Hong Kong tops the most intolerant of other races list

[jayinhongkong]

Yup, if they were asking locals if living next to 'oi gok yan' was ok, they were probably thinking gweilos, and not a chas and haak gwais.

Speaking Cantonese and being brown can either help or hurt...some people treat me better, and others automatically think I'm a public housing estate guy on welfare or something, especially in lower-income areas. If I try to explain I speak several Asian and European languages, have British citizenship and went to college in the US, they don't really know what to make of me. lol. Some think I'm trying to show off. Many still think you're lower class, no matter how much education or money you have, simply because of your ethnicity.

Speaking perfect English while brown tends to be a big surprise for a lot of people...conversely speaking Cantonese in certain areas where people don't see many brownies gets me lots of WAAAAAs. It entirely depends on the person I'm speaking with and their attitudes. People are becoming more tolerant, however, whether the 'conservatives' (lol) like it or not.

Locals can be the most lovely people if they like you, but they can also be absolutely horrendous, and many don't see their behavior or beliefs as racist at all. Brown skin means you're lower class, and that's just the way it is many people's eyes. These attitudes occur in all strata and education levels.

Gary is right about the South Asian crime wave thing, actually. The new immigrants tend to be very poor, and lack opportunities to advance themselves because of their language skills and because many people simply won't hire them. Many HK-born, fluent Cantonese-speaking Indians and Pakistanis are stuck working low-income jobs. The Nepalese youth (many of whom don't speak Cantonese at all) have the same issue. When you're stuck in a dead-end job, crime and drugs look a lot more attractive.

Poverty and no hope of bucking the odds breed crime. Go into one of the lower income areas in HK at night and you'll see plenty of locals committing crimes (many of which are only reported on in the Cantonese papers). It's the same story all over the world.

I know most people on this planet haven't been fortunate enough to grow up with experiences and a lifestyle as exotic as mine, so I usually let stupidity slide. More recently, though, I've been confronting it head on, which the idiots never expect. It's pretty liberating.

[usehername]

I think the whole .neighbour' issue is irrelevant really, it's more about who they want to associate with. There was an interesting article on the bbc about (mainland) chinese attitudes to africans - it basically said that africa (and other s asian countries) were seen as failures (compared to the west) and so people from those countries are very much seen as second class. The chinese wanted to associate themselves with the 'winners'.

Why this is still such an issue in hk though I don't know.

[jayinhongkong]

Attitudes may be forced to change once Africa takes the industrial reins from China.

[kimwy66]

http://badcanto.wordpress.com/2013/0...-in-the-world/

Think we can close this thread now.

Actually, the washington Post article does have a note to this effect:

Note: World Values’ data for Bangladesh and Hong Kong appear to have been inverted, with in fact only 28.3 and 26.8 percent, respectively, having indicated they would not want a neighbor of a different race. Please see correction at the bottom of this post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...ant-countries/

It is also worth noting that even at 26% of Hong Kong respondents not wanting to live near a foreign person, HK is still 44th out 54 for tolerance.

[HKITperson]

Yup, if they were asking locals if living next to 'oi gok yan' was ok, they were probably thinking gweilos, and not a chas and haak gwais.

Speaking Cantonese and being brown can either help or hurt...some people treat me better, and others automatically think I'm a public housing estate guy on welfare or something, especially in lower-income areas. Speaking perfect English while brown tends to be a big surprise for a lot of people...conversely speaking Cantonese in certain areas where people don't see many brownies gets me lots of WAAAAAs. It entirely depends on the person I'm speaking with and their attitudes. People are becoming more tolerant, however, whether the 'conservatives' (lol) like it or not.

Locals can be the most lovely people if they like you, but they can also be absolutely horrendous, and many don't see their behavior or beliefs as racist at all. Brown skin means you're lower class, and that's just the way it is many people's eyes. These attitudes occur in all strata and education levels.

Gary is right about the South Asian crime wave thing, actually. The new immigrants tend to be very poor, and lack opportunities to advance themselves because of their language skills and because many people simply won't hire them. Many HK-born, fluent Cantonese-speaking Indians and Pakistanis are stuck working low-income jobs. The Nepalese youth (many of whom don't speak Cantonese at all) have the same issue. When you're stuck in a dead-end job, crime and drugs look a lot more attractive.

Poverty and no hope of bucking the odds breed crime. Go into one of the lower income areas in HK at night and you'll see plenty of locals committing crimes (many of which are only reported on in the Cantonese papers). It's the same story all over the world.

No Gary is wrong! wrong! wrong! To blame all social woes onto the South Asians or SE Asian or whoever is simply racist. I don't think people deny that crime doesn't exist... all groups are doing it, murders, rapes, gang fights, petty crimes..... so to single out a specific ethnic group simply becuase of their skin colour is wrong whichever way you look at it.
If people in society gives them a chance to work and to live with respect, then the chances are that they wouldn't be doing crime or hanging out on the streets.
HK people, Government, politicians have to take some responsibility into integrating ethnic minorities into the mainstream.
Why for example if you speak perfect Cantonese and perfect English with good qualifications should you be denied decent jobs?
There is a TVB reporter who is of S Asian descent. I didn't actually realise that she was different until the press made a big deal over this. This is because I am used to watching foreign news and it never crossed my mind. Why should this be such a big deal in any normal city?
Why do people get rejected once the they turn up for interviews and the company sees that they are black / brown (I heard ... it's because they scare away customers??)
So what should HK do?

Enact laws on racism including emplyment laws
Educate the public
integrate ethnic minorities into the mainsteam of society
Change HK to a multi cutural society

We are always telling people that HK is cosmopolitan, is modern and a world city.... oh no, we are far from that.

[gilleshk]

I'm certain I won't live to see that and I'd even wager that no one reading this will either. In any case, you don't compare a country to a continent...

[jayinhongkong]

I don't know which countries will be first to industrialize, so I referred to Africa collectively. South Africa has already been added to BRIC (now BRICS). I think I will indeed be alive to see that, but then again, I believe you have a few decades on me.

[jayinhongkong]

HKIT: I can't read the Chinese figures (and even if I could, the methodology is a mystery), so I can't compare any specific ethnicity/nationality to the local population, but there are indeed crime issues with a lot of new South Asian immigrants.

Integration is not going to happen overnight. I think we'll see South Africa become a major powerhouse before the majority of HKers' attitudes change.

BTW, I'm a HK-born South Asian.

[HKITperson]

HKIT: I can't read the Chinese figures (and even if I could, the methodology is a mystery), so I can't compare any specific ethnicity/nationality to the local population, but there are indeed crime issues with a lot of new South Asian immigrants.

Integration is not going to happen overnight. I think we'll see South Africa become a major powerhouse before the majority of HKers' attitudes change.

BTW, I'm a HK-born South Asian.

Yes, there are crime issues but no different from those committed by locals or any other nationality... so it's no big deal as far as crime or the impact in society is concerned. So to make this out as something that is destroying the fabric of Hk existence is over the top.
Yes, integration will not happen overnight but there is a lot that can change people's perceptions and attitiudes towards S.Asians. For example, the media and the Government show play a big part. Why don't we have any non Chinese polticians, why aren't we encouraging more to come forward?
Why don't we have specific laws to ensure that people are treated fairly during interviews and job recruitments?

I am Local HK born Chinese but also a global citizen. HK is your home as well as mine.

[usehername]

I wonder how many of the south asian 'criminals' are in prison for visa-type offences rather than actually murdering people.