Hong Kong returnee
Encyclopedia
A Hong Kong returnee is a resident of Hong Kong who emigrated
to another country, lived for an extended period of time in his or her adopted home, and then subsequently moved back to Hong Kong.
, in 2002, the population of Hong Kong Returnees numbered at 3% of the Hong Kong population. This number was arrived at by survey and a participant is categorised as "Returnee" by self-identification. As such, it excluded those Hong Kongers surveyed that have foreign citizenship, but did not self-identify as "Returnee".
back to Chinese rule. It is estimated that nearly one-sixth of the population of Hong Kong emigrated between 1984 and 1997. The destination of choice was usually a western country, most popular amongst them were Canada
, Australia
, and the United States
.
There are typically two types of emigrants, those who planned on returning to Hong Kong after they obtained foreign citizenship, and those who planned on staying in their adopted homes permanently and fully adapting to life there. The former are sometimes better described as sojourners rather than emigrants. However, often these two types of Hong Kong emigrants act against what they had planned, where some of those who had planned on permanent stays actually returned to Hong Kong, and sojourners planned on temporary stays actually made the decision to stay permanently in their adopted homelands.
According to Matthew Cheung
, Secretary for Labour and Welfare
, approximately 0.6 million Hong Kongers emigrated before and around 1997.
and the language barrier made it difficult for them to do business. Comparatively speaking, doing business in Hong Kong was much easier.
"The concept of ‘return migration’ doesn’t quite capture the contingency and fuzziness of Hong Kong emigrant strategies. Returnees could go back to Australia at any stage, especially if they gained Australian citizenship. They could be planning to move back on retirement, or if there are unfavourable ‘changes’ in Hong Kong. suggests the term ‘return movement’, since ‘return migration’ assumes a permanency which may not be justified. Nevertheless, return movements should be distinguished from visits and various types of business and social ‘commuting’ of a very short-term nature."
Taai Hung Yahn is also a play on words. Taking a more literal meaning of the Chinese characters for "astronaut", Taai Hung Yahn (太空人) can translate loosely to "man without a wife".
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
to another country, lived for an extended period of time in his or her adopted home, and then subsequently moved back to Hong Kong.
Population
According to the Hong Kong Transition Project of Hong Kong Baptist UniversityHong Kong Baptist University
Hong Kong Baptist University is a publicly-funded tertiary institution with a Christian education heritage. It is the sole surviving institution of 13 major Christian universities that once operated on the Chinese mainland,...
, in 2002, the population of Hong Kong Returnees numbered at 3% of the Hong Kong population. This number was arrived at by survey and a participant is categorised as "Returnee" by self-identification. As such, it excluded those Hong Kongers surveyed that have foreign citizenship, but did not self-identify as "Returnee".
Emigration
Most returnees left Hong Kong during the 1980s and the 1990s, after the announcement of the Handover of Hong KongTransfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong
The transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China, referred to as ‘the Return’ or ‘the Reunification’ by the Chinese and ‘the Handover’ by others, took place on 1 July 1997...
back to Chinese rule. It is estimated that nearly one-sixth of the population of Hong Kong emigrated between 1984 and 1997. The destination of choice was usually a western country, most popular amongst them were Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
There are typically two types of emigrants, those who planned on returning to Hong Kong after they obtained foreign citizenship, and those who planned on staying in their adopted homes permanently and fully adapting to life there. The former are sometimes better described as sojourners rather than emigrants. However, often these two types of Hong Kong emigrants act against what they had planned, where some of those who had planned on permanent stays actually returned to Hong Kong, and sojourners planned on temporary stays actually made the decision to stay permanently in their adopted homelands.
According to Matthew Cheung
Matthew Cheung
Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, GBS, JP is the Secretary for Labour and Welfare in the Hong Kong Government.Matthew Cheung served as civil servant in the Information Officer Grade of the government in 1972, and he transferred to the Administrative Service in 1979...
, Secretary for Labour and Welfare
Secretary for Labour and Welfare
The Secretary for Labour and Welfare of the Hong Kong Government is responsible for labour and social welfare policy in Hong Kong. The position was created in 2007 to replace portions of the previous portfolio of Secretary for Economic Development and Labour and welfare portion from Secretary for...
, approximately 0.6 million Hong Kongers emigrated before and around 1997.
Remigration
It is estimated that 30% of those Hong Kongers who moved away in the 1980s have returned to Hong Kong. Those that have moved back to Hong Kong have returned for various reasons - for economic reasons, or simply because they enjoy living in Hong Kong more than they do elsewhere. Specifically, many wealthy Hong Kongers who emigrated to Canada found that they could not adjust to the economic culture in Canada. The higher taxes and red tapeRed tape
Red tape is excessive regulation or rigid conformity to formal rules that is considered redundant or bureaucratic and hinders or prevents action or decision-making...
and the language barrier made it difficult for them to do business. Comparatively speaking, doing business in Hong Kong was much easier.
"The concept of ‘return migration’ doesn’t quite capture the contingency and fuzziness of Hong Kong emigrant strategies. Returnees could go back to Australia at any stage, especially if they gained Australian citizenship. They could be planning to move back on retirement, or if there are unfavourable ‘changes’ in Hong Kong. suggests the term ‘return movement’, since ‘return migration’ assumes a permanency which may not be justified. Nevertheless, return movements should be distinguished from visits and various types of business and social ‘commuting’ of a very short-term nature."
Cultural identity
Issues of identity have sometimes arisen for returnees, especially amongst those returnees that left Hong Kong when they were children, because of the change in national identity of Hong Kong the city itself due to Hong Kong returning to Chinese rule, and because of the life experiences gained living in their previously adopted homes outside of Hong Kong."Astronauts"
Many of those who returned to Hong Kong were husbands who left their entire families in their adopted homes, while they worked in Hong Kong. These husbands were dubbed Taai Hung Yahn , or "astronauts" because they spend their lives flying back and forth between Hong Kong and the adopted homes of their families. The absence of these husbands from their families often create tension in their relationships.Taai Hung Yahn is also a play on words. Taking a more literal meaning of the Chinese characters for "astronaut", Taai Hung Yahn (太空人) can translate loosely to "man without a wife".
See also
- Yacht peopleYacht peopleYacht people is a slang term for the wealthy residents of Hong Kong who fled the city in the 1980s and 1990s, prior to the city's return to Chinese rule in 1997. The term is a deliberate contrast to the poor "boat people" who fled southeast Asia in the 1970s...
- Chinese migrationChinese migrationWaves of Chinese emigration have happened throughout history. The mass emigration known as the Chinese Diaspora, which occurred from the 19th century to 1949, was mainly caused by wars and starvation in mainland China, as well as the problems resulting from political corruption...
- Overseas ChineseOverseas ChineseOverseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....
- Sino-British relations
- Sino-British Joint DeclarationSino-British Joint DeclarationThe Sino-British Joint Declaration, formally known as the Joint Declaration of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the People's Republic of China on the Question of Hong Kong, was signed by the Prime Ministers, Zhao Ziyang and Margaret...
- Third Culture KidThird culture kidThird culture kid is a term coined in the early 1950s by American sociologist and anthropologist Ruth Hill Useem "to refer to the children who accompany their parents into another society". Other terms, such as trans-culture kid, are also used by some. More recently, American sociologist David C...
External links
- Out and Back: The Movement of Hong Kongers 1984-2004 and the Psychological Consequences for Identity by Nan M. Sussman.
- Hong Kong Residents Rush for Foreign Citizenship at Migration News.
- David Ley on the return of wealthy Chinese migrants from Vancouver to Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- Transnational spaces and everyday lives by David Ley
- Back to Hong Kong: return migration or transnational sojourn? By David Ley and Audrey Kobayashi