Cantonese
A Language
Not A Dialect
Cantonese
Mandarin
Language -> Culture
One language, Cantonese, can connect us to the culture of Hong Kong
But Hong Kong is not just dim sum, HSBC banks, Buddhist temples, and kung fu
It’s a complex world of its own, both within the borders of Hong Kong and beyond …
Hong Kong: A Center of Migration
Throughout history, Hong Kong has been a center of migration
The following table is a snapshot into the diversity of its people
Hong Kong population by ancestral origin (1981)
| Ancestry | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | 124,279 | 2.5 |
| Guangzhou and Macau | 2,455,749 | 49.2 |
| Sze Yap | 814,309 | 16.3 |
| Chaozhou | 566,044 | 11.4 |
| Other parts of Guangdong | 470,288 | 9.4 |
| Fujian, Taiwan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang | 351,454 | 7.0 |
| Other parts of China | 103,531 | 2.1 |
| Foreigners | 100,906 | 2.0 |
| Total | 4,986,560 |
Hong Kong was, and is, home to people from all over China, Taiwan, and the rest of the world
Currently, the largest non-Chinese-Taiwanese groups come from the countries shown on this map
There is certainly no shortage of diverse cultures and ideas in Hong Kong!
But despite these differences in ancestral origin, there is still something that unifies the people of Hong Kong: Cantonese
Proportion of Population Able to Speak Selected Languages (%)
| Language | 2006 | 2011 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cantonese | 96.5 | 95.8 | 94.6 |
| Mandarin | 40.2 | 47.8 | 48.6 |
| Hakka | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.2 |
| English | 44.7 | 46.1 | 53.2 |
| Hokkien | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.6 |
| Chiu Chow | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.4 |
| Bahasa Indonesia | 1.7 | 2.4 | 2.7 |
| Tagalog | 1.4 | 1.7 | 2.7 |
| Japanese | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.8 |
| Shanghainese | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
One language, Cantonese, can bring together the diverse HK people
The HK Diaspora
HK culture is not confined to just the borders of Hong Kong
Hong Kong people disperse to various countries, namely those shown on the map
This dispersion of people is called the Hong Kong diaspora
As a result, HK culture has an influence on places beyond its origins, and it becomes ever more important to highlight the significance of Hong Kong and Cantonese
A Mirror of HK Society
If Hong Kong is such a complex society, what is the best way to become familiarized with it?
Ideally, one would simply live in Hong Kong for a few months, but since that option is not available for many of us, the second best thing is HK movies
Movies are able to reflect a snapshot of society with consideration, complexity, and character.
HK movies are mirrors of HK society
With all of this in mind, let’s continue on to the next section: my linguistics project on HK Cantonese