[XI_YAN]

I also think the male / female question is relevant. Chinese culture is fairly male orientated & I think that a man wud find a place of acceptance more easily than a woman. Especially a western woman who has strong personality and NO submissive tendencies. In the car tool passing scenario the roles wud likely be reversed.

Also people come with friends, family & relations who might not always be so accepting. Prejudice can pop up unexpectedly.

[carang]

my MIL is a very strong woman, so my hubby has seen that all his life...
it's actually kind of scary seeing his parents interacting. i know it's what we are going to be like in another 30 years! YIKES!

[XI_YAN]

retreiving pickles with chopsticks? the image of that has me roflmao but hey if it works . . . . .

[Sand]

Rather then highlighting the differences I think it's better to accept each other's culture.

My wife has taught me to belch loudly in public and I have taught her to fart in bed. :-)

[carang]

i must say, that i've taken up the belching as well, much to my mother's chagrin!... but i still say "excuse me" afterwards...

[XI_YAN]

I am still curious though as to whether or not there are people who, for whatever reasons, would be prejudiced against a interracial relationship. Let's take an extreme example - a high profile actor marries a white woman - what would the press say? What would the general public opinion be? Are different levels of society more or less open and accepting? If prejudice does exist what form would it take? Sadly prejudice does exist.

[MrNiceHk]

You seem hell bent on finding prejudices when the majority of people who have responded have told they have not come across any. I can add to this, my wife was born in Hong Kong but in many ways is the most British person I know, she grew up and studied in the UK.

I have met her entire extended family on many many occasions and have never had any form of discrimination or funny looks. Once at her grand fathers 82 birthday, i think well it was an auspicious one anyways I was the only Honky in a room full of about 400 Chinese people, Her grand father was head of the village and we were sitting on the top table. You know what to my surprise I did not once get the impression people were starting at me at all.

[Skyhook]

I tend to agree with MrNiceGuy, most interacial couples/marriages in Hong Kong wouldnt raise an eye brow, unless East Asians are involved, then some of HK's under current rears its head.

I am not sure if this is the perspective that L_steyn is trying to project or not, but after a think about the topic, most HK families wouldnt be happy if their son or daughter married an east Indian etc or a Vietnamese or a Thai, someone from the Phillipines etc as it would lose the family social face. Now I am only expressing my observations about this, HK does have a bit of a racial pecking order of what brings respect and what brings disgrace to the family.

I know it isnt nice but it is how things are.

Ask yourself, when was the last time you ever saw a HK Chinese/East Indian/Thai/Filipino couple ? In all the years I have lived in HK, I have never seen one example.

I have seen plenty of European / HK Chinese couples, plenty of Japanese/HK couples, Sing/HK and Korean/HK couples but not what was previously mentioned originally.

Anybody here who is East Indian who is married to a HK local ? It would be great to hear your answer to l-Steyns original question, as i believe it would be the answer that he/she is looking for most.

Then of course, I've known to be wrong before lol, but it will be sure to expand this topic to a more eclectic level.

[KnowItAll]

>> Anybody here who is East Indian who is married to a HK
>> local

Singapore is much more progressive that way. Not Hong Kong....

[Skyhook]

I agree with you Knowitall, Singapore is a long way ahead in many social respects. Although they are different, there certainly is a feeling of social acceptance amongst the Singaporians, no matter of their ancestry.

I found people in Singapore to be a lot more chatty and diverse about their hobbies etc, more outdoor tuned, wether it be four wheel drive treks through Malaysia, or being in the Sing airforce or whatever, people just seemed a lot more interesting on general conversation points of view, pretty relaxed and outwardly secure.

I have met a few Singaporians in HK and cant say anything to the contrary.


Cool people in my book