Being a Hongkonger and not a Chinese: A qualitative study of ethnic minority members of South-Asian descent in Hong Kong

Abstract

The study sets out to gain preliminary qualitative understanding of the experience of non-Chinese ethnic minority members in Hong Kong, through interviews and field observations. The aim is to learn about the role of various host socio-environmental factors as experienced in cross-cultural adaptation process and how each may have figured in the life of non-Chinese Hongkongers of South Asian ancestry in communication practice and activities they participate in. The findings represent mostly practical implications and include interviewees’ general reception from the majority Chinese residents, treatment that they received, their experience of interaction with the Chinese Hongkongers, the ease or difficulty of such contact, etc. and pressure they reportedly feel in their day to day activities and the felt need to learn the majority ways.