Why Hong Kong and Mainland Chinese Aren’t Getting Along
- Submitted by: karencyeung
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- Category: Politics
- Date Submitted: 02/17/2014 08:23 PM
- Pages: 9
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Why Hong Kong and Mainland Chinese Aren’t Getting Along
It may seem bizarre that Chinese people would discriminate against their own race. But ever since Hong Kong’s return from British colonial powers to China in 1997, there has been a clear resentment towards their ancestral counterparts. Prior to the return, Hong Kong’s borders were sealed from Chinese mainlanders and while the mainlanders were in the midst of oppression under years of Mao’s reign, they often idealized Hong Kong as a haven of freedom where everyone has the equal opportunity to thrive. And because most of popular Chinese films and celebrities originate in Hong Kong, mainlanders often parallel the city as an untouchable paradise where celebrities stroll the streets of wealth and opportunity. Since the return in 97’, Hong Kong borders reopened and an influx of eager idealists raced their way to immigration counters for a chance to fulfill their dreams. One prerequisite for entrance is wealth. Based on numbo.com, the cost of living in Hong Kong is 42.76% higher than China but because of the surge of economic wealth since China opened its global market and a developing wealthy class flocked to Hong Kong to purchase “sanitized” goods such as baby milk formula, that is free from the horrors of genetically produced counterfeit products that is so common in the mainland.
Hong Kong locals’ resentment towards their mainland neighbors may have something to do with the chaos wealthy mainlanders are bringing into the economic market. When mainland residents start buying daily necessities instead of souvenirs, the local market proved too small for them and soaring demands pushed prices to outrageous highs throughout the city. Another reason for local’s distaste for mainlanders is the idea of “ill-behaved” mannerisms overtaking a city that takes pride in their past British colonial influences of law and order. This is interesting because we are stepping into a different type of discrimination, where the...
It may seem bizarre that Chinese people would discriminate against their own race. But ever since Hong Kong’s return from British colonial powers to China in 1997, there has been a clear resentment towards their ancestral counterparts. Prior to the return, Hong Kong’s borders were sealed from Chinese mainlanders and while the mainlanders were in the midst of oppression under years of Mao’s reign, they often idealized Hong Kong as a haven of freedom where everyone has the equal opportunity to thrive. And because most of popular Chinese films and celebrities originate in Hong Kong, mainlanders often parallel the city as an untouchable paradise where celebrities stroll the streets of wealth and opportunity. Since the return in 97’, Hong Kong borders reopened and an influx of eager idealists raced their way to immigration counters for a chance to fulfill their dreams. One prerequisite for entrance is wealth. Based on numbo.com, the cost of living in Hong Kong is 42.76% higher than China but because of the surge of economic wealth since China opened its global market and a developing wealthy class flocked to Hong Kong to purchase “sanitized” goods such as baby milk formula, that is free from the horrors of genetically produced counterfeit products that is so common in the mainland.
Hong Kong locals’ resentment towards their mainland neighbors may have something to do with the chaos wealthy mainlanders are bringing into the economic market. When mainland residents start buying daily necessities instead of souvenirs, the local market proved too small for them and soaring demands pushed prices to outrageous highs throughout the city. Another reason for local’s distaste for mainlanders is the idea of “ill-behaved” mannerisms overtaking a city that takes pride in their past British colonial influences of law and order. This is interesting because we are stepping into a different type of discrimination, where the...