Hong Kong ≠ Chinese??

I was working on homework with a friend of mine the other day when she mentioned something that I felt was very curious. We had been talking about our nationalities. For example, my family is from Puerto Rico, and so I identify as a Puerto Rican. In addition, because Puerto Rico is a United States Commonwealth, I also identify as an American. When we had first met in class, my friend had said that she was from China; now she specified that she was from Hong Kong. As we continued our conversation, she explained that it was offensive to her if someone identified her as “Chinese”; when I asked why, she explained that she identifies with Hong Kong, who was under British rule until 1997. Even though Hong Kong has been ‘returned’ to the People’s Republic of China, during the first decade of her life China was a completely separate nation from her own and these years have formed the basis for her national identity. So this got me thinking: if I were born before Puerto Rico became a United States territory, would I feel the same way towards ‘being an American’?

Ethnography

If I had the chance to conduct ethnographic research, I would study in Hong Kong. The purpose of my study would be to understand how the transfer of sovereignty in 1997 has influenced the younger population’s national identity. The research will be based on age groups, for example:

• Population born in 1997- this population was born in the exact same year as the transfer of sovereignty 
• Population born between 1985-1996- this population would have had time to develop a national identity before the transfer 
• Population born after 2000- it is important to see if those born after the transfer differ from those born before 

This study would take at least a few years. I do anticipate a few challenges. For one, although Hong Kong is considered bilingual, it would be important to learn the language of the people to fully understand their meanings. I must also learn the culture and social gestures; often times, body language says more than actual speech. I will also need to learn the history of Hong Kong and the history of the population’s national identity throughout the century.

After the research and analysis, I would publish my conclusions in a book. By doing this, I can briefly go over the history and then go into the research and analysis. A film would limit the amount of information I could show; in addition, viewers of another culture may misinterpret what they see on film, such as the body language of an interviewee, whereas I could fully explain these on paper. Although paper has its own limitations, this would be the best choice.