With the mass migration of Hong Kong families to Western countries amid fears over the Communist takeover of the territory in 1997, it is no wonder there are a number of second-generation returnees in the city today.
The trend has picked up momentum since 2015 after the government rolled out incentives to woo the children of Hong Kong emigres back to the city for work or higher learning.
These young expats are labeled as CBC (Canadian-born Chinese), ABC (American-born Chinese or Australian-born Chinese), BBC (British-born Chinese), and even NZC (New Zealand-born Chinese).
With family ties still in Hong Kong, many young professionals have found it appealing to settle into the city.
Those who were born here and/or with parents who were born here, can easily obtain a Hong Kong identification card that allows them to freely work and live in the city for as long as their hearts desire.
It’s an easy way to go abroad, without the pressure of having to stay here for good.
There is a familiar element at every corner – the Chinese dishes that resemble the dining table at home, the Cantonese conversations, and the comfort of having English signage all over the city.
Yet, even with these advantages, there are struggles that the Chinese expats have to recognize as they prolong their stay in the city. Things are the same yet different.
The language barrier
In a Chinese-dominated society such as Hong Kong, the common assumption is that if you are ethnically Chinese, then you must also speak the language.
For second-generation Chinese, this may not always be the case
In fact, this really varies depending on their exposure while growing up. While some have fluency in both spoken and written communication, others may only have oral fluency or none at all.
This can be a result of them rebelling against the culture or of being completely immersed in an English-speaking culture, even at home.
When entering shops and restaurants, these expectations and limitations create barriers in communication.
It may even create a sense of shame, embarrassment, and exclusion after the ethnic Chinese expat has begun to entertain the thought that he or she has fitted in with the community.
The ‘white’ privilege
As teaching abroad is becoming a good way for native English speakers to earn and save money, it seems the ideal job for many young expats.
Ethnic Chinese expats would think that because they have spent a good portion of their life in Western countries, Native English Teacher (NET) positions would also apply to them.
Unfortunately, they soon realize that their “Chinese” appearance is a disadvantage because it doesn’t fit the concept of many Chinese parents who are paying lots of money to learning centers for their kids to be educated by “English” teachers.
They don’t make good publicity on brochures of schools that advertise authentic, native English teachers since they look just like the rest of the population.
This is the reality that no one wishes to admit in the education sector.
jerrykimbrell10 / Pixabay
Fighting with the local economy
As young expats, everyone is trying to gain experience but sometimes, finding jobs in the local economy can be tricky.
While it’s considered basic for locals to know how to speak Cantonese and read and write in Chinese, this is not always easy for second-generation Chinese who are more at home in the English language.
The situation becomes complicated when they are good in oral communication but not in reading or writing in Chinese, and they begin to doubt whether they are competent enough for the job, even if it is entry level.
Meanwhile, English-only jobs are reserved for senior-level executives while teaching jobs often go to the “tall and blonde”.
Concord90 / Pixabay
People say Hong Kong is where East meets West. People come from all over the world to experience the hustle and bustle of the city.
When you come from a Western country, with an Eastern heritage, which side are you really part of? I guess the answer is both.
But to local Hong Kong people, it boils down to one: Chinese.
This article was originally published on EJ Insight
I’m Charmaine, and I’ve lived abroad since 2012. My blog is to provide you the resources to help you move and survive in a new country. How did I get started? Find out
This is a really interesting article – I had no idea how complex this issue was! Thanks for sharing Charmaine 💕
Thank you so much for reading! Glad you enjoyed it. It is a complicated issue and I never thought so much about it until I got here and realized it’s not going to be as easy as I thought it would be. Sigh the irony!
Thank you for sharing the information which can help me to know the real situation in HK for getting a job
Are you moving to Hong Kong? I’m glad to help and to answer more questions!
I always wondered what it was like for anyone who isn’t white, but is still considered Western, to get jobs teaching English or at international schools in general. I know at my school here we have a mix of americans, canadians but also indian and even a few different african countries. But my school seems to be a bit of an anomaly and it’s hard to get teachers to come teach here.
Haha that’s so worldly of you to think of the situation! It is complicated because at the end of the day, appearances do count so I do think that it’s definitely a barrier!
This is a fascinating post! My husband’s family is from Hong Kong and we run into all of these when we travel back to HK! He’s ABC and only speaks a little Cantonese. We get a lot of confused (and dirty) looks when he tries to communicate over there. I hadn’t thought about the teaching English part! That’s so true that people are looking for Caucasian people for the “authentic” English speaking experience.
It is complicated because everyone has different levels depending on their exposure and resources. As someone who doesn’t read and write but speaks quite fluently, I feel quite embarrassed all the time. I would hate to explain to every waiter the situation of why I’m the odd one out!
You have shed a light to a really interesting topic! I really know how it feels about you being expected to have certain skills or knowledge because of your appearance. Even just such a basic thing as my surname – coming from my husband – and when I visit the country of his great-great grandfather, everyone stares at me when they see the name and think I’m weird that I don’t speak the language. Not even the name, but looking like everyone else must be even worse!
That’s interesting! I definitely know what you mean because for me it is surname plus appearance. Thank you for reading!
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