Why do Chinese from Hong Kong still prefer to say they are HKers when HK is no longer an independent country?

Question

Why do Chinese from Hong Kong still prefer to say they are Hong Kongers when HK is no longer an independent country? They prefer to say they are from HK instead of China. Is it because they are not proud of China and being Chinese or because they look down on their Chinese counterparts in China?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

I have many friends from Hong Kong and most of them DO NOT like to associate themselves with China or Mainland Chinese. When these Hong Kongers gets together, they would bad-mouthed the Mainland Chinese on everything (fashion, culture, food, morals, etc).

Can't really blame this Hong Kongers as China and Mainland Chinese have a lot to learn from Hong Kong and it's more "educated and civilized" citizens. Too bad, HK is part of China!!

Source(s):

Former expat in China.

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Okie I see. Thanks. But talking about Hk people thinking they are more educated and civilised, I THINK some aren't because I've met alot more rude and selfish HK people than Chinese (China) people.

Answer 2

they are under China but they are another place, they also speak a different language then in China. They do speak Chinese but a different kind of Chinese, they speak Cantonese and in China everyone speaks mandarin. They are a different part of China but under China but Hong Kong so they are. And Hong Kong is a whole different place then China so they are from HK then China

Source(s):

i've been to hong knog since I was3

Answer 3

Maybe
because Hong Kong and China are two place(words) as know as anybody around the world.

Answer 4

Hong Kong was never an independent country, it was a british colony. They still say they are from Hong Kong is because they got used to saying so under british rule.

Answer 5

Good question and something I have always asked myself! I'm from HK, however, I am one of the minority for when ppl ask me who I am, I say Chinese, never Hong Kong.

There could be 2 explainations to this. The first is that in China, anywhere, Chinese ppl usually say they are "from" somewhere in the country - I am from Beijing, I am a Shanghainese, I am a HK ren (person) for the pure intention of identifying where they are from in the country. This is fine and normal.

Its when HK specifically say, "I am HK" to seperate themselves from mainland, then I find it offensive - because they are generally, as you say, not proud and look down on their Chinese counterparts.

I've joined facebook recently (thus my lack of activity on answers) and I see some groups that are titled, "I am Hong Kong, not Chinese!" That's the latter classification I'm talking about!

@cooltronix - you say the reason for this seperation status is because HK is different from China. I don't think that's an excuse. China is made up of a million different cultures and dialects - what makes HK so forwards and China backwards? HK's history is only different from China's for about the time it was a colony - but it went through similar turmoils as the mainland did and suffered its consequences - eg: people escaping from mainland during WWII and the civil war to HK.

HK is bound to China, like it or not. The only thing seperating HK from China is its own arrogance.

Answer 6

Because Hong Kong has very much its own unique identity. Language, history and culture are very different from China.

Most HKers don't really like to associate with their often as backwards seen northern neighbors.

In Mainland China people are not really allowed to develop their own identity. To give an example, there is a very strong Cantonese music and movie culture, but there is virtually no Wu (which includes Shanghainese) culture, even that language group is about the same size.

It also puzzles me that different cities or provinces in China have no flag, nearly no local language radio or TV stations etc.

To top it up: when we cross the border we say "we go to China".

Answer 7

People in Hong Kong do look down on the mainland Chinese. I have known many from HK and they think they are better than Chinese.

I prefer Chinese people to the HK people. But, then I prefer China to HK. They think their busy polluted lives are better? I prefer the cleaner air here and the slower pace of life.

Answer 8

Another answer is maybe that the people you ask don't want to be part of the mainland and would much like it in the pre-hand over era.

Answer 9

Both. They arent proud of being part of China and sometimes they do look down on the chinese people in China. The culture is different in HK and China and sometimes people just dont quite accept their differences. Also, I believe that people in HK prefer to be an independent country instead of belongs to country like China or Britian.

Answer 10

It is because if Hong Kongers call themselves Chinese, then people would assume they mean mainland.

Answer 11

HK is such a special place / city bcos of it's history. HK ppl say they r HKnese in a long history. u can c b4 1997 while they were stil ruled by the Britons. they said the same.... HKnese. so no diff of who ruling them. they r always HKnese. not they look down China or not. like those ppl living in NYC. they always called themselves new yorkers...... n ppl seem to accept them rite?

Answer 12

sum people from hk look down at people from china, but not all ppl do that now cuz china has improved a lot n has better everything than before. before, hk was an island n was occupied by britain, so they were way more developed than china because of britain's influence. even hk is now part of china, ppl from hk (not hong kong-ers) prefer to say that they are from hk n not china because that is the truth. hk is part of china n they are attached but they are still very different places, no matter in ppl, language, writing, land, or way of expressing ideas. n altho hk is no longer a country, they are still an INDEPENDENT city.

i hope u understand now.

hope that helped :D