INTRO: segment number three -- "Hong Kong's immigrants"

IN THE UNITED STATES THERE IS LONG STANDING DEBATE OVER HOW MUCH IMMIGRANTS SHOULD BE EXPECTED TO ASSIMILATE.  MANY AMERICANS BELIEVE NEW IMMIGRANTS SHOULD SPEAK THE LANGUAGE...ADOPT WESTERN CULTURE AND FULLY INTEGRATE THEMSELVES INTO THE LARGER SOCIETY.  BUT DOES THE SAME  STANDARD HOLD UP WHEN AMERICANS AND WESTERNERS IMMIGRATE TO OTHER COUNTRIES.

IN PART THREE OF OUR SERIES POSTCARDS FROM CHINA ERIC OLANDER REPORTS ON THE IRONY OF WESTERN IMMIGRANTS LIVING IN HONG KONG. (:20)

STORY:

IN AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES...ASIAN IMMIGRANTS ESPECIALLY THE CHINESE....ARE FREQUENTLY CRITICIZED FOR THEIR UNWILLINGNESS TO ASSIMILATE INTO THE LARGER CULTURE.  IN THE UNITED STATES THE ARGUMENT GOES THAT THE CHINESE...WELL THEY IMMIGRATE TO AMERICA...FORM THEIR OWN GHETTOS KNOWN COMMONLY AS CHINATOWNS...SPEAK THEIR OWN LANGUAGE...EAT THEIR OWN FOOD...RARELY INTERACT WITH OTHER AMERICANS AND GENERALLY INSULATE THEMSELVES FROM ALL THINGS NOT CHINESE.  PURSUING THIS ARGUMENT JUST A BIT FURTHER...THE CHINESE...ACCORDING TO THE STEREOTYPE....SIMPLY MAKE NO EFFORT WHATSOEVER.

OF COURSE THIS IS A BROAD GENERALIZATION AND DOES NOT REFLECT THE GENUINE EFFORT MADE BY MILLIONS OF CHINESE IMMIGRANTS WHO DO LEARN THE LANGUAGE...CULTURE AND VALUES OF THEIR NEW HOME.  BUT NEVERTHELESS...AMONG MANY AMERICANS THE NEGATIVE PERCEPTION IS WIDELY BELIEVED. (:40)

THE INTERESTING THING THOUGH IS THAT THIS STEREOTYPE ISN'T LIMITED TO JUST DESCRIBING HOW THE CHINESE LIVE IN AMERICA AND THE WEST.  IT'S ALSO USED IN REVERSE.

IN HONG KONG FOR EXAMPLE...WESTERNERS ARE REFERRED TO AS GWEILOS...A CANTONESE WORD MEANING FOREIGNER.  IT IS A COMMONLY HELD BELIEF HERE AMONG THE CHINESE....AND A LARGELY ACCURATE ONE....THAT THE MAJORITY OF GWEILOS DO VERY LITTLE TO TRY AND ASSIMILATE INTO THE LARGER CHINESE CULTURE.  THE WESTERNERS FOR THE MOST PART DO NOT SPEAK CHINESE...HAVE A MINIMAL UNDERSTANDING OF LOCAL CULTURE AND TEND TO AVOID ANYTHING BUT PROFESSIONAL INTERACTION WITH THE CHINESE PEOPLE.  ONE HONG KONG NATIVE WHO WORKS FOR A BRITISH COMPANY BEST DESCRIBED THE SITUATION AS SAYING THAT GWEILO CONTACT WITH THE CHINESE IS LIMITED TO THE OFFICE PLACE...ASIAN WOMEN DATING WHITE MEN AND AMONG THE SO-CALLED COSMOPOLITAN CHINESE WHO MOVE IN THE WESTERN SOCIAL SCENE.  THE WESTERNERS TEND TO LIVE AMONG THEMSELVES...EAT THEIR NATIVE FOODS...SPEAK THEIR OWN LANGUAGES AND GENERALLY AVOID THOSE THINGS CULTURALLY FOREIGN. (1:29)

THERE ARE CLEAR AND UNMISTAKABLE DIFFERENCES AMONG THE RACES IN HONG KONG.  GENERALLY SPEAKING...IT'S ASSUMED THAT THE WHITES COMPRISE AN ELITE CLASS...THE EXPATRIATE MANAGER WHO LIVES IN THE EXPENSIVE MID-LEVEL OR PEAK DISTRICTS.

THE FILIPINOS...INDOCHINESE AND OTHER SOUTHERN ASIANS ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCALE...WHILE THE CHINESE WHO CONSTITUTE 98 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION FILL IN THE GAPS. 

THIS SCENARIO IS RAPIDLY CHANGING THOUGH.  HONG KONG'S TRADITIONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WEST IS QUICKLY BEING REPLACED BY GREATER COMMERCIAL CONTACT WITH CHINA.  ACCORDING TO THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF A MAJOR AMERICAN INVESTMENT FIRM...ONLY A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO...ALL IT TOOK TO GET A DECENT JOB IN HONG KONG WAS A DEGREE FROM A WESTERN UNIVERSITY.  BUT HE SAYS TODAY THE SITUATION IS VERY DIFFERENT.  A GWEILO MANAGER IS MORE OR LESS USELESS UNLESS HE OR SHE CAN SPEAK BOTH MANDARIN AND CANTONESE IN ADDITION TO POSSESSING AN ABILITY ON HOW TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE CHINESE MAINLAND.  THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR...WHO IS BY THE WAY CHINESE....SAYS THE ROLE OF THE EXPATRIATE IN HONG KONG IS SHRINKING BY THE DAY.

WITH A POSTCARD FROM CHINA....I'M ERIC OLANDER IN HONG KONG. (2:29)

OUTRO:

IN OUR NEXT POSTCARD...ERIC OLANDER REPORTS FROM SHANGHAI ON THE GROWING PROBLEM OF URBAN POVERTY.

© BBC World Service 1993