Let’s put it in simple terms: Being an ethnic minority in Hong Kong is hard.
I was born and raised in this city of lust, and from the bottom of my heart am always going to call it home. The warm city lights, dream-reaching skyscrapers, and cobalt-blue water have always comforted me. Yet, everything is not always what meets the eye.
The blinding lights suffocated me in my pursuits to determine a distinct identity. Skyscrapers always have a latent glass ceiling for young EM women. My reflection in the water constantly ridicules me for being the other 8%.
Have you ever walked on the streets, and had people constantly glance your way? The stares are not threatening and may be inquisitive, but still make you feel uncomfortable. Have you ever had someone deny you a service just because of the color of your skin? You’ve heard discriminatory stories from your parents, that are even worse, but still, feel the urge to crawl into bed and wonder ‘What did I do wrong‘. Have you ever grown accustomed to normal yet kind-off racist remarks made to your face, laughed off as a joke?
These heart-wrenching experiences shouldn’t be happening, in a world that can grow or at least hide implicit bias better. Just because your experiences are different from your parents or your friends, doesn’t mean they should be demeaned, or shouldn’t be heard. Sharing your voice is the first step to uniting, and this is the biggest strength we have to make change.
In this city full of lust, diversity is a tool, not a weakness.
