[heisha]

I'm currently doing an MSc in Training and HRM. We formed study groups amongst ourselves, I'm the only Indian, but I dont think anyone figured that out - I dont look very Indian to people here, also my name doesnt sound indian.

Now, apparently another Indian girl joined and the Course coordinator in HK thought she'd fit best into our group, so asked one of our teammates if she could join us.

Our teammate sent this note to all of us:

"Dear All,

Just received the call from Pxxxx, one of the students who did not join the briefing in April, would like to join our study group. Her name is xxxxxx xxxxxx, indian.

Any objection??? Please get back to me before 5:00pm

Best regards"

Remember, all of us are in the HR world here in HK. The fact that she chose to mention the nationality of the new girl and ask for any objections speaks volumes. These are the people involved in shortlisting candidates; can you imagine what happens when they see an Indian resume??? Gee I wonder if this person would be accepted. ummm no can't chance it, sorry indian person.

I've asked myself many times if I'm being paranoid. I just dont see the same message being sent out if the new student was say, HK Chinese or English or American. Certainly if she was Philippino, a mainlander, Indonesia, Pakistani...

I sent a note back saying she was welcome, and btw, I'm indian too... hehehe

Scary, isnt it?

Any objections??
d

[scr]

I agree that you might be at the receiving end if you isolate yourself and refuse to integrate. But I don't think refusal to shed your overwhelmingly Indian attire or customs has anything to do with it. You can remain 100% Indian and still let the locals into your lives. Can't you ? People who want to be discriminatory will do so no matter what. You can shed your dress but what about your name, skin colour or the shape of your eyes ? It's the attitude that's important not your dress. In fact the way you dress can be an icebreaker if you are friendly enough with the local people. I'm speaking from experience..people have approached me to chat about the exotic sari I'm wearing or the bindi on my forehead. I have even gifted some women bindis and they loved them.

By the way, a tip I learned from locals about moving out. If you have any doubt that you may not get your deposit at the time you leave an apartment then stop paying the rent two months before you move

[shri]

"Dear All,

Just received the call from Pxxxx, one of the students who did not join the briefing in April, would like to join our study group. Her name is xxxxxx xxxxxx, indian.

Any objection??? Please get back to me before 5:00pm

Best regards"

Not like its illegal in HK. In several countries and in several structured multinationals (like the one I work for) this would be a "sackable" mistake as it exposes the company for a law suit if the applicant knows of this and feels they have been discriminated against.

Your energies are better spent getting the govt to change its laws on equal opportunities rather than fighting petty language issues.

Shri

[heisha]

I know efforts are being made to get the govt to legislate against racial discrimination (Vandana Rajwani?). I'd love to know what we can do to help - how our own strengths can be used for this purpose? A lot of use are nervous about speaking out.

Laws are one thing, but changing hearts and minds is a gradual process that comes when each of us does our bit. But I can already see an improvement in perceptions from 11 years ago when I first arrived here.

[murtster]

Racial discrimination is not illegal in Hong Kong (!).

I have experienced racism both inside and outside the workplace. But apparently the locals consider the Gweilos racist where I work...

The one good thing about being a Gweilo, is the seat beside you onteh MTR or the bus will be the last to fill as everyone knows that Gweilos stink ;-) Howmany people have been sitting on a bus or train with an empty seat besire you that no-one wants, and other people prefer to stand than sit beside a Gweilo.

I guess it just means more room to stretch out.

[DNX]

I have been here for 5 weeks and i feel that there is discrimination, but in many ways it is good for me. When I go to C-club in LKF, the local guys have to pay $100 cover charge, but when i went with some other foreigners, we got in for free, probably because they assume that we will spend heaps on booze, but in fact we buy at the 7-11 before going in.
Also, the other day at Wellcome, I told them that they overcharged me for something that i bought and the lady did not understand english, so got the manager whoes english was no good either. I could have spoken to them in chinese, but i chose to do it in english. The manager was saying in chinese to the lady at the checkout that I was wrong, and it was the other item on special, but in the end that gave me my money back because they said it was too much trouble explaining it to me.
Just goes to show it is good to be a gwailow.

[krypton]

From all the places I have been to, I think Indians are least regarded in HK.

I have lived in Singapore and Indians are looked at in a better light there. It is not that all Indians in Singapore are professional; there is a huge number of cheap labour imported from India, but for some reason Indians are thought of as the "brainy" lot. It was the same story while I lived in the US. I have only been a tourist in some other parts of the world but all those experinces have been plesant (this includes China).

In HK however its a diff story. The locals can only picture the chunking mansion crowd when they think "Indian". It can be argued that Indians are themselves to be blamed. On numerous occasions I have embarrassed by the Indian crowd in TST. Chuking Mansion (the "little India" of HK) is hardly a family place. It is no surprise the locals hold the indians in such low esteem.

[shri]

Krypton, The argument is true for the uneducated HK local and taxi driver type population. I still strongly belive that Indians discriminate far more amongst each other than the rest discriminate against us.

DMX : Ah .. the simplistinc viewpoint of life from westerner.

[rausch]

I've been living here in HK for about 3 months now, and have already felt the sense of discrimination amongst some chinese people.Since I'm a mixed person (german-malagasy),i look indonesian,indian(whatever goes in that way) for the people here.
I've already experienced the "i-don't-wanna-sit-next-to-them" and the"why-bother-they-don't-have-the-money-anyway" kind of thing and must say that i'm pretty disapointed, given the fact that I come from a country where discrimination could be imaginable.
What always is a very funny experience, is when people get to knwo me better and suddenly show a lot of interest, when knowing that I'm actually not an Asian person and that my father turns out to be someone "important" at a certain representative office.
What irony lies within !

Last weekend, I went to Macao to do some work internship and wasted my entire time at this stand (at a fair).
Well, the guy who was with me all day and not paying any attentions to me at all (besides of the :"miss,could you please put your bag away, it disturbs the look of the stand and doesn't look really nice you know") asked me why I was on my home already at 4 o'clock. Me:"well, my father (who gently forced me to participate at this fair) allowed me to go earlier if I wanted to" his reply:"well,who's your father?" me:"my father actually works at the xxxx."
"him,looking at my namebadge:"oh my god! you're XXXX daugther? i'm so sorry !!!" then he ran to his boss, took him out of an interview he was giving,whispered something in his ear and dragged his boss to me.
"mr XXXX, this is XXX daughter/well, you unfortunately are going now...we would have invited you to a dinner but you really want to go?" me:"yes!i have to catch my ferry at time!"

HAHAHAHA, that's how people can change when they see some $$$ blinking ! I personally was very amused after that, thinking of how superficial come people can be !
I've already been discriminated a lot of times and I get surprised everytime how prejudices lie so deep in people's heads !

[Max]

Ah well, this had to crop up sooner or later, hadn't it? But I'm glad it did, because I have to put in my two cents regarding this issue.

I have faced discrimination at all stages, whether it be employment, housing, and even economic. I have also been through the "empty-seat-next-to-me", and the "not-to-worry-because-he-wont-buy-anything" phase.

I don't agree with people who say that Indians are an easy target because of their reluctance to change their customs. I think customs and traditions define our identity. If we lose our identity, who do we become? Our "refusal" to integrate into the local culture need not be our achilles heel. What ultimately matters is our character, our attitude (as scr so rightly said). It's been the prerogative of minorities everywhere around the world to preserve their way of life (to whatever varying degree they are able to), is that supposed to be a crime?? I don't think so. Our way of life and our customs and traditions characterise who we are. If we were to stop practising our way of life, we risk losing touch with our roots. Its the same case with any particular race.

I and my family have long-standing ties and are an integral part of the indian community here (also in Thailand, and the US) and I have rarely come across any so-called "bad habits", hygiene or cultural. In my experience, I know for sure that Indians DO NOT discriminate against one another. We, infact choose to help one another. It is understood that in a foreign country, sometimes through thick and thin, blood relations carry weight. It is the same amongst the Jews, the Chinese, the Indians, and many other groups. We know that a fellow countryman would be most likely to help us and give us a sense of comfort, as they will be there to rely on at some point. It's contrary to what some people feel and think, but its true. Do you want to know why? Ask yourself, look into our recent history and seek the source of the mistrust. And then comment.

I had the good fortune of rediscovering my roots and by visiting my homeland (India). And after living there for more than 6 years, I have come to the conclusion that Indians are generally and by far more tolerant towards each other than any other ethnic group in any other country. This comes as no surprise, after all it is a result of Gandhiji's legacy. It is also part of our religious beliefs, as Hindus, we do not force or impose our will on others, we preach tolerance. Why else would many Tibetan monks choose to live there? Why else would many African and Middle Eastern students come to study there?? In heisha's case, I must mention that I lived in that very city in Bangalore, and that the rough reaction handed out to the African visitor then might have come as a result of the need for the restaurant to protect its patrons from 'unlawful' behavior (keep in mind, India is still a pretty conservative country!). Believe me, I know the owner of that restaurant, and he wouldn't take such a drastic step if the situation didn't warrant it! Students and professionals from many nationalities work and reside in Bangalore, and even other major cities and rarely have I seen or experienced any form of discrimination against them. The locals have actually gone out of their way to make them feel comfortable.

As for the "Chungking Mansions" types, please note that here again people tend to generalize. Not everyone from the place is Indian. Some are Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Nepali, Nigerians, etc... All of them are there for a reason. The same reason everyone is here in the first place-to be able to earn a living. If they choose to do it in a certain way, does that mean they are fair game when it comes to finger-pointing? I've seen much worse in many other places. Its easy to focus on the negatives rather than offer solutions. Would the same ever happen in New York? Hell no, people there are very cuturally sensitive (even if they are also know for having an attitude! ). The mark of a world-class city is not just about having the right facilities, but it's also about having the right attitude! That's the same attitude that helped them recover after 9-11! What's needed is a change in people's perception, there are two sides to every coin. Granted, there are a few bad apples here and there, does that mean we can jump to conclusions and junk the entire basket? No.

As for Hong Kong, if it wants to continue to be known as a "world-class" city, then it's high-time it introduced legistation outlawing racial discrimination. Otherwise, it might just as well continue to be known as a "Second-class city" or even a "third-class city". Sad................really sad.............and to think I had an affinity for this place just because I was born here!