Hongkonger

A Hongkonger or Hong Konger is someone who resides or originates from Hong Kong. The term is generally accepted as covering people of various ethnicities and nationalities. It is not a legally defined term, thus different people may have different idea on how long one should have stayed in Hong Kong to be able to called himself/herself Hongkonger. Generally speaking, a Hongkonger should at least have the right of abode in Hong Kong. Most Hongkongers are of Han Chinese ethnicity.

Names

In addition to Hongkonger, the term Hong Kong people (and occasionally Hong Kong person depending on context) is also used. It is used especially in Hong Kong English, as it is derived from the Cantonese term Heung-Gong-yan (香港人). Hongkongese or (informally) Hongkongnese is a variant that has gained popularity in Chinese Canadian and American communities.

Informal terms such as Honger and Honkie (or Honky) are also used, though they may sometimes be interpreted as slightly derogatory in the way of referring to the Japanese as 'Japs' or 'Jappies'.

In Chinese ideograms, the literal meaning of Hong Kong is fragrant harbour. The term originated from the old Hong Kong Village on southwestern Hong Kong Island, which used to be a seaport for the export of fragrant trees. The name was later extended to refer to the entire territory of modern-day Hong Kong.

The term Hongkongese stems from a North American usage. The term has ossified into contemporary journalistic lingo and is imitated by academics. Hongkongese has appeared in U.S. based media such as the New York Times, The International Herald Tribune, and in certain other parts of the world, due to U.S. influence.

Identity

Chinese

Han Chinese residents generally refer to themselves as Heung Gong Yahn (Traditional Chinese: 香港人; Cantonese Yale: Hèung Góng Yàhn), literally Hong Kong person/people. People of other ethnicities may also refer to themselves as Hong-Kong-yan as well, although Chinese may or may not consider them to be so. Meanwhile, Mandarin-speaking mainland Chinese will identify Hongkongers as xiang1 gang3 ren2 (Hanyu Pinyin^[1]).

Most Chinese minority residents would also align themselves with the greater socio-political identity of the Chinese^[2] (中國人 in Chinese ideograms, zong1 gwok3 jan4 in Jyutping or zhong1 guo3 ren2 in Hanyu Pinyin).

The traditional Chinese ending for nationalities is the ideogram 人 (jan4 in Jyutping, ren2 in Hanyu Pinyin). Thus, in Mandarin, Americans are 美國人 (mei3 guo2 ren2 in Hanyu Pinyin). Similarly, Chinese Hongkongers may refer to themselves as 中國人 (zong1 gwok3 jan4 in Jyutping).

Differences between Hongkongers and mainlanders

Though somewhat culturally and ethnically similar to Chinese from the mainland, Hongkongers have experienced some 150 years of British rule which means that many feel they share certain distinctions from mainlanders. The difference can also be distinguished by the upbringing environment of the Mainland and Hong Kong, e.g. the government actively discourages smoking in Hong Kong through education and propaganda, while this idea is relatively weak in China, even today. Hongkongers also pay a higher level respect to the laws, although this may not be the case in Mainland China.

Many Hong Kongers are also fairly competent in English because it is an official language in Hong Kong, although recent surveys are showing a decrease in fluency in English, possibly suffering from negligence after the handover, with Chinese companies becoming more prominent business partners. Instruction on English begins from pre-school, which is different from the education system in Mainland China.

Other ethnic groups

According to the Census in 2001, while the majority (94.9% ^[3]) of Hongkongers are ethnically Chinese, there are many other ethnic groups that make up Hong Kong.The largest minority group are the Filipinos (2.1%); many of whom work as domestic maids and baby sitters. They are often seen during public holidays and weekends to gather en masse in Central, Admiralty, etc.

The South Asian community, which dates back to the founding Hong Kong in 1841, are also gaining a stronger voice in Hong Kong. Indeed, many have moved on from the stereotype Sikh security guard and have assimilated into the local population, speaking Cantonese and writing Chinese. (As seen in the recent RTHK production of When We Were Small.) Other less prominent Asian groups include Malaysians, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, Thais, and so on. People of Afican/Caribbean decent also make up a tiny proportion to the demography on Hong Kong.

Caucasians are especially seen in Tsim Sha Tsui, Lan Kwai Fong, Central, Stanley, Lamma Island, Discovery Bay, Midlevels and the Peak. As a result of Hong Kong's previous British rule, most are from English-speaking countries, such as the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand although significant minorities from other western countries also exist. "Gweilo" (ghost man) is the usual nickname for white people, with variations for women, boys and girls. It was a term of insult in the past, but today this depends heavily on the person's perspective and the speaker's tone.

Although it is no longer one of the ten largest ethnic minority groups in Hong Kong, the Portuguese community historically played a pivotal role in Hong Kong. Many are descended from the Macanese community in nearby Macau.

Spoken languages

Cantonese is natively spoken in place of Mandarin. (This is true in parts of Guangdong Province too; though in Hong Kong, there are specific Cantonese terms that are not widely used or understood outside of Hong Kong, possibly due to mixing terms from other languages, and Hong Kong's independent development from the rest of China. Though Cantonese is the main form of communication in Hong Kong, English is generally understood as it is a compulsory language subject for all school students.

Written languages

Traditional Chinese characters with Cantonese-isms (see Written Cantonese) are used instead of Simplified Chinese characters representing the Mandarin vernacular putonghua. Though traditional Chinese characters are used in informal situations, most formal letters, such as business letters and contracts, are written in English.

Socio-economic development

Hong Kong fully urbanised during the post-war period and has developed into a major financial centre and a world city. As one of the "East Asian Tigers" it saw a high growth rate and rapid industrialisation between the early 1960s and 1990s whilst China languished and suffered from misguided policies during the early years of communist rule before Deng Xiaoping's reforms in 1979 that led to the implementation of "Socialism with Chinese characteristics". Today, economic reforms on mainland China appear to have paid off and have resulted in a booming economy in recent years, resulting in, among other things, a class of nouveau riche; whereas Hongkongers may be seen as old money.

Socio-political situation

Under British rule Hong Kong also adopted an English common law, creating a mindset amongst the populance that differed from mainland China. For instance, many Hongkongers are proud of and wish to protect Hong Kong's rule of law, government transparency, freedom of speech (including freedom of the press) and its laissez-faire economic system.

Following the transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China on July 1997, the retention and expansion of such freedoms and democratic rights has been and continues to be a major concern of many Hongkongers, as exemplified by the number of votes given to pro-democratic lawmakers in the semi-free elections and the protests over the Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23 which many felt a threat to Hong Kong's freedoms.

Culture

Hong Kong is generally considered to have preserved elements of ancient Chinese feudal and Confucian thought-systems and attitudes, similar to the situation in Japan and Korea, whereas in mainland China the trauma of the Cultural Revolution rendered people more progressive. This is perhaps ironic, as mainland China is, after all, the birthplace of such thought systems. Similarly, religious rituals, folk traditions and other spiritual beliefs, such as ancestor worship and feng shui, are more common in Hong Kong than in mainland China.

Cosmopolitanism and diversity

Hong Kong is home not only to ethnic Chinese persons but also the former British colonists as well as European nationals from a number of countries. In addition, there are immigrants from a number of Asian countries including the Philippines, India, Pakistan and Japan. In comparison, mainland China, though consisting of some 56 Chinese ethnicities, is predominantly Han Chinese, which account for over 92% of the population.

Citizenships and nationalities

As the majority of Hongkongers are ethnically Chinese, many culturally identify themselves as Chinese. Legally, many hold complex dual or multiple citizenship statuses.

PRC citizenship

Before and after the transfer of sovereignty, the People's Republic of China did not recognise ethnic Chinese residents of Hong Kong as colonial citizens of the United Kingdom. Home Return Permits (issued before and after the handover) were issued to them to travel to the mainland China.

After the handover, those ethnic Chinese people are regarded as PRC citizens in Hong Kong by the Hong Kong Government. HKSAR passports are issued.

British nationality

Many of ethnic Chinese people also hold British National (Overseas) passport. Some of the Hongkongers obtained full British citizenship locally before the handover through various schemes, notably British Nationality Selection Scheme.

See British nationality law and Hong Kong for more information.

Other citizenships

Many Hongkongers and their dependents who emigrated, and later returned to the Hong Kong SAR may hold additional citizenships, such as American, Canadian or Australian; such as those who emigrated prior to the handover due to uncertainty about the situation in Hong Kong particularly in the early 1990s in the aftermath of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 ^[4].

Notes

1. ↑  Hongkongers generally speak Cantonese, thus the Cantonese-based romanisation, such as Jyutping, would more likely resemble the Chinese ideograms as spoken in Hong Kong. Mainland Chinese generally speak Mandarin, thus the Hanyu Pinyin romanisation would most likely resemble the Chinese ideograms as spoken in mainland China. However, it is crucial to keep in mind that the letters used in romanisations do not necessarily correspond to the usage in the English language; the respective pages on Jyutping and Hanyu Pinyin would be of use to further understanding the correct pronunciations.
2. ↑  Chinese is a popularly-used all-encompassing phrase to refer to (1) the Chinese civilisation, (2) citizens of the People's Republic of China, (3) people who are ethnically one of the many Chinese ethnicities (of which 56 are officially recognised in the PRC), (4) the Chinese language and (5) people identifying themselves as Chinese. In the Chinese language the terms Hua ren and Zhongguo ren are generally used interchangeably within the People's Republic of China and among overseas Chinese in North America. Overseas Chinese in southeast Asia (particularly in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore) and supporters of Taiwanese independence within Taiwan make a clear distinction between Hua ren (Chinese in the ethnic sense) and Zhongguo ren (Chinese in the political sense). When used by non-Chinese, the term Chinese has also been used synonymously with the Han Chinese, which is the majority ethnicity (>92%) within China. Some Chinese reject this usage, and conflicts over this particular usage tend to come up in discussions about ethnic minorities.
3. ↑  http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/hong_kong_statistics/statistical_tables/index.jsp?htmlTableID=139&excelID=&chartID=&tableID=139&ID=&subjectID=1

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