I have never seen the city my parents were born in. At least not in real life. My parents claim that I have gone to Hong Kong when I was a little girl, but I can't remember it. So, as far as I am concerned, I have never seen the city. I haven't even really seen pictures of it. I don't actively search it up and stare at its sky line, not like I think I would do. I have a habit of looking everything up online, so my lack of research into Hong Kong is indeed strange. I guess a lot of it has to do with the fact that I am more than comfortable looking at the skyline I picture for myself in my head.
On January 20, 1841, Hong Kong was ceded to the British by China after the Chinese lost the First Opium War. From then on, Hong Kong has been known for its hybrid Eastern/Western culture. My parents went to a school taught by British teachers. They learned English as well as the dialect spoken in the Hong Kong area, Cantonese. They were given lessons in both languages. It was natural for them to learn about two different cultures simultaneously. In that respect, I am similar to my parents. As an Asian-American, I have to learn the Chinese and American cultures at the same time. It gives me perspective on a lot of differences and similarities that cultures have. However, I also know how tough it had to be on my parents to live in a city that was some British and some Chinese, but all different. Then, I imagine a whole city having to go through this change and instantly get a headache.
Hong Kong was quickly urbanized and turned capitalist during the 99 year lease the British had the city for. When Hong Kong was returned back to China, there were many disputes concerning their sovereignty. Hong Kong is under a "laissez-faire" capitalist economy, for one thing. China is under a socialist economy. For another, while people in Hong Kong were under the tutelage of British professors who promoted free society, China was undergoing a revolutionary change as the Communist party took over. These two ideologies clash with one another. Although China now has capitalist tendencies with a socialistic background, it is still different from Hong Kong. The city's people held massive peaceful protests for 79 days straight, called the "Umbrella Revolution," in order to fight for what they wanted. In simple terms, this movement came about when Hong Kong residents were allowed universal suffrage, but the electoral process could still be screened by Beijing. Through their protest, they started a pro-independence movement.
I have admired this city for a long time. As a kid growing up, I did not understand any world other than the one I was born in. In America, I am blessed with the knowledge and the freedom to be who I want to be and do what I want to do. However, I know that people in China were not given the same gifts as I was, at least for a period of time. I recognized however, that the city my parents grew up in had taught them to fight for themselves. A true democracy is one where people are given the chance to speak up for themselves. I saw that idealism in my parents and attributed that spirit to where they grew up. I thank Hong Kong for its powerful impact on my family. I thank the city for still fighting for what it believes is right in any way that it can.
