha troops ("啹喀兵") from the British colonial era, disbanded after the 1997 handover[citation needed] but choosing to remain in Hong Kong. In past decades, the Hong Kong police force was made up of a significant portion of these South Asians, and many still work as labourers or in the security sector as bank guards and personal bodyguards of senior government officials, due to their reputation for resilience and strength (being designated a "martial race" by the British). A very small minority teach English in public and subsidised schools[citation needed]. Most speak fluent English with some managing fluent Cantonese[citation needed]. There are considerable Nepalese communities in Yuen Long and Kwun Chung[citation needed]. As of the 2006 by-census, there were at least 44,744 Hongkongers of South Asian descent.[2]
[edit] White Europeans, Americans, Canadians and Australians
Many British and other Europeans in Hong Kong came during the colonial period, with some being able to speak fluent Cantonese. They are usually professionals, employees of multinational corporations or high-ranking foreign government officials, e.g. CEOs, diplomats, police superintendents, judges, doctors, university professors and airline pilots[citation needed]. Some also teach English in public and government-subsidised schools[citation needed]. Although many British returned to Britain after the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to China, a number still stayed and some even took up Chinese nationality in order to obtain HKSAR passports[citation needed]. The 2005 census indicates there were 13,490 British in Hong Kong[citation needed]. Hong Kong immigration laws make it remarkably difficult for these groups of people to migrate to the SAR, unless the individual fulfills tough immigration criteria.
[edit] Japanese
Japanese in Hong Kong are usually businessmen or high-ranking corporate employees and their families. Most came to Hong Kong in the 1980s during China's economic reforms, seeing it as a springboard to the China market. Some Japanese settled in Hong Kong and their second generation children often speak fluent Cantonese, but may enter international schools. If however they do not plan to stay in Hong Kong permanently, they may enroll their children in Japanese schools (Nihonjin gakkō), anticipating a future return to Japan. The 2005 census indicates 11,800 Japanese people in Hong Kong[citation needed].
[edit] See also
- Chinese Britons
- Hong Kong people in Shanghai
- Hong Kong people in the United Kingdom
- Colonial Hong Kong
- Culture of Hong Kong
- Demographics of Hong Kong
- Linguistics
[edit] References
- ^ "Hong Kong Handover". University of Michigan University Library Journal of the International Institution. 1997 fall. http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.4750978.0005.107. Retrieved on 2008-05-27.
- ^ "Thematic Report: Ethnic Minorities" (PDF). Publications and Products of the 2006 Population By-census (Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong) (xvi). 2007-12-28. http://www.bycensus2006.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_962/06bc_em.pdf. Retrieved on 2008-01-23.
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