6. In
the context of such trends as globalization and the 1997 handover, do you see
yourself primarily s Hongkongese, Chinese or as a citizen of the world? Which of
these identities is the most important to you, and why?
Hong
Kong is the place where I was born and live in.
It was a colony of Britain till to 1997 handing over to China.
In addition to the trend of globalization is over the world, I am in this
historic period, this confused period, that makes me have a confused identity.
Firstly,
I would not think I am a citizen of the world.
Yet, some of my friends, same as my age, believe that they are.
I would not say they are wrong or they really can live in the world
everywhere peacefully. I think that they have this decision is because they are
rootless. They don・t determine
themselves as a Chinese or a Hongkongese. But they only know they live in the world.
And for
me, though I have a confused identity I am not a citizen of the world.
Even I don・t have communication problem, even I have enough financial
support for traveling over the world. Racial
discrimination and war are the barrier. These
two things never come to an end in my lifetime.
Secondly,
I will explain why I have a confused identity.
In 1949,
communist party took over China. Many
people from China came to Hong Kong. Under
British rule, they felt stable and would hide away from communist.
Hong Kong became a ．free world・.
People started their own life, which was not same as the mainland.
In 1953, the end of Korean War, the world started to concern the role of
Hong Kong. Hong Kong still could
trade to other countries while United Nation embargoed on trade with China.
At this time ．Hong Kong・ was born.
Hong Kong people enjoyed the growth of economic and had a better living
standard than the mainland.
Afterwards,
the first generation of Hong Kong people grew up. Under the colonial education, people thought that English was
the most important language in Hong Kong and even in the world.
And because of the trade to other countries people have more opportunity
to contact the western culture. From
this generation, most of Hong Kong people haven・t considered themselves as a
Chinese. For example, my parents, they were born just after WW II in
Hong Kong. Though their parents
came from mainland, since there was Culture Revolution (1956-1966), my parents
know little about mainland and the life in mainland. They only speak Cantonese and English but no Mandarin.
They do not need to farm. They
dress fashionably. They could enjoy
food in western restaurants. They
could see Hollywood film. Their
life is totally different from their parents.
Their culture is not only ．Chinese・ but mixes with western culture.
In 1984,
The Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed between
China and Britain, Hong Kong will remain unchanged for 50 years after 1997.
This time, many Hong Kong people were willing to emigrant to other
countries, e.g. Britain, as they didn・t want to become a ．Chinese・.
People were frightened of China. China
was closed, there・s no freedom, the living standard was low, and ．Chinese・
has a lower position in the world. If
Hong Kong turned back to China there was no long Hongkongese and became a
．Chinese・. The ．free world・
was lost. However the sense of
Hongkongese became stronger than before. ．Hong
Kong is our home・, Hong Kong government posted to Hong Kong people.
And 'One Country Two Systems' which was first rose by Mr. Deng Xiaoping
in the late 1970s. The dreams of being ．Hongkongese・ still would remain
until 1997.
Now 1997
passed, though China hands over Hong Kong again. There is no long Hong Kong but Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region. I still have
a mind of being Hongkongese as I got an influence from my parents. They won・t change their mind.
They are fully Hongkongese but I am not. I do not only study under colonial education and also under
Hong Kong education. Hong Kong has
changed. The basis but important
one is educational system, which will affect our next generation.
Most of schools use Chinese as media language.
Mandarin becomes more and more important in Hong Kong.
English has lost its advantage. I
should also learn how to speak Mandarin which is national language of China if I
still live in Hong Kong.
And as I
grow up, I know more about Hong Kong, I know what is the role of China to Hong
Kong. Someone says Hong Kong is the
door for China to the western. However
I would see that China is the ．mother・ for Hong Kong. China is protecting Hong Kong.
Hong Kong gets food and water from China. It can・t be living alone.
If China doesn・t exist Hong Kong will die. From long time age, Hong Kong lives along with China.
They can・t be separate. The
only difference between Hong Kong and mainland is Hong Kong can contact western
culture earlier. But not only Hong
Kong has changed, China has been changing too.
More western countries trade with China.
The position in the world of Hong Kong and China become closer.
There will be no difference between them.
In
conclude, Hong Kong is a part of China and all the situations are changing
between them and I am in this transitional period. I would consider my identity as between Hongkongese and
Chinese. I am changing from
Hongkongese to Chinese.