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almostwitty) wrote2010-01-11 02:42 pm
7m people in Hong Kong. Not one Chinese person?
According to Wikipedia, Hong Kong has 7 million citizens, 95% of whom are Chinese.
According to this BBC News report about Hong Kong’s Mid-Levels escalator system – the “longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world” – there’s not a single Chinese person who could talk about the system. The reporter’s Australian, who interviews another non-Chinese person about the escalators and how they’ve revitalised previously run-down parts of Hong Kong.
It’d be like going to San Francisco, doing a report on the trams there, and only being able to find one Chinese person to interview.
I know it’s not so much racism as the reporter, desperate to file a story, just using her personal contacts to find SOMEONE to interview … but when they said it was one country two systems, they should have said one country, two communities…
UPDATE: The evil former flatmate and Asian-ophile Mr. Fenn took it upon himself to lodge a complaint with BBC News on my behalf (while changing a few details. Like my gender) and the official word from the BBC is:
“There was no intention to give the impression that we were ignoring the views of the residents of Hong Kong. You are right that the reporter was
not herself Chinese – but she was used because she is the BBC’s reporter in Hong Kong and therefore best placed to do the piece. As you also saw we only felt there was space in the piece to hear from one other person – and as it happens, the best interview she obtained on the subject was with the chap who ran the restaurant chain.”“However I take your point on board – and accept that we should perhaps have made more of an effort to hear something from Chinese residents about the escalator system.”
Mirrored from almost witty.
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Throughout the world, especially in urban areas, you find dozens of communities occupying the same real estate, but not at all integrated with each other. You've only got to ride a tube train or San Francisco streetcar to observe the ability of people to completely disregard each others' existence.
That said, it's a necessary barrier that city people put up. In a small town you can make time for everyone and still have some for yourself but a city would bleed you dry in the space of hours if you didn't keep to yourself a bit.
Where do groups divided along race fit into this? Seems to me that you get a mix of colors and cultures in a workplace but off the clock cultures don't tend to mix, except for those of us who visit or move into a foreign culture.
I spent some time as 'the token roundeye' in SF, and one subject that came up is how reticent asian* immigrant groups were to enter the American heartland. Emphatically many Chinese Americans I hung out with said they certainly didn't want to be the first to break that ice. It made me sad at the time but now I see the other side of the coin.
It's rough to come from a foreign culture and be isolated. No one bats an eye at my flesh tones but make no mistake - Houston is a different planet from SF.
* here in the States the term 'asian' does not refer to anyone from the Indian subcontinent.
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