| I have just had a short conversation with a friend of mine on the matter of national identity. He holds the view that Hong Kong was, and still is a city with very little to do with the Mainland. It has a different way of life, a different culture, a different (spoken) language, probably a different value system, so he thinks. And the de facto independence of Hong Kong in the past, in his opinion, inevitably leads to the lack of attachment to China. The relationship between China and Hong Kong, to him, means nothing more than flying a red flag, rather than the union flag, on the land of our home-city. Hearing all these comments did frustrate me a bit. However, to be entirely calm and sensible, it's a matter of personal preference and all I can do is to respect opposite views and accept differences (apart from trying to understand them). In this entry, I take the liberty of expressing my thoughts on this matter, while trying to avoid imposing my ideas on others and placing any judgements. Contrary to the above views, I have a strong sense of belonging to China despite the fact that I have been brought up in Hong Kong (to which China has little relevance according to my friend?) throughout my entire life. I am proud to say to that I am a Chinese, though I am not entirely sure where such pride comes from. To me, China is like my parents. You never detest your parents for their shortcomings. Rather than disgusted, I feel more sympathetic towards the many social wrongs in China, especially when putting them in historical context and trying to understand their causal linkages with the turmoils and sufferings of the nation in the past. And because of these shortcomings, it is all the more important that we help in whatever way we could, rather than complaining and choosing to see only the negative sides. China is not, and should not be a mere synonym of the 'People's Republic of China' (and the sovereignty is just one of the many aspects of China). It's about the people, the culture, the race, the philosophy, the history ... The words of the late Pope John Paul II from his book - Memory and Identity - gives a good description of the concept of 'motherland': ''The Latin word patria is associated with the idea and the reality of 'father' (pater). The native land (or fatherland) can in some ways be identified with patrimony, that is, the totality of goods bequeathed to us by our forefathers... It refers to the land, the territory, but more importantly, the concept of patria includes the values and the spiritual content that go to make up the culture of a given naton...' All these nonetheless may seem like non-issues to those who consider themselves 'rootless'. If we think of our world as one big family, I would see China as a member of my nuclear family, and other countries as close relatives. I would feel sympathetic towards any acts against humanity, but naturally more so if it happens in China. I guess living in a foreign country does prompt me to contemplate more on what it means to be Chinese, what my country - in particular its culture and civilisation - means to me, and above all, what I can do to make it a better place. As a final note, I would like to suggest the following documentaries: 香 港 故 事 : 何 來 香 港 人 (http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/tv/hkstories/20061105.html) 鏗 鏘 集 : 活 在 一 國 與 兩 制 ─ 和 而 不 合 (http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/tv/hkcc/20060702.html) ------------------------------ Another quote from John Paul II's Memory and Identiy: 'Catholic social doctrine speaks of 'natural' societies, indicating that both the family and the nation have a particular bond with human nature, which has a social dimension. Every society's formation takes place in and through the family: of this there can be no doubt. Yet something similar could also be said about the nation. The cultural and historical identity of any society is preserved and nourished by all that is contained within this concept of nation. Clearly one thing must be avoided at all costs: the risk of allowing this essential function of the nation to lead to an unhealthy nationalism....I think the right way is through patriotism. Whereas nationalism involves recognising and pursuing the good of one's own nation alone, without regard for the rights of others, patriotism, on the other hand, is a love for one's native land that accords rights to all other nations equal to those claimed for one's own. Patriotism, in other words, leads to a properly ordered social life.' |
