Hong Kong people
Encyclopedia
Hong Kong people refer to people who originate from Hong Kong
. The term (and its Chinese equivalent) has no legal definition in Hong Kong. Rather, terms such as Hong Kong permanent resident and Hong Kong resident are used. Besides being used by Hong Kong residents, the term Hong Konger may be used by people who for one reason or another do not have legal residence status but spent an extensive period of time in Hong Kong or otherwise have a strong cultural connection with Hong Kong. Thus the term is largely open to personal interpretation. None of the terms make reference to the ethnicity of a person and are independent of Chinese
citizenship or residency statuses.
term of 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, an offensive term ), however these latter terms are not always well received. The terms embodies a civic identity as opposed to one based upon race or ethnicity.
Hong Konger is used more often by native speakers of English, while Hong Kong People, a more direct translation of the term Hèung Góng Yàhn, is used to a greater extent by Chinese native speaker
s in Hong Kong when writing or speaking in English. Hongkongese is a relatively recent term coined by the North America
n press, likely using the same suffix as the word Chinese does.
The term Hong Kong Chinese was used more often in the 19th to early 20th century in Hong Kong
, 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
.
legally gives precise definition of Hong Kong residents. Under Article 24 of the Basic Law, Hong Kong residents can be further classified as non-permanent or permanent residents. Non-permanent residents are those who have the right to hold a Hong Kong Identity Card
but have no right of abode. On the contrary, permanent residents are those who have the right to hold a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card and the right of abode in Hong Kong.
Article 24 of the Basic Law provides:
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
.
The majority of the new addition to the population are people from the mainland China. 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.
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, 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.
(Indians
, Pakistanis
, and Nepalis) is long-established, and comprises both descendants of 19th and early 20th-century migrants, as well as more recent short term expatriates. Numerically, the largest groups are Filipinos
and Indonesians
. Other groups include Americans
, Britons
, Canadians
, Australians, New Zealanders, Japanese, Koreans
, Russians
, Vietnamese and Thais
.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. The term (and its Chinese equivalent) has no legal definition in Hong Kong. Rather, terms such as Hong Kong permanent resident and Hong Kong resident are used. Besides being used by Hong Kong residents, the term Hong Konger may be used by people who for one reason or another do not have legal residence status but spent an extensive period of time in Hong Kong or otherwise have a strong cultural connection with Hong Kong. Thus the term is largely open to personal interpretation. None of the terms make reference to the ethnicity of a person and are independent of Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
citizenship or residency statuses.
Terminology
The vast majority of Hong Kong Chinese have ancestral roots from Guangdong Province in mainland China. 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. Many locals however simply refer themselves as Hong Kong people (Hèung Góng Yàhn).Variation
The terms Hong Konger (or Hongkonger), Hongkongese, and Hong Kong People are all translated into the CantoneseCantonese
Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...
term of 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, an offensive term ), however these latter terms are not always well received. The terms embodies a civic identity as opposed to one based upon race or ethnicity.
Hong Konger is used more often by native speakers of English, while Hong Kong People, a more direct translation of the term Hèung Góng Yàhn, is used to a greater extent by Chinese native speaker
Native Speaker
Native Speaker is Chang-Rae Lee’s first novel. In Native Speaker, he creates a man named Henry Park who tries to assimilate into American society and become a “native speaker.”-Plot summary:...
s in Hong Kong when writing or speaking in English. Hongkongese is a relatively recent term coined by the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n press, likely using the same suffix as the word Chinese does.
The term Hong Kong Chinese was used more often in the 19th to early 20th century in Hong Kong
Colonial Hong Kong
In the 19th century the British, Dutch, French, Indians and Americans saw Imperial China as the world's largest untapped market. In 1840 the British Empire launched their first and one of the most aggressive expeditionary forces to claim the territory that would later be known as Hong Kong.In a few...
, 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
Britons in Hong Kong
Britons never made up more than a small portion of the population in Hong Kong, despite the fact that Hong Kong was under British rule for more than 150 years. However, they did leave their mark on institutions, culture and Architecture of Hong Kong...
.
Legal definition of Hong Kong residents
The Hong Kong Basic LawHong Kong Basic Law
The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, or simply Hong Kong Basic Law, serves as the constitutional document of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China...
legally gives precise definition of Hong Kong residents. Under Article 24 of the Basic Law, Hong Kong residents can be further classified as non-permanent or permanent residents. Non-permanent residents are those who have the right to hold a Hong Kong Identity Card
Hong Kong Identity Card
The Hong Kong Identity Card is an official identity document issued by the Immigration Department of Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card is a class of HKID issued to Hong Kong residents who have the right of abode in Hong Kong SAR. According to the Registration of Persons Ordinance...
but have no right of abode. On the contrary, permanent residents are those who have the right to hold a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card and the right of abode in Hong Kong.
Article 24 of the Basic Law provides:
Han Chinese
Han ChineseHan Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
make up the majority of Hong Kongers, most being from Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
from the 1930s to the 1980s. There are also the indigenous inhabitants of the New Territories
New Territories
New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory. Historically, it is the region described in The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory...
.
The majority of the new addition to the population are people from the mainland China. 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.
Cantonese people
Cantonese people
The Cantonese people are Han people whose ancestral homes are in Guangdong, China. The term "Cantonese people" would then be synonymous with the Bun Dei sub-ethnic group, and is sometimes known as Gwong Fu Jan for this narrower definition...
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, 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.
Ethnic minorities
Hong Kong has a number of minority ethnic and national groups. The South Asian communitySouth Asians in Hong Kong
Hong Kong has a long-established South Asian population. As of the 2006 by-census, there were at least 44,744 persons of South Asian descent in Hong Kong. Many trace their roots in Hong Kong as far back as when most of the Indian subcontinent was still under British colonial rule, and as a legacy...
(Indians
Indians in Hong Kong
Hong Kong has been the place of settlement for many Indians for a long time. Some of them have lived there for a few generations and considered Hong Kong as their home. In the pre-war period, there were almost 7,000 Indians in Hong Kong...
, Pakistanis
Pakistanis in Hong Kong
Pakistanis are part of the South Asian minority population in Hong Kong. The 2006 census stated that there were 11,111 Pakistanis in Hong Kong, accounting for 0.2% of the total Hong Kong population. Pakistanis occupied 3.2% of the total number of 342,198 ethnic minority populations...
, and Nepalis) is long-established, and comprises both descendants of 19th and early 20th-century migrants, as well as more recent short term expatriates. Numerically, the largest groups are Filipinos
Filipinos in Hong Kong
There are around 140,000 Filipinos in Hong Kong, a lot of whom work as foreign domestic helpers. Filipino maids are known by the locals as fei yung , fei being the first character in the Cantonese phonetic translation of Philippines and yung means maid...
and Indonesians
Indonesians in Hong Kong
Indonesians in Hong Kong, numbering 102,100, form the second-largest ethnic minority group in the territory, behind Filipinos. Immigration from Indonesia to Hong Kong began as early as the 1960s, when Indonesian Chinese seeking to escape discrimination and anti-Chinese pogroms relocated to Hong...
. Other groups include Americans
Americans in Hong Kong
There were estimated to be 60,000 Americans in Hong Kong . They consist of both native-born Americans of various ethnic backgrounds, including Chinese Americans, as well as former Hong Kong emigrants to the United States who returned after gaining American citizenship. Most Americans in Hong Kong...
, Britons
Britons in Hong Kong
Britons never made up more than a small portion of the population in Hong Kong, despite the fact that Hong Kong was under British rule for more than 150 years. However, they did leave their mark on institutions, culture and Architecture of Hong Kong...
, Canadians
Canadians in Hong Kong
Like their American counterparts, a significant number of people with Canadian citizenship live and work in Hong Kong. Many are former Hong Kong residents that left prior to the 1997 handover and later returned when they had a Canadian passport and had some of the fears allayed. Some are...
, Australians, New Zealanders, Japanese, Koreans
Koreans in Hong Kong
Koreans in Hong Kong formed a population of 4,812 individuals as of 2006, making them one of Hong Kong's smaller minority groups.-Migration history:...
, Russians
Russians in Hong Kong
Russians in Hong Kong form one of the territory's smaller groups of expatriates and a minor portion of the worldwide Russian diaspora.-History:...
, Vietnamese and Thais
Thais in Hong Kong
Thais in Hong Kong form a sizable minority. In 2003, there were an estimated 13,000 Thai people in Hong Kong, largely women. The 2006 Hong Kong by-census report showed 11,900 Thais living in Hong Kong, making up around 3.5% of the total non-Chinese population of 342,198, and about 0.17% of the...
.
See also
- List of Hong Kong people
- Chinese Britons
- Hong Kong people in ShanghaiHong Kong people in ShanghaiHong Kong people in Shanghai form a rapidly growing population. As late as October 2003, there were only 3,432 Hong Kong residents working in Shanghai, according to Shanghai municipal government statistics; however, by December of the following year, that number roughly doubled to...
- Hong Kong people in the United Kingdom
- Colonial Hong KongColonial Hong KongIn the 19th century the British, Dutch, French, Indians and Americans saw Imperial China as the world's largest untapped market. In 1840 the British Empire launched their first and one of the most aggressive expeditionary forces to claim the territory that would later be known as Hong Kong.In a few...
- Culture of Hong KongCulture of Hong KongThe culture of Hong Kong can best be described as a foundation that began with China, and became more influenced by British colonialism. Despite the 1997 transfer of sovereignty to the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong continues to hold an identity of its own.-People in the culture:Most Hong...
- Demographics of Hong KongDemographics of Hong KongThis article is about the demographic features of the population of Hong Kong, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
- Waves of mass migrations from Hong Kong
- Code-switching in Hong KongCode-switching in Hong KongCode-switching, or the practice of using more than one language in conversation, is very common in Hong Kong. It usually involves a mix of Cantonese and English as a result of the bilingualism in Hong Kong...
("Chinglish")